MIKHAIL AND MIKHAIL PLAY CHESS | Recording of the opera

Recording of the opera-lecture “Mikhail and Mikhail Play Chess” by Kristaps Pētersons (21.04.2014.) with Latvian subtitles.

Recording will be available online from 7 until 31 May 2021. When purchasing the ticket, you’ll receive an e-mail with a link to the recording and an access code. In the set time frame each recording will be available an unlimited number of times.

The unusual phenomenon behind the popularity of chess during the Cold War is at the centre of this opera, brought to audiences by young composer Kristaps Pētersons. The so-called Wizard of Riga – the multi-award winner and Grandmaster of chess, Mikhail Tal – plays a significant role in the opera. The opera’s musical dramaturgy is precisely based on the 1960 Moscow World Championship match, in which Tal won against the seemingly unbeatable Soviet Union chess master Mikhail Botvinnik. This legendary match will be replayed in a multimedia-lecture format, emphasizing both the ideological meaning of chess in the Soviet Union, and Tal’s intuition and improvisation-based tactics, which helped him defeat the rational and academic Botvinnik. The creative team for this project will consist of bright young Latvian artists who are accomplished both in Latvia and abroad. The opera-lecture is performed in Russian.

This production received the Latvijas Gāze Annual Award for the outstanding artistic achievements, Spēlmaņu Nakts Award for the original dramaturgy, The Great Music Award 2014 in the category Production of the Year, Diena Annual Culture Award, and was nominated for the Kilogram of Culture Award in the category Surprise. Opera was created in collaboration with Rīga 2014.

Soloists: Dana Bramane, Armands Siliņš, Juris Ādamsons, Ieva Parša, Andris Lapiņš, Baiba Berķe, Kalvis Kalniņš, Gunta Gelgote.

Musicians from the Latvian National Opera orchestra and extras.

Conductors Ainārs Rubiķis and Atvars Lakstīgala, composer Kristaps Pētersons, stage director Viesturs Meikšāns, libretto by Sergejs Timofejevs, set design by Reinis Suhanovs, costumes by MAREUNROL’S, video by Carlos Franklin and choreography by Kirill Burlov.