28.07.2022, 22:15 19861

Backstage magicians of Astana Opera

Astana Opera’s technical equipment allows the opera house to stage any of the most complex world classical masterpieces. This is possible to see for yourself by visiting the country’s main stage venue in the new 10th anniversary season.

Many people may wonder: "What happens at Astana Opera during the off-season?" while taking a stroll in the summer near the majestic building of the capital’s opera house. As part of the reports that tell about the backstage life, this time readers are invited to see the inner workings of the stage – the heart of the opera house, the press service of Astana Opera reports.

The first association that arises with the opera house during the summer is stillness. However, despite the fact that the theatrical season is over, life here is still in full swing. If you take a look backstage, you will see that the stage mechanics are working tirelessly. All season long they were engaged in installing the sets for opera and ballet performances and managing the stage machinery. Now the crew on duty consisting of machinists thoroughly inspects the equipment, puts the devices in order, and prepares the equipment for the new season. It should be noted that for many years the employees of the Stage Machinery Department have been actively working under the direct supervision of Victor Carare, Astana Opera’s deputy director for design, production and building maintenance.

The repertoire of our opera house is very rich. Technically complex productions with large interesting sets, which have no analogues at almost any theatrical venue in the world, are staged at Astana Opera. In addition, performances of other creative teams are held in our opera house, and in order for them to take place and go according to plan, we must carry out maintenance work before the new season," Talgar Tatmakov, head of the Stage Machinery Department, said.

The lower and upper stage mechanisms can be controlled from the console by one operator, that is, everything is automated. This shows the amazing technical capabilities of Astana Opera’s stage. Only a few theatrical venues in Central Asia have such equipment, and we are rightfully included in the top of the best stages in the world. It is a space of more than 3,000 square metres, divided into four areas: two side pockets, proscenium and the rear of the stage. In addition, it can go up and down up to 5 metres. We have the opportunity to present our sets to the audience’s attention in a few minutes with the help of the right and left side of the stage, hidden from the public eyes, and also thanks to its rotation mechanism," Talgar Tatmakov said.

Stage machinists regularly undergo advanced training. For example, last season German specialists conducted a week-long training with them. Incidentally, professionals from Germany invited for training stood at the origins of the creation of Astana Opera’s stage mechanism. Abai Yerzhanov, who has been working in the opera house for a long time, says that he always shares his experience with young colleagues, who have joined the team.

Stage machinists’ work is very responsible, because above all it is necessary to comply with technical safety requirements. Sets that do not fit in the opera house’s warehouse are stored in specially designated places outside the opera house, so they have to be brought here by trucks. For example, the sets of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Aida are so large that they are transported to the opera house in 17 40-foot containers. Then we unload all this ourselves and prepare the stage for the performance. Initially, the installation of such large-scale sets took us 5 days, but now we have reached the stage when we need only two days," Abai Yerzhanov said. During the conversation, he also shared that he participated in preparing the stage for Astana Opera’s tour performances in China, Italy, Spain, and Hungary.

When going on tour, stage machinists carefully study the destination before the trip. Since installing the sets takes time, they go on tour early, prepare the stage before the artists arrive, and dismantle the sets within a limited timeframe after the performances.

Their work is not limited to installing the sets and operating equipment. Part of the staff prepares set elements for the next scene, while others make sure that the artists performing onstage are not in danger. Indeed, the sets are not stationary during the performance, they change in all the scenes, some of them get lowered, and some get raised. To the question, "Which of the productions do the machinists consider the most difficult?", the answers were different. Productions such as Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida, Mukan Tulebayev’s Birzhan – Sara, Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca and others were named.

During a concert or an opera or ballet performance, stage machinists are dressed in classic black clothes, because they are often seen at work during a performance.

Our machinists can change several tons of scenery in seconds with the help of a remote control. For example, in Akhmet Zhubanov and Latif Khamidi’s opera Abai, Abai’s house disappears in the blink of an eye and the scene changes to a flat square. In Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Aida, when moving to the last fourth act, the sets simultaneously rise up with the help of 200 poles. After the sets go up, the artists remain on the lower level of the stage. The viewers in the parterre have the impression that they themselves are in a dungeon together with the singers. It is also amazing that not a single sound is heard when more than 100 machines move, and only the singers’ voices can be heard from the stage. This opera is staged in many opera houses, but only on our stage does it look so grand and enthralling," the employees of the Stage Machinery Department say.

Source: Kazinform

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Backstage magicians of Astana Opera

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