On September 9 and 10, 2016, the theatre presented one of the most important works not only in the Russian opera repertoire, but in Russian culture as a whole - the liturgical opera by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov "The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia" on the Cathedral Square of the Astrakhan Kremlin.
"The City of Kitezh" can be called "Russian Atlantis" in its mystical essence. The legend of the miraculous disappearance of Kitezh, which did not want to sacrifice its relics to the enemy, is a spiritual message that strikes with philosophical depth and grandeur. The main themes of "The Legend" are holiness and forgiveness, sacrifice and ascent to the heavenly city as a result of the spiritual search for all human life, conciliarity as an internal unity of the people, as a moral law of mutual love and prayer.
Valery Voronin
Artistic Director and Conductor
"The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia" is the quintessence of Russian art. This work occupies a special place in the world opera literature. Unfortunately, it is rarely performed. The genre of "Kitezh" has got different names: opera-legend, folk-epic opera, and heroic legend, and even - "a typical Russian historical and patriotic opera", although it's hard to call anything less "typical". It is also impossible to consider this opera as "historical", it has neither historical characters nor scientifically confirmed historical facts. Musicologists, art historians, philosophers have written countless studies about "Kitezh", but, delving into them, you understand only more clearly how bottomless this opera is.
It is probably impossible to comprehend it completely, to reveal the idea in all its fullness.
I personally think that the remarkable uniqueness of this opera is determined by its all-encompassing concept, in which both happiness and Apocalypse - the whole cosmos of the Russian soul - are included. The moral strength of the people, their desire to live "in God's way," and an irresistibly attractive image of Russian women are presented in it. I consider very accurate the definition of the philosopher Ivan Lapshin, who has believed that "Rimsky-Korsakov was the greatest singer of the universal feeling, cosmic emotion. His muse, embodied in the "eternally feminine" images -was the same world Soul whose presence the great musician so vividly felt in his own soul. "
The music of "Kitezh" differs from all other operas by Rimsky-Korsakov, written before. The opera is extraordinarily multi-layered, the images are multi-valued. The most interesting task is to comprehend it deeply, to be able to express, to reproduce it for the audience. The score is written so tightly, so logically impeccably that it is extremely difficult to find the points in which it is possible to make painless cuts without distorting the author's intention. We can be reproached, referring to the words of the composer, that during the production no cuts can be allowed. But time and circumstances dictate their conditions. By the way, the composer and librettist also could not fulfill the categorical demand of the original source author not to change a single word. Unfortunately, we cannot do without abbreviations, in our case the open air format requires them.
It is known that in difficult, unstable periods a person seeks reliable support, centuries-tested archetype, which would give him moral and psychological support. It seems to us that the "Legend", the core of which is a sacred theme, belongs to such works of art that protect the soul of a person from decay and help him to preserve humanity, morality, and hope.
Konstantin Balakin
Chief Stage Director
The "Legend" impresses with its beauty, excites, inspires horror and indignation, comforts and, at last, transforms. The external action stops in the last scene. This is no longer an opera house. It is a cleansing priesthood, which fills the soul with mystical joy. I am convinced that this mystical joy is available to many of us. Everyone is free to pave the way to it. The price is great! This is the penitential prayer of sinners and the glorification of the righteous. This is the achievement of the cosmic harmony of a man with himself and the Divine Providence. This is the great consolation of all earthly sorrows, trials and losses in our earthly life. Glance at the eternal, at the unknown.
It does not frighten, but it inspires hope and enlightenment.
Elena Vershinina
Art Director
Together with the director, we are looking for a simple but expressive scenic language to tell this complicated story. Museum reconstruction of Russia of the XIII century is not real and is not needed. Therefore, we have been inspired by early Christian frescoes (including European ones), which language is simple and beautiful. A lot of symbols surround us in life. We do not even get into their essence. For example, the iconostasis in the church is a necessary element of ambiance for the majority. But it symbolizes the boundary between the visible and the invisible worlds. Therefore, we have complemented the Cathedral Square ensemble with an iconostasis, as if nature itself has built it. Visions from the "Revelation of St. John the Divine" have been included in our video content: apocalyptic beasts meet Fevronia at the paradise gate. Eight-pointed stars (so often found in Giotto's frescoes and on the domes of Orthodox churches) have become the main element in the props. They symbolize eternity, unshakable stability and going beyond this world. They are signs of Paradise, Heavenly Jerusalem and the final Transfiguration.
Galina Duncheva
Chorus Master
Music of "Kitezh" is permeated with spiritual light and purity, like the clear waters of the lake Svetlyi Iar. The "Golden Fund" of the Old Russian Orthodox and folk-song culture has become the "Holy Source", from which the composer has got the intonations of the choral scenes of the opera: the znamenny chant, the epic and lyrical songs, dances, laments, lullabies, skomoroshins. The scene of the "disappearance of the city" and the finale of the opera are imbued with the mood of a spiritual verse that carries listeners from the earthly world to the heavenly world.
Scenes of the enemy invasion with the famous folk choir "Oh, trouble is coming, people" cause a deep emotional response. The pages of the score, which are the most dramatic in intensity, evoke in our genetic memory the "sacred horror" in the face of the inevitable catastrophe. At the same time, the chorus of going to death warriors - "Has risen since midnight the Christian battalion" - impresses with its unusual spiritual strength.
This opera masterpiece, standing alongside with “Parsifal” by Wagner and Leo Tolstoy's novels, leaves a deep imprint on the minds and hearts of both listeners and performers.
Irina Vtornikova
Lighting Designer
The last author's remark in the clavier is as if addressed to the lighting designer: "The doors of the cathedral swing open, revealing an indescribable light." Fevronia and the inhabitants of Kitezh go to this light along the path of suffering. This time the wall near the Place of Execution serves as a screen for video projections, and my task is to emphasize the dramatic nature of the passions that occur against their background and not to "light" the video content. In the clavier there are several indications of the fog enveloping the stage: the disappearance of Great Kitezh in the fog, the appearance of a transfigured city before Fevronia ... Of course, it is impossible to guess how the artificial fog could behave in the open space of the Cathedral Square, but in this unpredictability is the uniqueness of the moment.
