Nearly 100 artists from Belarus’ oldest theater bring opera, ballet masterpieces to Hanoi

The show, titled ‘Bella Belarus: Masterpieces of Opera and Ballet,’ will return for a second and final night on Friday, concluding the theater’s tour in the Vietnamese capital.

The show on Thursday night opened with the overture from Ruslan and Lyudmila by Russian composer Mikhail Glinka, inspired by Alexander Pushkin’s epic poem of the same name.

Considered one of the landmark works of Russian classical music, the piece blends Russian folk melodies with Western symphonic structures in a vibrant and energetic orchestral style.

The program unfolded a panorama of European classical excellence, spanning Baroque traditions, romantic opera, folk music, and celebrated arias.

Soloists from the theater performed renowned arias including Nessun dorma, O mio babbino caro and E lucevan le stelle by Giacomo Puccini, alongside Habanera by Georges Bizet.

Other highlights included excerpts from Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky and Ludwig Minkus’ Don Quixote.

One of the show’s most favorite performance was Чаму ж мне ня пець, a beloved Belarusian folk song celebrating the simple joys of daily life.

When a Belarusian singer appeared on stage in traditional costume to perform the song, Hanoi audiences responded with enthusiastic applause, joining in the festive and optimistic atmosphere created by the lively melody.

The concert concluded with O surdato ’nnammurato, a famous song about a soldier longing for his beloved during World War I.

The song, composed by Russian composer Aleksandra Pakhmutova, celebrates friendship and national pride.

For the final song, all opera performers returned to the stage to sing together, bringing the evening to a close in a warm and celebratory atmosphere met with prolonged applause from the audience.