Running time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Schedule for Vec Makropoulos 2013

Director: Dmitry Bertman
Designer: Tatiana Tulubieva
Designer: Igor Nezhny

Premiere of this production: 25.06.2003

“Vec Makropoulos” (1925, libretto written by Karel Capek’s play) is Janacek’s late philosophic opera, which up to now hasn’t been staged in Russia by other theatres. “Helikon” corrected the state of affairs, introducing this wonderful music to audience. In December 2003 the performance was shown to audience in Saint-Petersburg.

Performance tells a story of a hundred-year long lawsuit concerning the inheritance of Baron Ferdinand Jozef Prus, whose will was lost. Opera Diva, beautiful Emilia Marty, triumphally touring in the city, promise to find the document in exchange to a sealed envelope, which cannot be of any interest to anybody except her. Little by little it turns out that the mystical lady is informed about many events of the past and knows inconceivable details of the lives of the people, who departed long ago. To dispel the suspicions in gerrymander, Emilia reveals her real name and tells a story of her 300 year life full of adventures and disappointments, the life which only left the fatigue and annoying feeling of boredom in her.

SYNOPSIS
Act I
Prague. Waiting room of Kolenaty, the lawyer. Registrar Vitek is taking away the folder with "Gregor-Prust case" inscription. This is the lawsuit about the inheritance, which lasts almost 100 years already. Young Albert Gregor, a representative of one of the parties, is indignant with the state of affairs. Kolenaty passed it to the High Court, and the case hasn’t returned yet. The young singer Krista, a daugther of Vitek, the registrar, rushes into the room. She is delighted with Emilia Marty, a famous opera singer. Suddenly Marty comes together with lawyer Kolenaty.

Primadonna asks about Gregor’s case. Marty says there are some arguments that can help to win the case. Kolenaty objects that there are no proofs to win. Marty inquires which documents are necessary. "The will", answers Kolenaty. Then Emilia Marty tells that among papers in Prus house there is an envelope with the will, that was written personally by Ferdinand Josef Prus. However, Kolenaty doesn’t believe her. Gregor emphatically asks Kolenaty to check Marty’s words. Gregor asks the woman about documents, while Marty tries to get information about an envelope.

Kolenaty returns to waiting room together with aristocrat Jaroslav Prus, Gregor’s enemy. He underlines that it has to be proven that Ferdinand, illegitimate son of Prus, was the very same Ferdinand Gregor.

Act II
Opera theatre backstage. The Stage engineer and Charwoman are discussing Marty’s charm and her ability of theatrical reincarnation. Prus enters. He is looking for Marty. His son Janek and Krista follow him. Primadonna appears. She is tired. Old weak-headed Gauk Schendorf soothes her. As in delirium he repeats over and over again the name of some Eugenia, the Spanish gypsy that he loved 50 years ago. After Marty talked to him in Spanish, kissed him and tenderly called him Maxi, he makes sure that Eugenia is not dead.

At the same time Prus is asking Marty about Ellian McGregor. He read her love letters and suspects that there is something wrong, because in Ferdinand’s birth-certificate there is a name of Ellina Makropulos, who has the same initials. She is called his mother. As the illegitimate son is usually given his mother’s name, her son had to be named "Ferdinand Makropulos", otherwise the estate would go to Pruses.

Marty is ready to buy the desired envelope, which Prus found among other papers, but he turns her down and leaves.

Gregor returns. He makes a declaration of love to tired and sleepy Marty. Marty, awaken, sees Janek and warmly asks him to steal the envelope with an inscription "To deliver personally to my son Ferdinand". Prus eavesdrops on them. He turns his son out. Prus agrees to give the envelope to Marty if she spends the night with him… Janek spies his father.

Act III
The hotel room of Emilia Marty. Prus gives the envelope to Marty. His condition was fulfilled, but he feels himself done. Marty was cold as ice in his bed. The chambermaid says to Prus that he is awaited downstairs. Prus leaves and returns again. He learned that his son Janek committed suicide. Primadonna listens to him with indifference. He is interrupted by Gauk-Schendorf, who offers Emilia to escape to Spain. Emilia agrees.

Gregor, Kolenaty, Krista and doctor appear in the room. Pani Gauk takes her husband away. Kolenaty speaks about the likeness of the signatures of Emilia Marty and Ellian MacGregor on papers. He suspects the forgery. Marty snaps the revolver out. Then, changing the tactics, Marty says that first of all she woul like to freshen herself up and then to explain her behaviour. Those around one start searching Emilia’s things and find a lot of things marked "E. M." Prus asserts that handwritings of Emilia Marty and Ellina Makropoulos are similar.

Marty returns with a bottle of whisky and says that she was born on Crete in 1585 and was called Ellina Makropoulos. She is 337 years old. Her father Hieronimus, the court doctor of King Rudolf, who ruled Bohemia since 1576 till 1612. The monarch ordered the doctor to find the elixir of immortality. The alchemist found the necessary formula and gave his 16 year old daugther to try the elixir. After drinking the solution, the girl lapsed into a coma and doctor was imprisoned. Soon the girl recovered and escaped. After many years she revealed the formula of immortality to her beloved one, baron Prus. She gave birth to his son. As the elixir prolongs life only for 300 years, she needs a new portion to avoid dying. Emilia needs another portion. At the beginning, nobody believes Marty. However, little by little they started to pay attention to her words and understand that she speaks truth. A heavy load of a too long life is on her shoulders. She is ready to give the receipt to anyone... The life leaves Marty. Soundlessly repeating the prayer she dies.

Additional photos