DIDO

“The charm of Natalia Anastasieva’s production lies in the fantastic splendour of funny costumes and thecomicality of mise-en-scènes; while Nyman’s minimalistic fantasies onPurcell’s graciousplunks of the guitar sound here as music of the spheres. The plot is partly based on reconstruction: Nyman’s Dido takes place in 1689, on the premiere date of Purcells’ Dido and Aeneas.” ”

Afisha Daily
March 31, 2016

“In general the DIDO production gives perfect evidence that today the Russian opera art is in full measure a part of the global opera space. We are not standing back from the growing interest in the old opera; we take part in productions of works by modern composers, and we are able to do it at a high level by Russian conductors and performers. We can congratulate the Moscow theatre one more time with the Golden Mask Award nominations in and wish it more such interesting projects.”

OperaNews
April 20, 2015

"“The key point of the performance is that everything isfor fun and with a good sense of humor. The senile owner of the boarding school, Mr. Priest learns dance steps when nobody sees him. Attractive witches wearing dresses a la “Sugar Plum Fairy wrapped in foil” are comic and raise a smile rather than fear. A bloodstained spear with the head of a wild boar is presented as a sham maxi-kebab.

From the first minutes you can trust the action and follow it openheartedly, and after the end of the performance you can feel how the predatory shadows of everyday hassles have shrunk and stepped aside, clearing the space for uncontrolled joy born by exposure to immortal art.”

OperaNews
June 23, 2014

“The composer mystifies the public by a “reconstruction” of the score of the Prologue to Dido and Aeneas which allegedly existed at one time and then was lost. The word reconstructionis not quite right though, for there is neither imitation nor stylization here. The responses to the composition consist of the words minimalism, baroque, Scottish and English folksongs, rock music, and boogie-woogie”. ”

RBK STYLE
June 24, 2014

“The harpsichord features prominentlyin the orchestra. After showing its worth in Lyubimov’s The School for Wives and in the theme concerts in the Mirror Foyer, this uniquely sounding instrument added some charming and mystical colour to the performance. The orchestra played harmoniously under the baton of Dmitry Volosnikov.” ”

Niktaroff.com
June 21, 2014

“The backdrop is filled with sizable letters “DIDO. The Prologue”. The characters wear black and white “paper” dresses, and the witches (schoolteachers at the boarding school, spiteful furies by nature) cut a dash with their silver foil costumes. Aeneas is encased in armor. The mixture of tunics and enormous ancient helmets with some likeness to baroque stage costumes is funny and cozy like tea-drinking at a fireplace. Add to this an English red travelling bag and a cup of coffee in the hands of the Spirit, and your heart will go high.”

Novye Izvestia
July 1, 2014