«To the feasts of the good, the good come uninvited.» — Plato

You’re invited to a feast for the senses: the upcoming European concert tour of Maxim Shalygin’s opera, AMANDANTE, based on Plato’s timeless «Symposium». With this opera Shalygin sought to create a musical exploration into the multifaceted nature of love. Dutch newspaper NRC hailed its premiere with a ★★★★★ review, calling it «an emotional rollercoaster, a triumph of musical imagination.»

In just a few months the concert version will be brought to life by the immense talents of Ukraine’s NOVA OPERA and the MRIYA Orchestra.

Love is everything. But not everything is love. 

Love comes in many forms and manifestations: love in friendship, or in romance. Love between a parent/caregiver and child, love for a particular object. It makes sense that the Dutch-Ukrainian Maxim Shalyigin wanted to incorporate that enormous theme into his music for this chamber opera. Because opera traditionally goes in all directions. Four singers take us along in ‘Symposium’: one of philosopher Plato’s most famous written conversations. But he adds an act of love himself: because even the characters who were not given a voice in the conversation, are given a voice by Maxim. Even if you’ve never been into opera, this is simply a beautiful musical trip. If you are still not convinced, we quote the NRC about the premiere: “An unforgettable experience”. 

The story

During a banquet in the house of the playwright Agathon, several guests, including the philosopher Socrates and the comedy writer Aristophanes, give speeches about Eros (love) in several facets: from physical to platonic love. Socrates tells how the wise woman Diotima taught him how love can lead to knowledge of the Beautiful itself. At the end of the banquet, the drunken general Alcibiades storms in. He gives a personal eulogy to Socrates and candidly describes his failed attempts to seduce Socrates, admiring Socrates’ self-control. 

Paul van der Woerd wrote his libretto when he was inspired by Percy Bysshe Shelley’s romantic translation of Plato’s dialogue, in which the emotions flare up more than in the original. It inspired Shalygin to create fascinatingly colourful music, full of humour, passion and virtuosity. The libretto is entirely sung, which ensures a rich melodic and harmonic development. As Shalygin himself says: “I want people to descend into the vaults of the melodic lines, to be carried away on that wave.” 

Amandante is a production by Muziekgebouw Productiehuis in collaboration with Nova Opera, the Greek National Opera and Stichting Ensemble Shapeshift. 

🌎 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐫:

⚫ October 5th, 2025 | Korzo Theater in collaboration with Classical NOW!, The Hague

⚫ October 10th, 2025 | Musikbrauerei, Berlin, Germany

⚫ October 12th, 2025 | Musikverein, Vienna, Austria

⚫ October 14th, 2025 | Augustinerkirche, as a part of the Zurich Music Festival,  Switzerland

Credits

Composition: Maxim Shalygin
Libretto: Paul van der Woerd
Lighting design: Nico de Rooij
Ensemble: Nova Opera
Soprano: Maryana Golovko
Soprano: Anna Kirsh
Baritone: Andrii Koshman
Baritone: Ruslan Kirsh
Piano: Antonii Baryshevskyi
Violin I: Fiona Robertson
Violin II: Ernst Spyckerelle
Viola: Oksana Mukosii
Cello: Ketevan Roinishvili
Double bass: Silvia Gallego
Conductor: Mikheil Menabde