An 18th-Century Opera Came to Life at the Gnesin Academy

The premiere of Johann Adolph Hasse's opera «La clemenza di Tito» («The Clemency of Titus») in a Russian translation from the mid-18th century took place at the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music. The performance was presented by students of the Vocal Faculty — soloists of the Yuri Speransky Opera Theater-Studio (Artistic Director – Alexander Butvilovsky). The Stage Director is Honored Artist of Russia, Associate Professor Olga Ivanova; the Music Director and Conductor is Associate Professor Andrey Rein; the Set Designer is Alexander Zakharov.

Work on the production was carried out in collaboration with the Scientific and Creative Center for the Study of Musical Theater Problems (Head – Doctor of Art History, Professor Irina Susidko). This is the second joint production by the theater-studio and the Center: the first was Hasse's opera «La contadina, or Don Tabarano,» presented in May 2024. Like «La clemenza di Tito,» it had been forgotten and unheard on stage for nearly three centuries.

The performance featured: Victoria Lazareva (Elizaveta Petrovna, Russian Empress), Mikhail Odentsov (Titus Vespasian, Roman Emperor), Yulia Malevskaya (Vitellia), Lyudmila Kondratenko (Sesto), Maria Dubinskaya (Servilia), and Anna Rudenko (Annio).

The choir ensemble and extras (mimed action performers) are students of the Vocal Faculty. The musical accompaniment was provided by the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music Chamber Orchestra.

The opera production was supported by the «Priority-2030» Strategic Academic Leadership Program.

Photo: Anna Bobrik