The Love For Three Oranges

The opera "The Love for Three Oranges" in a production by Alexander Petrov is a festive carnival where masks come to life and imagination writes the rules. In his early opera, Prokofiev turns to the techniques of commedia dell'arte – the improvisational street theatre with its masks and dynamic, unpredictable plot.

"The Love for Three Oranges" is a fairy-tale opera about how laughter and theatrical magic help a hypochondriac prince find the joy of life and true love. Prokofiev, inspired by Carlo Gozzi's tale, created an "opera about opera" that mocks clichés and celebrates the magic of the art form. The creative team has built the production out of "attractions", with each scene presented as a separate circus act. The costumes and sets are an absolute work of art: bright, grotesque, sometimes surreal, and perfectly in tune with the spirit of Prokofiev's music.