Sergei Slonimsky’s opera «The Master and Margarita,» based on Bulgakov’s novel, received its first full-scale production in Russia in 2023 at the Samara Opera and Ballet Theatre. Directed by Yuri Alexandrov and designed by Sergey Novikov, the production created an impressive stage representation, masterfully blending the worlds of ancient Yerushalayim and 1930s Moscow. Novikov’s set design features three towering crosses, endless staircases, and a symbolic tram, creating a timeless space where the characters navigate love, betrayal, and the freedom of creativity. Awarded the Golden Mask and Onegin prizes, the production was a triumph at the Mariinsky and Bolshoi Theatres.
The Master and Margarita
Reviews
-
The Master and Margarita
Sergei Slonimsky began working on the opera in 1966, immediately after reading the first publication of the novel in the magazine Moskva. In 1972, the first act of the opera was performed at the Leningrad House of Composers. The performance was attended by Georgy Tovstonogov, Yevgeny Mravinsky, David Oistrakh, and Gennady Rozhdestvensky, who was standing behind the conductor's podium.
Immediately after the performance, the opera was banned. "The next day, at 10 a.m., the Union of Composers received a call ordering them to de-magnetize the recording," Slonimsky recalled. "However, following Rozhdestvensky's advice, I arrived at 9 a.m. and re-recorded it."Read more -
Sergei Slonimsky's opera "The Master and Margarita" was staged in Samara
As a rule, they are captivating, but they actually disregard the philosophical essence of the work. This is an inevitable occurrence with almost every great composition. The opera genre has also responded in kind, even becoming a pioneer in this process of "reinterpretation." The premiere of Sergei Slonimsky's opera "The Master and Margarita" took place at the D.D. Shostakovich Samara Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, which recently underwent a rebranding process and is now known as "Shostakovich Opera and Ballet" and is searching for a new creative path.Read more -
Margarita Arrives on the Volga: The Premiere of an Opera Based on Bulgakov's Novel in Samara
Shostakovich Opera Ballet presented a new version of Sergei Slonimsky's "The Master and Margarita." The premiere was timed to coincide with the composer's 90th birthday, continuing the rich tradition of performing his works in Samara.Read more -
NOT LIGHT, BUT PEACE
The Russian premiere of an opera written more than half a century ago took place in Samara. Sergei Slonimsky's "The Master and Margarita," based on a libretto by Yuri Dimitrin and Vitaly Fialkovsky in 1972-1973, had never been performed in its entirety in Russia before. In 1972, the first act was performed in a concert at the Leningrad Union of Composers, but it was immediately banned. During the Perestroika period, the work was briefly performed, but mostly abroad (a concert performance in Hanover, 2000, conducted by Mikhail Yurovsky), and in 2012, Vladimir Yurovsky, the son of Mikhail Yurovsky, and director Vitaly Fialkovsky staged the first act at the Mikhailovsky Theatre in St.…Read more -
"The modern moment in the ancient scene is very important and understandable to the audience."
Sergey Leiferkus on Sergei Slonimsky's opera "The Master and Margarita"
Today, as part of the St. Petersburg Cultural Forum, Sergei Slonimsky's opera "The Master and Margarita" will be performed at the New Mariinsky Theatre. The world premiere of the opera, directed by Yuri Alexandrov, was performed by the Samara Opera and Ballet Theatre in October, and the production was brought to St. Petersburg.Read more -
Everyone has their own Golgotha
The premiere of Slonimsky's opera "The Master and Margarita" took place in SamaraRead more -
The premiere of the opera "The Master and Margarita" was held at the Samara Opera and Ballet Theatre to a full house.
On Friday, October 6, the D.D. Shostakovich Samara Opera and Ballet Theatre presented a full-scale production of Sergei Slonimsky's opera "The Master and Margarita" for the first time in the country. The premiere was a resounding success. After the performance, the theatre's staff and production team were congratulated by Governor Dmitry Azarov.Read more -
Valery Gergiev, the artistic director of the Mariinsky Theatre, commented on the Samara production of The Master and Margarita
On Friday, November 17, as part of the IX St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum, Sergei Slonimsky's opera "The Master and Margarita" was performed by the Samara Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre named after Dmitry Shostakovich at the Mariinsky Theatre. The audience and the expert community were delighted with the Samara production.Read more -
The Mariinsky Theatre
Sergei Slonimsky's outstanding work has been waiting for its moment for more than half a century. After the concert performance of the first act of the opera in 1972 (at the Leningrad House of Composers), conducted by Gennady Rozhdestvensky, the work was banned from performance the very next morning. Almost twenty years later, during the Perestroika era, Mikhail Yurovsky conducted a concert version of the opera, followed by a single performance at the soon-to-close Moscow Forum Theater. He also staged the work in Hanover (in German!).…Read more -
Opera "The Master and Margarita"
There will be no strict chronology in the events of the play, as a realistic sequence of events is not necessary; they can be mixed and occur simultaneously, such as Golgotha and the Master's destruction by critics. In some cases, the action may even reverse itself. For example, the epilogue may shift to the beginning, where Pilate, after the execution of Yeshua, begs to be told that the execution never took place and was only a hallucination.Read more -
The Unburned Score. The Mariinsky Theatre hosted the premiere of the opera The Master and Margarita
The production, directed by Yuri Alexandrov, was brought to the tour by the Samara Opera and Ballet Theatre. The role of Pontius Pilate was performed by the world-renowned baritone Sergey Leiferkus.Read more -
The premiere of "The Master and Margarita" in the happy city of Samara
S. M. Slonimsky's devotion to the genre of opera is well known. Each score has its own unique style and genre solution.
The composer called Samara his second musical homeland, because five of his nine operas were staged here. The three premiere performances were a success that could only be described as deafening. Thanks to the three line-ups of vocalists, each performance stood out for its own characteristics.Read more -
"MASTER AND MARGARITA" WITH GASTROLS AT THE MARIINKA THEATRE
The opera "The Master and Margarita" was written in 1972. Slonimsky was the first to musically interpret Bulgakov's plot. In 1972, the first act of the opera was performed on the stage of the Leningrad House of Composers. The audience included Georgy Tovstonogov, Evgeny Mravinsky, David Oistrakh, and Gennady Rozhdestvensky, who was standing behind the conductor's baton.Read more -
Manuscripts Don't Burn: The Samara Opera "The Master and Margarita" Continued the Opera Forum Program in Minsk
The 15th Minsk International Christmas Opera Forum continued its work at the Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus. Guests and spectators of the musical festival saw the performance of the D. D. Shostakovich Samara Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre "The Master and Margarita" by one of the greatest composers of the 20th century, Sergei Slonimsky, directed by People's Artist of Russia Yuri Alexandrov. The musical director and conductor-director was Evgeny Khokhlov.Read more -
Sergei Slonimsky's opera "The Master and Margarita" was staged for the first time in Russia.
There is an opinion that everything related to the novel "The Master and Margarita" has a difficult fate. Sergei Slonimsky's opera "The Master and Margarita," created in 1972, has been waiting for its stage adaptation for 50 years.Read more -
Intelligence
Sergei Mikhailovich Slonimsky's opera "The Master and Margarita" was written in 1972. Slonimsky was the first to musically interpret this story. Much later, Evgeny Glebov's (1992) and Alexander Gradsky's (2009) operas of the same name were created.Read more -
-
