Astana opera is preparing another premiere. The legendary Kazakh opera ‘Kyz Zhibek’ will be given a new life. The staging of a new version of the opera is going to make a splash.

The music which has become a classic for many generations, the immortal chords of Evgeniy Brusilovskiy passed through eight decades. However, the music lost its glow, the conductor Abzal Mukhitdinov said during the rehearsal, it is not so primeval anymore, and besides "Kyz Zhibek" has been the musical drama with dialogues for all these years.

Now the dialogues are replaced by musical recitatives. Rhythms and intonation of the Kazakh speech were written into a stave, and it means that any professional vocalists will be able to perform ‘Kyz Zhibek’, including non-native speakers.

MICHAEL PANDZHAVIDZE, STAGE DIRECTOR, BELARUS:

Today’s audience is quite sophisticated. They have seen many performances; therefore the play should be close to international standards.

Stage directors from different countries work on the play. The chief stage director of the Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus Mikhail Pandzhavidze was not even trying to revive the previous staging – it is unnecessary, he thinks. Having rethought the characters and having demonstrated the deeper essence of their relationship, he endowed the opera with some sort of mysticism and epic.

The legendary love story of Zhibek and Tolegen was screened in 1970. However, the folk legend about the beaty Zhibek was staged in 1934, a year after a 28 year old Eugene Brusilovskiy arrived in Almaty from St. Petersburg who without knowing the Kazakh language composed the first Kazakh opera ‘Kyz Zhibek’.

Orchestral polyphony with rare sounds of Kazakh national instruments, grand scenery and incredible 3D effects: everything is ready for the performance. Opera will last for two days, so the audience could enjoy the spectacular epic "Kyz Zhibek" – a story of a life-long love and dreams about happiness.