Thomas Arne — “Bacchus and Ariadne” (from Six English Cantatas) Performed at the Bolshoi Theatre, Beethoven Hall, Moscow
Thomas Arne — “Bacchus and Ariadne” (from Six English Cantatas) Performed at the Bolshoi Theatre, Beethoven Hall, Moscow — May 23/25, 2018 As part of the experimental project “Cantata Lab. Scenic Experiments.” This performance was presented by the artists of the Bolshoi Theatre Youth Opera Program in collaboration with young drama directors from the workshops of Oleg Kudryashov (GITIS) and Dmitry Brusnikin (Moscow Art Theatre School). Arne’s cantata “Bacchus and Ariadne” combines lyrical English baroque style with theatrical storytelling. In this production, the musical narrative is intertwined with a contemporary scenic concept, reflecting the experimental spirit of the Cantata Lab project, which sought to bridge opera and modern drama theater through collaborative staging. The performance took place in the intimate space of the Beethoven Hall, allowing for direct interaction between singers and audience and emphasizing dramatic truthfulness alongside vocal artistry.
Performers: • Silen — Andrei Skliarenko (tenor) • Ariadne — Kseniia Porosnykh (soprano) • Expert-criminalist — Kristina Yakimushkina • Investigator — Nikita Yuranov • Journalist — Aleksandr Zolotovitsky • Cameraman — Dmitry Nikolaev Piano: Elizaveta Dmitrieva Stage director: Yana Gladkikh (Brusnikin workshop) English vocal diction coach: Lyubov Levina Arne’s cantata “Bacchus and Ariadne” combines lyrical English baroque style with theatrical storytelling.
Thomas Arne — “Bacchus and Ariadne” (from Six English Cantatas) Performed at the Bolshoi Theatre, Beethoven Hall, Moscow
This production imaginatively and playfully inhabits memories and scenes from Beethoven’s life, offering a vivid portrait of one of history’s greatest composers. As he endures deafness, isolation, and poverty, Beethoven’s unshakable faith in music and humanity becomes a source of redemption and transcendence. What do we hear when the world falls silent? For Beethoven, the answer is extraordinary music—a declaration of resistance in bleak times. His suffering does not destroy him; instead, he transforms it into art. Features Beethoven’s classical work as well as original music composed and performed by Boston’s Sarah Infini Takagi.
Performers: • Silen — Andrei Skliarenko (tenor) • Ariadne — Kseniia Porosnykh (soprano) • Expert-criminalist — Kristina Yakimushkina • Investigator — Nikita Yuranov • Journalist — Aleksandr Zolotovitsky • Cameraman — Dmitry Nikolaev Piano: Elizaveta Dmitrieva Stage director: Yana Gladkikh (Brusnikin workshop) English vocal diction coach: Lyubov Levina Arne’s cantata “Bacchus and Ariadne” combines lyrical English baroque style with theatrical storytelling.