Astana Opera to host Baroque Music Carnival

09:22, 9 April 2023

ASTANA. KAZINFORM Different stages, famous musicians, a rich program – all this is about a series of Baroque concerts, to be held from April 12 to 27 in Astana Opera’s Marble, Chamber and Grand Halls. The idea and organization of the Baroque music carnival belongs to the Honored Worker of Kazakhstan, the opera house’s conductor Abzal Mukhitdin, Kazinform learned from the press office of Astana Opera.

«On April 12, a Grand Concert of Baroque music will take place at the opera house’s Marble Hall. Two of our sopranos Aigul Niyazova and Guldana Aldadossova, as well as some of our first chairs of the orchestra will take part in it. The music of the great Baroque composers – Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, Devienne will be performed. Serbian conductor Tamara Milovanovic will take part in the concert. The program will be performed at the opera house’s Marble Hall. This choice was not made by chance, its acoustics are the most consistent with the one for which the above-mentioned music was written, requiring a rich sound reverberation,» Abzal Mukhitdin explained.

It is worth noting that Baroque is a musical style that covers the period from about 1600 to 1750, that is, it is between the Renaissance and Classicism. Currently, Baroque is widely studied, performed and listened to with pleasure.

«On April 20 and 21, the Double Reeds Festival will be held at the Kulyash Baiseitova Chamber Hall. Instruments that use a double reed are: oboe, cor anglais, bassoon and contrabassoon. The reeds for them are made of cut cane. With very active playing, it can literally be enough for a couple of performances... We treat all our colleagues with great respect, but musicians with double reeds, of course, have a particularly honorable place. For example, the oboe gives the note «A» to tune the orchestra. The initiators of this festival were our principal oboe Damilya Makhpirova and our principal bassoon Asset Neldybayev. The program will feature both the most virtuoso and rarely performed musical masterpieces written specifically for the above-mentioned instruments. As always, we will have an intermission with coffee and more at our festivals. We look forward to sharing the joy of getting in touch with the beautiful world of high art with our dear listeners,» the conductor said.

The Maestro’s idea was to show the style of a huge layer of music, with all its nuances, which is not always available to the general public.

«On April 27, another unusual concert will take place featuring a guest conductor from Israel, Arik Goldstein,» Abzal Mukhitdin concluded.

When compiling the program, many nuances were taken into consideration, but the main one was to leave a mark in the listeners’ hearts, to present a celebration of high art.

Kazakhstan Culture Astana