April 11, 2008
Nino Khelaia
Georgia Today

On April 13, the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theater will hold a special concert dedicated to the memory of Zurab Anjaparidze, one of the prominent singers of the Soviet time. The theater’s soloists will perform the best pieces of Georgian and Italian composers. The program includes the following pieces:

Otar Taktakishvili, Opera “Mindia,” prelude – performed by the chorus and the orchestra of the Theater;

Giuseppe Verdi, Opera “Rigoletto,”quartet – soloists: Marine Parulava, Sulkhan Gvelesiani, Gia Makharadze, Irine Aleksidze;

Zakharia Paliashvili, Opera “Daisi,” aria of Malkhaz – soloist Armaz Darashvili;

Giacomo Puccini, Opera “Tosca,” aria of Cavaradossi – soloist Anzor Khidasheli;

Zakharia Paliashvili, Opera “Abesalom and Eteri,” duet of Abesalom and Murman – soloists: Teimuraz Gugushvili and Eldar Getsadze;

Giacomo Puccini, Opera “Tosca,” aria of Tosca – soloist Makvala Kasrashvili;

Giuseppe Verdi, Opera “Otello,” final scene – soloist Geram Grigoryan;

Giuseppe Verdi, Opera“Atilla,” ensemble with a chorus from the second act – soloists: Makvala Aspanidze, Gia Makharadze, Nugzar Iashvili, Besik Gabitashvili, Legi Imedashvili.

Makvala Kasrashvili and Guram Gregoriani, who were both friends of Zurab Anjaparidze, came to Tbilisi just to participate in the concert. Chief conductor of the Opera Theater Zaza Azmaiparashvili will conduct.

Zurab Anjaparidze was one of the best tenors of his generation. Born in Kutaisi, he graduated from the Tbilisi State Conservatoire and then continued his studies in Moscow and Milan. In 1979, he was already singing in the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre. Anjaparidze gave concerts throughout Europe and the Soviet Union, fascinating the audiences everywhere he performed. His performance of Herman’s Pikovaia dama at the La Scala opera house in Milan in 1964 became a classic.

After returning to Tbilisi in 1970, Zurab Anjaparidze worked at the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theater. It is also remarkable that for several years he was the director of the Tbilisi State Conservatoire. His merit determined the fact that he is enrolled in the list of famous Tbilisians who are often called “The Pride of our Capital,” although his fame spread beyond the capital to in many European and ex-Soviet countries.

The concert will begin at 19:00, on April 13. Tickets they cost GEL 5-25 and are available in the theater box offices.