Va Invita Maria Biesu

13th International Opera and Ballet Festival in Chisinau

Opera singers from 11 countries of the world (Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Italy, France, Austria, the USA, and Japan) arrived in Chisinau for the 13th time to participate in the traditional opera and ballet festival entitled “Va Invita Maria Biesu”.

Maria Biesu, the world-famous prima donna of the Moldovan National Opera and hostess of the festival, had no doubts of the success of this year’s event in spite of the fact that thirteen is often thought to be an unlucky number. The participants of the festival were mostly our compatriots who now perform abroad due to the cultural depression in Moldova.

According to Mihai Cocieru, Director General of the National Opera and Ballet Theatre, the festival “Va Invita Maria Biesu” has already become an annual feature of Chisinau’s cultural life. The preparations for the festival were made during the whole summer period to receive guests on a due level. Veaceslav Madan, the Culture Minister of the Republic of Moldova, emphasized that the festival had finally gained a governmental status this year. However Order No. 859 On Giving “Va Invita Maria Biesu” International Festival a Governmental Status was signed on July 26, 2004 and therefore most of the state funds will be received only next year. Maria Biesu believes that financial support from the Moldovan government will allow to invite the most dedicated opera and ballet performers. As in the previous years this year’s festival became possible owing to the sponsors who appreciate art.

The event opened with the opera “Adriana Lecouvreur” by F.Cilea. Maria Biesu sang the leading part in the opera. She made a decision to perform in Italian despite the fact that “Adriana Lecouvreur” is staged at the National Opera and Ballet Theatre in the Russian language. Her partner was Ivanko Ninova, a soloist of the Sophia National Opera whose wonderful mezzo soprano voice was highly appreciated at “The Verdi’s Voices” contest held in Italy last year. In 1992 Ivanko Ninova was recognized the best singing talent of Bulgaria. The performance was conducted by Victor Dumanescu from Romania. The grateful audience gave the performers a standing ovation.

Irina Mishura, our former compatriot who has been working in the USA for the last twelve years, brilliantly performed her part from Bizet’s Carmen. She is currently singing at the best opera houses of the world such as the Metropolitan Opera in New York or La Scala in Milan. Her partner in the opera was Alexei Repchinsky, a soloist of the Odessa National Opera and Ballet Theatre. He is a laureate of the Tokyo “Min-On” International Vocal Contest.

Anatoly Duda, another soloist of the Odessa National Opera and Ballet Theatre, charmed the Moldovan audience with his great voice while performing in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci. He participated in a number of international contests held in Poland, Hungary and Finland. Vladimir Garkusha, the leading conductor of the Dnepropetrovsk Opera Theatre, occupied the conductor’s stand. He has been on tours in many countries and today there are over 40 operas and ballets on his repertoire.

“The Barber of Seville” by G.Rossini was amazing and really beautiful. Andrei Grigoriev, a soloist of the Russian Bolshoi Theatre performed in the opera. His Moldovan admirers impatiently waited for his arrival. He came to Chisinau for the second time.

Those who appreciate exotic singing had a chance to listen to the tenor Azer Zeinalov from Azerbaijan who sang the leading part in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci. Toyami Kohama, a Japanese opera singer, impressed the audience with her exceptional manner of singing and entrancing feminity. She successfully performed in Puccini’s Tosca together with Raffaelle Vitagliano, an Italian opera singer and winner of numerous international contests. It should be said that Giacomo Puccini emerged into the twentieth century music world as the "King of Verismo". Puccini wrote solely for the operatic stage and he understood the dramatic intensity and melodic poignancy of real-life subject matter. Critics have sometimes dismissed his work as overly impassioned, melodramatic, and sentimental. The composer himself proclaimed, "The only music I can make is that of small things," although he admired the grander stylistic abilities of Verdi and Wagner.

Raffaelle Vitagliano also sang with Victoria Lukianets from Vienna at the charity concert held in Organ Hall. They were rewarded with the warm and abundant applause of the audience for their talented singing and artistic gifts. The charity concert was organized to help needy retired artists, those who dedicated their lives to the theater.

Ballet dancers have also received their measure of recognition. The Moldovan audience applauded the ballet dancers Artem Datsishin and Anna Dorosh from Ukraine. Anna Dorosh was awarded the Grand Prix of the International Ballet Contest in Luxemburg. Nobody could remain indifferent to the sentimental and romantic art of these two Ukrainian ballet dancers. They brilliantly performed in “Sylphide” by H.Levenskyeld and “Swan Lake” by P.Thaikovsky.

The audience recognized “Carmen” by Bizet and “The Barber of Seville” by G.Rossini as the best performances of the festival while Alexander Samoila, the leading conductor of the Antalya Opera Theatre, became the best conductor. It should also be mentioned that the Chisinau Opera and Ballet Theatre was filled to capacity during all performances.

The big gala-concert at the National Palace closed the festival. Maria Biesu expressed her gratitude to all the participants of the event as well as her special thanks to the sponsors of the festival.

The 13th International Opera and Ballet Festival “Va Invita Maria Biesu” was a considerable success. The eyes of the people in the audience shined, they radiated gratitude and great admiration for the talent of all those who participated in the festival.

By Ludmila Mamaliga
Translated by Vlada Popushoi