ANTONIO SPADAVECCHIA OPERA HOUSE

Antonio Emmanuelovich Spadavecchia (1907–1988), a Russian composer of Italian descent, whose name and work remain in the shadows. Belonging to the cohort of Soviet composers of the older generation, he left a large legacy, in which musical and theatrical genres occupy the main place, primarily operas created during the 1940s – 1980s. There are eleven of them. They were included in the repertoires of different theatres in the country, fitting seamlessly into the culture of their time, responding to its demands. The operas The Road to Calvary (1949–1953), The Gadfly (1957), Yukki (1967), The Fate of the Chekist Ermakov (1984) were consonant with historical reflections, themes and images directly or indirectly related to the events of the revolution, the war, and the upheavals that overturned people’s destinies. At the same time, with his sparkling humor and simple-hearted lyrics, the composer revealed the content of Carlo Goldoni’s comedy of characters The Mistress of the Inn (1947). A master of expressive musical portraiture (which is typical of all his operas), he created a lively, vivid image of the brave soldier Schweik in an opera with satirical, grotesque scenes and situations The Brave Soldier Schweik (1962). In the opera culture of the last century, the mono-opera Letter from an Unknown Woman (1974) stood out for its expressive lyricism and aroused great interest; the opera-drama The Gadfly, which was staged in many cities of the country and abroad, also attracted attention. The author writes about these and other works by Antonio Spadavecchia, relying on the scores and claviers of the operas, on conversations with the composer (1980s) and numerous reviews.