Its read "Doctor Zhivago po Malmo Opera" and it means, of course, "Doctor Zhivago at the Malmo Opera".
And Skol, Tack, Tog, Vodca means....

Threre is an ideea to not judge people by the clothes they are wearing. Those who aproves this idea have their part of right, although, ussualy the clothes weared by a person offer some real clues about him. The link with the article about the opera which I am writing now is that in august 2013 I visited the Malmo Opera and.... I didn’t like how it looked on the outside or inside, the apperance was typically... communist. When i had the opportunity to go and see Puccini’s "Bhoema" i didn’t went! It is true, there were some health problems I had that moment and which contributed to making this decision of not going.

But now, going from Dormund to Oslo to see a spectacle, Malmo, was in my way, the trains matched with my program, soo i said " why not?". The question has a strong meaning, cause the spectacle from that night was a musical singed.... in Swedish.!

But with all of this, i didn’t get bored a moment! It’s true, I followed the evolution of the performance with the subject in English on my knees. It was an interesting exercise to match the spectacle action and figuring out what was happening without understanding a word from the dialog! I didn’t get bored, not only cause I had "to do" this small "execise", but because the performance was veeeery well realized... here I see myself constrained to return to the ideea at the beggining of the article... adapting in this case"Do not judge the theater Ophera (from Malmo) by its aspect! At least not in Scandinavia! "

Before the performance, i went to see an old friend in Malmo. She was waiting as I expected, near the Opera, naked, with no hair down, big breats and naughty nipples in the air. I invited her at the Opera and to let go, at least for a few hours the wheat ears which she permanently held in her hands and over the head! I thought she got tired - she was doing this ever since i first saw her, that is at least a year ago! She didn’t said a thing, but didn’t accept either. I thought that maybe i was dressed unappropietly- although if I’m thinking right, she didnt had the right outfit too :-) - so i put on my already famous yellow shirt and invited her again at spectacle. She didnt move at all this time too. I thought she probably didnt understand- i dont know Swedish, she doesnt have an attraction for languages- so i offered my hand gallantly, like at the ball, renewing my invitation (see pictures). Neither this time i didnt have any succes. She remained in the park, naked, mute, insensible at my invitation, like the nude feminin statue she was.

Doctor Zhivago is a well known subject. For his book, Boris Leonidovici Pasternak, won the Nobel prize for Literature in 1958 for his " attained mastery in liric poetry as well as in the domain of great epic Russian traditions".The movie with the same name produced in the ’60s based on the book, having Omar Shariff as the main character, won five Oscars, four Golden Globes and two Grammys. It is included on the lsit of top 100 best movies of all time!

The first thing that seemed clever (to be a little waspish with some people which are against this idea), was, that when they sing, the lyrics are displayed on a screen above the stage. And this was happening although the acoustics were good, microphones were used, and the orchestra, attention, was in the back allowing the actors to be closer to the spectators. The scene had a semi-circle shape and is similar organized like the "Workshop" hall from the National Theater at Bucharest.

Among the spectators were two screens where the conductor was canned, other monitors were on the sides of the scene, in this manner those on stage had permanent visual contact with him. The scene, actually, was divided in more scenes, allowing the"preparing" for the next picture on the back or sides of the main picture. In this manner the flow of the action was more fluid by switching the lights from one side to another. Of course, I am sorry that I dont understand a word from the dialogues, but I knew it will be like this before i came to the spectacle!

(I understood "Skol! ") meaning.."Cheers! " :-)

For exemple, the funeral scene of the future dr Zhivago father’s was diplayed with a coffin in the middle of the stage, dispersed candle lights on the floor near it, the chorus dressed in black- new clothes that seemed traditional- after this the passing to the ball scene was made pretty fast, the ladies removed their black clothes, remaining in white dresses and... the ball is ready! :-)

(at the ball I understood ’’Skol! ’’ :-) )

The third picture was the marriage of Lara with Antipov. Beanches were placed vertically, then after the "signature" normally placed for the party. The men and women wore black and white costumes. A lighthing, a gunshot, making the action and the light rapidly moved on another part of the scene. Its hard to describe in words the almost natural passing from one action to another.

At the back of the scene two screens are lowered, displaying real images from the first world war. So the war, soldiers dressed in white appear on the scene, positioned in trenches, which seemed to be made from three or four railways bind in a cross.

(I undestood"Tack"! :-) meaning "thank you! ")

If before the spectacle I was making plans to leave during break, when it came, it didn’t even slip my mind to do something like this. Especially since i found in the foyer other friends, alias nude feminin statues.:-)

The second part started with a field simbolized by a few metal wheat ears scattered on the scene. New clothes, i see myself obligated to repeat, what i think wasn’t right, because it was a period of cruel poverty, i don’t think that people could wore new clothes, especially for field work.

(I understood "Tog’’ meaning " train’’. :-) ) )

A spectator near me, tells me (in english) that snow is missing. This doesn’t surprise me, him being Swedish :-). A few tree roots lighted in white give an interesting symbolism. Subsequently the snow ’’appears’’, which the Red Army soldiers, dressed in khaki, are putting aside with a shovel.

(I also recognized "vodca" :-) ) Another spectacle and i will have a considerable bag of knowledge in Swedish! :-)

The final scene: dr Zhivago appears dead. On the screen appears the year in which the action is taking place, and in the back, slowly, people are coming, folks but from the Red Army too, they are passing him and paying their homages.. After a few minutes, dr Zhivago gets up from his armchair and walks amongs the people. A scene realized beautiful, his astonishment of how he was treated a long time ago and how he is honored now.

As characters, dr Zhivago resembled as aspect with Horia Breciu and Lara was the typicall Swedish feminin, veryyy sexy. (afterwards a friend told me that the perfomer, Sanna Nielsen, represented Sweeden at Eurovision 2014, obtaining the third place.) Tonia, a common figure, very well picked for the faded role she was interpreting, the child was blond, Swedish "model", Pasha had the allure of a bad Russian and Komarovski had an allure of a dead person :-).

The Swedish public knew how to appreciate the producers, the appaluses were long and there were even cheers. You wouldnt believe, presuming the that Swedish people are "cold", but ofcourse lets not judge by apearence :-)

One over the other, I am glad I spent three enjoyable hours and that I could wrote about this spectacle from which i understood four words- Skol, Tack, Tog, Vodca :-). Next, follows, in april 2015 "Aida" at Malmo but also..."Rigoletto" in Swedish at the Gotenborg Opera! :-)

PS: And still... does clothes define people..? :-)

Distribution
Jurij ZZhivago: Christopher Wollter
Lara Antipova: Sanna Nielsen
Pasja Antipov (Strelnikov) : Philip Jalmelid
Tonja Gromeko: Åsa Fång
Viktor Komarovskij: Michael Jansson
Alex Gromeko: Lars Humble
Anna Gromeko: Marianne Mörck
Orchestra Opera in Malmö
Chorus Opera in Malmö

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