The lights at Albania’s Theatre of Opera and Ballet (TOB) are now on for more than half the year. This is due to a wider opening of this institution to all the musical cultures of the world.
“With 10 new productions per year or approximately one new title every other month, the Theatre of Opera and Ballet offers the public a formidable choice. We are longer simply repeating the same material,” Zhani Ciko, TOB director for seven years, told Southeast Europe: People and Culture.
“Our repertoire offers a variety of cultures: if Verdi’s Rigoletto is performed today, a Russian ballet goes tomorrow, and then Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffman the day after and so on and so forth,” Ciko said.
Staffed by more than 250, the Theatre of Opera and Ballet has survived thanks to a number of talented artists who have worked hard and waited to seize the opportunity to reveal their gifts. Established in 1953, the Theatre felt the impact of the communist regime. Though this regime promoted the establishment of cultural institutions in the country, it used them for its own ideological interests. Foreign repertoire was banned and only a restricted Albanian repertoire was allowed. “This way, many real talents did not have the chance to take part in international activity; instead they were trapped,” the TOB director said.
The longest period of cultural isolation started in 1960-1965 with the negative influence of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. This period of self-imposed isolation lasted until 1984-1985 when the former Albanian dictator, Enver Hoxha, died. In the 1990s, democratisation started.
Now, a total of 30 young artists contribute to various TOB performances. One of them is Erlind Zeraliu. The 29-year old aspiring tenor is enthusiastic about the changes being made at the TOB. He agrees that the TOB spots talent and keeps it close. “I am glad that the roles offered by the TOB have evolved. Over the last two years, I have performed roles that have helped me develop as an artist, containing a lot of dialogue, and stage art. Above all, these roles they represent the history of opera as a genre,” said Zeraliu.
After interpreting the role of Spallanzani last October in The Tales of Hoffman at the side ofthe world-famous Albanian soprano, Inva Mula, Zeraliu performed the role of Rodrigo in Verdi’s Otello, one month later.
The TOB cooperates with partner institutions such as the theatres of Rome, Marseilles, Zagreb and Hamburg. “This cooperation consists of bringing their traditions to us, establishing contacts with the artists, producers, costume designers and stage directors. Recently, we received some costumes and stage parts from the theatre of Hamburg,” Ciko said.
But Ciko’s “model” has stirred debate within this institution. Nikolin Gurakuqi, one of the best known former directors of the TOB with 45 performances organised during his career, thinks that this model has its positive and negative sides. “It has brought an unexplored repertoire. It has been good for this institution to bring in a variety of interpretations, foreign artists and directors,” he said.
But, in his opinion, it is not good that “Albanian artists have been given too few possibilities to take part in various activities abroad. We feel isolated due to the governing policy of this institution, which is not to tour abroad. It is imperative to show the world to the Albanian artists.”
According to him, the TOB still functions on the basis of the eastern model, that of the 50’s. “The Albanian TOB lacks a western inspired reform. It needs to change its laws, structures, management and the technology of artistic productions. It is the high time to improve the level of the artistic productions even more and this can come from reform only”, Gurakuqi concluded.
