Opera “The Silk Ladder”
2026/2027 PALACE OF PEACE AND RECONCILIATION — XIV SEASON
October 18, Sunday, 17:00
“PICCOLO” THEATRE
Gioachino Rossini
“The Silk Ladder”
One-act opera farce
Performed in Italian
(with simultaneous translation into Kazakh and Russian)
Duration — 1 hour 20 minutes
Please note the age restriction: 10+
The Directorate reserves the right to replace performers.
In 1822, when Beethoven met Gioachino Rossini at the height of his fame, he told him: “Under no circumstances should you attempt to write anything other than opera buffa; any other style is contrary to your nature.”
Several years earlier, the 20-year-old composer, the future author of The Barber of Seville, had written the one-act comic opera farce The Silk Ladder for Venice’s Teatro San Moisè, to a libretto by Giuseppe Maria Foppa.
In The Silk Ladder, brilliant humor and comedy, together with the lively improvisational style of the characters, are perfectly combined with the virtuosic vocal and instrumental parts characteristic of Rossini. The composer celebrates the tenderness, passion and spontaneity of young lovers whose relationship is initially meant to remain a secret.
The story takes place in the 18th century and follows Giulia, who has secretly married her beloved Dorvil. Her husband reaches her room by climbing through the window using a silk ladder that she lowers for him.
However, Giulia’s guardian, the elderly Dormont, unaware of her marriage, plans to marry her off to Blansac. A series of misunderstandings and awkward situations becomes increasingly complicated, but ultimately leads to a happy ending.
CAST TO BE ANNOUNCED LATER
PRODUCTION TEAM
Conductor — Abzal Mukhitdin, People’s Artist of Kazakhstan
Stage Director — Alla Simonishvili
Director — Erenbak Toykenov
Set and Costume Designer — Manana Gunia
Technical Director of the Project — Viktor Karare
Director of the Opera Company — Talgat Mussabayev, Honored Worker of Kazakhstan
Assistant Director — Gulsara Meirambekova
Principal Accompanist — Dolores Umbetaliyeva, Honored Worker of Kazakhstan
OPERA SOLOISTS AND CHAMBER ORCHESTRA OF
“ASTANA OPERA” STATE OPERA AND BALLET THEATRE
Tickets purchased from the State Opera and Ballet Theatre “Astana Opera” are subject to exchange or refund only in the event that the performance is cancelled or rescheduled to another date. In all other cases, tickets cannot be returned or exchanged.
