Yesterday, I went to the national opera with several friends because my voice teacher was singing the role of Oksana in Zaporozhian beyond the Danube. The opera was all in Ukrainian, and was written by S. Gulak-Artemovskiy. I had never heard of this opera before I moved to Ukraine, and I'm ashamed to admit that I'd never heard of the composer, either! I didn't really know what to expect when attending this opera, but I was sure to print out a synopsis and bring it with me, so that I knew what was going on.
I'm pleased to say that what I saw and heard was so unexpectedly delightful, I will have to go again to see this opera! It had everything in it that you could possibly want in any kind of stage spectacle: beautiful singing, dancing, speaking, sword fighting, and of course, a live orchestra! Add to it the beautiful traditional Ukrainian costumes, and this opera was such a sight to be seen. Little customs crept into the story, and it was quite endearing. It was also the perfect thing for a Friday evening because, even though it's in 3 acts, it's a comic opera, and so you don't feel depressed at the end.
It's interesting to think that such a lovely work and nice story is probably mostly lost in the West. I don't know if I've ever seen the opportunity to go and see an opera in Ukrainian. I did once get to see a performance of Queen of Spades while I was in Paris, which is sung in Russian. But, I've never seen this particular opera advertised anywhere else. You'll just have to come to Ukraine and see it for yourself!
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