Turkey’s state opera and ballet open their curtains

ISTANBUL

İstanbul State and Opera will continue to stage Afife and ‘Hürrem Sultan’ opera and ballet this year.

The stages of the State Opera and Ballet around Turkey will open their curtains this season with exclusive concerts and operas.

Istanbul State Opera and Ballet (İDOB) has announced the opening concert of its 2013-2014 season.

İDOB opens on October 6 at the Archaeology Museum. The opening concert will be directed by Naci Özgüç. The orchestra will be playing Verdi’s Giovanna d’Arco opera concert version and this will be the first time the work will be played in Turkey.

The orchestra will be conducted by Gianluca Bianchi and the choir will be managed by Emanuela Aymone. This season Istanbul opera and ballet will be staging Gioacchino Rossini’s “La Cenerantola.”

The work will be staged by Yekta Kara and the orchestra will be conducted by Alessandro Cedrone.
Another work by G.F. Handel, the opera Giulio Cesare, will be staged, conducted by Paolo Villa and staged by Mehmet Ergüven.

This season İDOB will be staging “The Turn of the Screw,” “The Ears Midas”, “Yusuf and Züleyha”, “The Elixir of Love,” “Hoffmann’s Tales,” “Ariadne On Naxos”, “The Barber of Seville,” “First words then music,” and “Opera Director.”

In addition, Murat Göksu’s opera “Opera, Opera” will make its premiere. “Giselle”, “Sufferings of Young Werther”, Turgay Erdener’s “Afife,” and Nevit Kodallı’s “Hürrem Sultan” opera and ballet will continue this year.

Shows will also be staged for children. “The Nutcracker” and “Mozart the little genius” are among the ballet shows to be performed for children.

Samsun State and Opera Ballet opens its new season with Johannes Brahms and Sergei Rachmaninoff works. The opening will be on Sept. 21 with artistic director and conductor Lorenzo Castriota Skanderbeg. The orchestra will be playing Johannes Brahms’ Third Symphony.

The concert will host Malahat Ismayilova as piano soloist and the second part of the concert will belong to the works of Sergei Rachmaninoff, who belongs to the 20th century Russian romantic era, with his Second piano concerto.

The first show in Samsun will be “Bach Alla Turca” on Sept. 26. The first premier of the season will be “West Side Story” on Oct. 12.

Premiers and old shows together

Amid the new premieres, Ankara State Ballet and Opera (ADOB) will also debut a number of works, as well as some that were performed last year due to their popularity. Blockbusters like “Anatolia with Sounds,” “Looking for a Tenor” and “Archine Mal Alan” would be back this year. The production “The Bat” will also be on stage for audiences this year, he said. ADOB will lift the curtains on its opening concert on Sept. 29.


As for ballet, there will be both modern and classic shows. Last season the team decided to stage Muammer Sun’s ballet, “The Love’s Worth.” This marked the world premiere. This year ADOB will have Count Dracula as a world premiere.”
Another classic ballet, “Copellia,” will also be on stage, in addition to a new one titled “Mediterranean Breeze,” which consists of tango, bolero and ballet with different tunes.

There will be a total of 30 works on stage, as well as special surprises and extra events for state holidays and religious feasts.

ADOB had made special programs for children. Last year ADOB staged “The Bremen Town Musicians.”

The show became a blockbuster show. The 2013-14 season will also feature two new works for children, including the Anatolian-themed Nasreddin Hoca opera, which was prepared and staged by Mustafa Erdoğan. There will be a number of other events for children throughout the season, he said, adding that all the productions had been made in close consultation with pedagogical and education professionals.

State orchestras open seasons

İzmir State Symphony Orchestra (İZDSO) opens its 2013-2014 with Antonio Socias.

The concert will take place at the Adnan Saygun Culture Center on Oct. 4. This season the orchestra plans to stage a total of 34 concerts. The program will end on May 30 with Carmina Burana concert in the Ephesus Ancient City.

İdil Biret, Gülsin Onay and Cihat Aşkın will be on stage in different concerts.

Mersin Opera and Ballet opens its curtains with “Lüküs Hayat” (Luxuries Life) with Haldun Dormen’s contributions. Haldun Dormen, famous theater actor staged the show for Mersin.

The opening will be on Oct. 1 at the Culture Center of Mersin. The work will be staged in other cities such as Adana, KahramanmMaraş, Osmaniye, Gaziantep and Eskişehir.