The Royal Opera House Muscat, one of the most magnificent in the Middle East, became a hub of Kazakh culture on December 4th and 5th. By special invitation from the Omani side and with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan, the Astana Opera presented the ballet Coppélia by acclaimed French choreographer Roland Petit. Thunderous applause and packed houses were the reaction to this performance – virtuosic, vibrant and deeply human.
On both of these warm days, over two thousand spectators gave a roar of applause to the opera house’s principal dancers: Honoured Workers of Kazakhstan Bakhtiyar Adamzhan and Aigerim Beketayeva, as well as Olzhas Tarlanov, and at the second performance, Honoured Workers of Kazakhstan Yerkin Rakhmatullayev and Rustem Seitbekov, along with Shugyla Adepkhan. Under the baton of Maestro Ruslan Baimurzin, the orchestra created an ideal musical tapestry.
And so, on the stage of the Royal Opera House Muscat, a town came to life, where the residents are busy with their own concerns, yet all attention is drawn to the mysterious house of master Coppélius (Olzhas Tarlanov, Rustem Seitbekov). In the window of his home sits a motionless, beautiful stranger with a fan – a doll so perfect that it confuses the young man Franz (Bakhtiyar Adamzhan, Yerkin Rakhmatullayev). This doll is the spitting image of Swanilda (Aigerim Beketayeva, Shugyla Adepkhan). It is she who accidentally discovers the professor’s secret, transforms into her doll-double, and what follows is a cascade of comic and touching events in which play and reality intertwine.
The dancers effortlessly mastered Roland Petit’s choreography, characterized by its distinctive aesthetic and impeccable taste. It was said about this choreographer that he created his own theatrical universe and left a fantastic legacy.
“This success is no accident,” shares a resident of Muscat in the luxurious marble foyer. “I am delighted by the purity of lines and the artistry of the Kazakh company. Aigerim Beketayeva is the embodiment of grace; her technique is flawless, and her partnership with Bakhtiyar Adamzhan creates magic onstage. It is clear that this is a world-class ballet company.”
The uniqueness of Roland Petit’s production, which Astana Opera brought to Oman, was also noted by Gretta Bruch, a connoisseur of high classics from Germany living in Muscat: “I was fortunate to be here eight years ago when Astana Opera presented Swan Lake here. It was magnificent. Various productions are staged here, and acclaimed companies perform, because the goal of the opera house is the development of cultural tourism. However, we have never had a ballet like this before. It is a truly authorial work, with subtle humour and elements of the grotesque. The finale is especially touching: Coppélius is left alone, with a broken doll… A cheerful performance turns into a profound human drama.”
According to Ms. Bruch, it was the corps de ballet that became an ensemble in the fullest sense of the words: “The company worked in unison, with grotesque movements, performing complex, technically rich dances. Against this backdrop, the man characters, with their sincere emotions, looked even more vivid and convincing.”
Jacques Rosso, who came to Oman from France for two weeks, agrees with this. “I rarely see a corps de ballet that is so organic and precise in every detail. Their synchronicity and energy charged the entire hall. And Maestro Baimurzin conducted the orchestra with keen awareness of the dancers’ needs.”
Behind this success lies the titanic work of the artistic director of the ballet company, Altynai Asylmuratova. “I believe that thanks to the company’s leader and repetiteurs, this ballet company is forging its own unique path, forming an original repertoire and developing its unique style,” emphasized Mr. Rosso.
The tour to Muscat concluded with prolonged applause. Flowers, smiles, and cries of “Bravo!” – this is how Oman bid farewell to the Kazakh performers, who showed that the language of high art is universal, and that the Astana Opera rightly holds its place among the world’s leading opera houses.
