Rachmaninov's Aleko
Fanny Ardant (stage director), Fabrizio Ventura (conductor) — With Tassis Christoyannis (Aleko), Yannis Christopoulos (Young Gypsy), Myrsini Margariti (Zemfira) …
Cast
Fanny Ardant — Stage director
Pierre-André Weitz — Set designer
Israel Galván — Choreographer
Katarzyna Lewińska — Costumes designer
César Godefroy — Lighting
Tassis Christoyannis — Aleko
Yannis Christopoulos — Young Gypsy
Program notes
"Pushkin was dreaming of freedom… he was thirsty for a life far from a vain, egotistical society with its prejudices and privileges," reflects acclaimed actress Fanny Ardant, stage director of the Greek National Opera’s production of Aleko. The one-act opera, composed by Rachmaninov in 1892 when he was graduating from the Moscow Conservatory, is inspired by Alexander Pushkin’s poem "The Gypsies". A masterpiece exploring the clash between the Gypsy community and bourgeois culture, Aleko is a turbulent tale of violence, love, freedom, and jealousy. The work was honored with the Gold Medal, winning the admiration of Tchaikovsky, and it received its successful premiere in the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow in 1893. In December 2024, the opera is brought to vivid life by the Greek National Opera, featuring the internationally renowned baritone Tassis Christoyannis making his title role debut and a dazzling cast under the baton of Fabrizio Ventura.
Presented with the support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.
Photo © Andreas Simopoulos
