TheatreHD Opera Club in GUM Cinema. Saul. Special screening with Larisa Kirillina
Оперный клуб TheatreHD в Кинозале ГУМ. Саул. Спецпоказ с Ларисой Кириллиной
On August 25 at 7:00 PM, the TheatreHD Opera Club at the GUM Cinema Hall presents the phenomenal "Saul" from Vienna's Theater an der Wien — a production where drama, music, and voices are all absolutely flawless. An ancient legend was given musical life by the genius of George Frideric Handel, and now, in the 21st century, German director Claus Guth effortlessly finds its place in the world of today. The entire performance feels like a fiery, meticulously crafted arthouse film.
Before the screening, we'll be joined by a very special guest to help us unpack the biblical story and Guth's interpretation: Larisa Kirillina, Doctor of Art History, Professor of the History of Foreign Music at the Moscow Conservatory, and author of monographs on Beethoven, Handel, and Gluck.
- 18:45 – guests arrive, a complimentary offerinfg from Simple
Baroque music — ornate, extravagant, and exuberant — might seem to have little in common with the dark, ancient legend of Saul and David. Yet Claus Guth remains unfazed. The result is a cohesive, powerful, and visually stunning production, with magnificent music and thoroughly convincing stagecraft and acting.
In the role of the half-mad Saul is the formidable Florian Boesch — an Austrian bass-baritone, singer and vocal teacher, one of the world's leading interpreters of oratorio and German chamber music, and a professor at the Vienna Music University. As David, English countertenor Jake Arditti, who in stature and energy resembles Michelangelo's famous Florentine superhero, sings with a tender, English purity, while crafting a powerful stage presence — a whole, luminous, righteous figure. Conductor Christopher Moulds, whom we know from his work at the Bolshoi, delivers a performance beyond all praise; his virtuosity is aimed squarely at uncovering the music's hidden depths.
