THE NOSE Rozhdestvensky (Moscow 1979) (DVD)

The Moscow Chamber Opera Theatre made operatic history in 1974 with their definitive production of The Nose by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975). It marked the first time this modern masterpiece had been performed in Russia since its 1930 premiere; rehearsals were supervised by the composer himself. In the words of Boris Pokrovsky, who founded the Moscow Chamber Opera Theatre in 1972, “Shostakovich loved us. He loved this production. He loved our young theatre as one loves children for whom one has high hopes. For our theatre, the association with such a great artist and human being became the inspiration for the future life of our company.”

In this 1979 taping of the production, the esteemed conductor Gennady Rozhdestvensky leads soloists, Chorus, and Orchestra of the Moscow Chamber Opera Theater. DVD bonus: Footage of Shostakovich at one of the rehearsals (1975), and Boris Pokrovsky speaking about the genesis and importance of the production. In Russian; subtitles in English, French, Italian, Russian, and Spanish.
Color, Stereo, 111 minutes, 4:3, All regions

"Buy this video - it's worth every penny"
  - Estep, American Record Guide

“Un document captivent”
  - Michel Parouty, Diapason
    “Diapason D’Or” November 2010

THE NOSE
Opera in Three Acts
Music by Dmitri Shostakovich
Libretto by Georgy Ionin, Alexander Preis, Yevgeny Zamyatin and the composer,
after the story by Nikolai Gogol

Cast:
Platon Kuzmich Kovalyov - Eduard Akimov
The Nose - Alexander Lomonosov
Ivan Yakovlevich, a barber - Valery Belykh
Praskovia Osipovna, the barber's wife - Nina Sasulova
Local Policeman - Boris Tarkhov
Ivan, Kovalyov's footman - Boris Druzhinin
Doctor - Ashot Sarkisov

Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Moscow Chamber Opera Theatre
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, conductor

Produced by the Moscow Chamber Opera Theatre
Boris Pokrovsky, artistic director

Directed by Boris Pokrovsky
Production Design: Sergei Alikov, Alexander Agin
Directed for Television by Juri Bogatirenko
1979