Performance Rescheduled

Monday | 10 September 2018|19:00

Age 16+

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Dates

Performance based on the eponymous opera and symphonic poem Also sprach Zarathustra
Libretto by the composer, based on Oscar Wilde’s eponymous play translated into German by Hedwig Lachmann
Musical director: Honoured Artist of Ukraine Viktor Ploskina
Director: recipient of the Francysk Skaryna Medal Mikhail Pandzhavidze
Set and costume design, video design concept: Garri Gummel (Russia)
Choreography: People’s Artist of Belarus Kanstantsin Kuzniatsou, Honoured Artist of the Republic of Belarus Yuliya Dziatko
Video design: Pavel Suvorov (Russia)
Lighting design: Sergey Shevchenko (Russia)
Conductor: Aleg Lessoun
Sung in German with Russian surtitles
Running time: 2 hours with one interval

 

 

 

Act I
The landscape is petrified and it is similar to the surface of the moon. A man lies on the scorched deserted salt marsh lit by the moon and the stars. This is Jochanaan. The sun is rising. Jochanaan stands up to meet the sun, shimmering with fiery purple yellow shades.
Turning around, he sees the outlines of human bodies on the ground that look like mummies. The Prophet is terrified and confused while watching old and young people of both sexes rise from the ashes. Like wild animals, they are initially frightened, but they grow bolder and attack Jochanaan fiercely.
The Prophet turns his staff to the sun and strikes it against the ground. The bed of the river is formed and the water flows to the desert. The waters of the river flood the desert. People are dying, only some of them and the Prophet survive the flood in the hills.
The river returns to its bed, leaving motionless bodies on the ground. Jochanaan takes a child in his arms and enters the Jordan. The Prophet rises up from the waters with the girl dressed in a white robe. Following him, people enter the river leaving it in light robes. The sky is covered with dark clouds, which the sunbeam is going through. In its light, the figure of the Savior walking through the waters of the Jordan is seen. Clouds are gathering, it's raining. The desert blooms, and people greet each other with a threefold kiss.
There is a sandstorm. Fire clots fly in the air, burning people like dry trees. Like big torches, burning people are rushing about, the others are running away in horror, leaving dead, charred bodies. The sun is purple, the Jordan is bloody. A ship is going from the sun, from the sunset to Jochanaan, standing in the bloody river. The Jordan is drying up.
The ship is getting stuck in the sands. On its deck, smartly dressed people dance, this is the guard of King Herodes. Among the dancers Salome appears, who emerged from the banquet hall, not wanting to endure the greedy gazes of the king. Jochanaan is mesmerized by her appearance. Suddenly, Herodias, Salome's mother, comes out onto the deck, demanding from her daughter to return to the table. There is a quarrel, during which Hero¬dias beats Salome. It makes Jochanaan frenzy. Security guards run and snatch the Prophet and throw him into a pool with a grate. The guards go away. The guard led by Captain Narraboth and the page of Herodias remain on stage. Syrian Narraboth watches Salome lovingly. Suddenly Jochanaan's voice is heard.
Salome listens to the voice and demands to show her the Prophet. Narraboth tries to resist, but, unable to resist Salome, orders to show the prisoner.
Jochanaan appears. He speaks out against culpable king Herodes and the queen Herodias, who are mired in sin. Salome listens to his fiery speech in fascination, she is astonished by the inner power of the Prophet and his beauty. Unaware of other manifestations of love, the princess asks permission three times to touch Jochanaan and kiss him. Narraboth, watching this in despair and horror, dies while trying to stop the princess. The Prophet rejects Salome's desire with aversion, cursing her and returning to his prison.


Act II
Herodes, who left the room with his guests, slips on the bloody floor and, seeing the dead body of the Syrian, demands to carry it away. The king suffers from the invincible desire for the stepdaughter, but Salome rejects him firmly. Again and again, the words of the Prophet are heard from under the earth. Herodes's milieu demands his extradition for the execution, Herodias also wants to make the voice that curses her silent, but the king spares the prophet – he is superstitious and Jochanaan's words keep him in awe.
To find a way out of the awkward situation, Herodes asks Salome to dance, promising to fulfill any of her wishes. Slowly, frighteningly, then more and more quickly and excitedly Salome performs her dance of the seven veils, it becomes more and more intoxicating. Herodes, delighted with what he has seen, hastens to confirm his oath. Salome expresses her desire: as a reward, the king must give her the head of Jochanaan on a silver platter. Herodes begs his stepdaughter to change her mind, promising any treasure in return, but Salome is adamant. Satisfied Herodias removes the ring with the seal which is used for death sentences from the finger of Herodes.
The executioner goes down to the Prophet. There comes the silence, from which the blood runs cold... Those present are horrified. Salome's last appeal to Jochanaan is heard. The ship disappears together with all its inhabitants that die.


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