Prokofjew's engagement in the monastery: comic opera conquers Austria!

Prokofjew's engagement in the monastery: comic opera conquers Austria!

Österreich - On March 27, 2025, the comic opera "The engagement in the monastery" by Sergei Sergejewitsch Prokofjew in Austria will be performed. Kleine Zeitung reports that Prokofjew's work was first performed in 1941 and in the following decades in the Stalatistic formalism debate got. It was only in the 1980s that it found its way back on stage.

The opera plays in Spain and is based on an 18th century English comedy, which has the echoes of the Italian Commedia dell’arte. The ensemble, under the direction of the young conductor Dmitry Matvienko, shows the musical strength of the work, which, in addition to a variety of dances, also integrates loudspeaker elements. This contributes to the liveliness of the staging, which presents a mixture of humor and festivity.

staging and stage design

The director Damiano Michieletto chose a reduced color palette for the staging and uses a dominant black cube that acts as a stage design. Movable doors and compensation walls that are integrated into the plot give the performance additional dynamics.

The action itself is a confusion comedy that illuminates the relationships between the characters Luisa, Antonio, Mendoza, Duenna, Ferdinand and Clara. Nevertheless, the libretto is criticized as a weakness of the piece, since it is described as conventional and fell by time.

voices and performances

The ensemble is generally highlighted, with special mentions for Valery Gilmanov as Mendoza and Evgeny Akimov as Don Jerome. However, Stacey Allaume has difficulty arriving against the choir and the orchestra, which affects the performance in places.

The first performances take place on March 27, 28 and 31 and on April 2nd, 5th, 7th and 9th. Prokofjew, who was born in Sonzowka in 1891 and died in Moscow in 1953, is known for a variety of important works, including the famous music tale "Peter and the Wolf". wikipedia continues that Prokofjew's music style is a combination of classic and modern elements that contain humor and irony. Despite the political turbulence with which he was confronted, he remains one of the most important composers of the 20th century.