At the concert Baroque Jewels, part of the educational series Orchestra Formula, two rare instruments — the theorbo and the mandolin — will be heard for the first time in the foyer of the Hvorostovsky Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre on November 16.

The theorbo is a bass variant of the lute — an early plucked string instrument — distinguished by its double pegbox and fingerboard reaching in some cases up to two metres. Featuring a double set of strings, the theorbo emerged in the 16th century. Its soft, velvety, understated sound made it ideal for accompanying singers and higher-register instruments. Over time, it faded from common use and today appears mainly in authentic performances of Renaissance and Baroque music. Johann Hieronymus Kapsberger’s Prelude for Theorbo will be performed by Olga Kosolapova.

The mandolin is a traditional Italian plucked string instrument, also descended from the lute; in Russia, its closest counterpart is the domra. Unlike the theorbo, the mandolin remains widespread and is regularly used in folk instrument orchestras. Composers often employ it to create an Italian colour palette — for example, in serenade scenes in Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Don Giovanni. At the Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre, the mandolin is part of the orchestra for Cesare Pugni’s ballet Catarina ou La Fille du Bandit.

At the November 16 concert, the mandolin — performed by Anna Averina — will appear in a trio with baroque guitar (Olga Kosolapova) and viola (Alexey Yakimov) in Gabriele Leone’s Sonata for Mandolin.

As a reminder, the programme of Baroque Jewels includes works by European composers of the 17th–18th centuries, among them Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, George Frideric Handel, and Francesco Geminiani.