Opera and religion: the experience of staging the opera “The Greek Passion” by Bohuslav Martinu in the Ural Opera Ballet Theatre

Opera “The Greek Passion”, based upon Nikos Kazantzakis’ novel “Christ Recrucified”, demonstrated the Biblical story in “passions” of the XX century: in 2019 it was staged for the first time in Russia by Ural Opera Ballet Theatre. The article analyzes Martinu’s interpretation of the genre of passion, related to music and folk mistrial nature of this genre. Experience of interaction of the theatre in the course of staging the spectacle with representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church is reviewed. The research describes the transformation of conflict between true and false Christianity, the themes of inner transfiguration of a person. Analysis is conducted within the methodological framework of the modern theory and history of culture, in combination of culturological, philosophical and theatrological methods of interpretation. It is noted that the captured by stage directors idea on conversion of Christianity into a part of cultural tradition that can lead to the loss of its spiritual content. A conclusion is made that art and religion can be viewed as the equivalents ways of acquainting with the generally recognized humanistic values.

The Correspondence of Bohuslav Martinů with Josef Munclinger and his Comments on the Stage Direction of the Four-Part Opera Hry o Marii in the Collections of the National Museum

The collections of the Theatre Department at the National Museum in Prague contain a set of sources that allow us to see how Bohuslav Martinů participated in preparing productions of his stage works. This is a collection of the composer’s correspondence and comments on stage direction written on the occasion of the first Prague performance of the four-part opera Hry o Marii (The Plays of Mary), H 236 in 1936. The text publishes full transcripts of all of these sources with critical commentary. This involves two letters from Bohuslav Martinů addressed to Josef Munclinger, one letter from the management of the National Theatre in Prague to Bohuslav Martinů, and two lists of the composer’s comments on stage direction.

Martinů, Bohuslav (1890–1959)

Bohuslav Martinů (1890–1959). Czech composer of Austro-Hungarian, Czechoslovak and American citizenship. He left his native Polička in Eastern Bohemia in 1906 to study violin at the Prague Conservatory. Although initially expelled for negligence, he transferred to the organ department and passed his state examinations in 1912. He continued residing in Prague until 1923, playing as a deputy violinist with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra from 1913 and then as a full member under Václav Talich during the years 1920–23. Largely self-taught in composition, he studied briefly with Josef Suk during the years 1922–23 and with Albert Roussel from the time of his arrival in Paris in 1923; he remained in the French capital until 1940.