Salzburg Festival: The Gambler

Based on a short novel by Dostoyevsky, Prokofiev's The Gambler unfolds in the fictional casino town of Roulettenburg, where a variety of characters converge and clash. These characters include a General indebted to a covetous Marquis, the General's resentful stepdaughter Polina, and Alexey, who harbors feelings for her.

Director Peter Sellars, known for his insightful interpretations of overlooked masterpieces, challenges us to mirror the bravery of Dostoyevsky and Prokofiev – the courage to confront our inner darkness. The musical direction of Russian conductor Timur Zangiev shines together with the vocal performances of the exceptional cast:"Asmik Grigorian portraying a passionate Polina, and Sean Panikkar delivering a powerful performance as Alexei" (Financial Times).

Mirrored arcades overgrown with moss juxtaposed by brightly blinking UFO-like roulette tables –Peter Sellar’s production of Prokofiev’s The Gambler is front-loaded with a post-apocalyptic sci-fi aesthetic and still manages to be as relevant as ever: the debauched “Roulettenburg” acts as a mirror of our own money-obsessed society.  Sean Panikkar as Alexei is “phenomenally intense and always sonorous” (Der Standard), Violeta Urmana “steals the show as the very-much-not-dead Babulenka” (Financial Times), and Asmik Grigorian shines in the role of Polina: “Her scenes with Panikkar crackled with intensity, and their duet in the final act was one of the highlights of the evening, filled with raw emotion and dramatic power” (ENA). The smaller roles are equally convincingly cast: Peixin Chen as the General “boasts colours and resonance”, Nicole Chirka “does great justice to her role as Madame Blanche” and Juan Francisco Gatell is “compelling” (Opernmagazin) as the unpleasant Marquis. Conductor Timur Zangiev impresses at his Salzburg debut, leading the Wiener Philharmoniker through Prokofiev’s soundscape “with verve” (FAZ). The evening comes to a head with the roulette scene depicting the gambling frenzy of Alexei in the midst of a “virtuosic bacchanal” (NMZ) portrayed “powerfully” (SZ) by the Wiener Staatsopernchor – “Grand sound cinema” (Bachtrack).