Offended by the Pharisees

Today it seems to many that the opera is archaic art, and it has always been such. However, censorship did not think so. The scandal of the Russian Orthodox Church is bloated by the Novosibirsk Metropolitan of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Tangaiser opera plays to recall historical precedents.

Especially often, the operates of European composers were remade into the Nikolaev reign - they had a lot of revolutionary infection. In this craft, the venerable historical novelist and part -time employee of the Directorate of Imperial Theaters Rafail Zotov filled his hand. Yes, and as it was not to rewrite, for example, “Daniel-Franesu-Esprov,“ The Prevye-Franesu-Esprov, if in Belgium in August 1830, the prime minister of the opera with its cry “To weapons!” became an impulse by the beginning of the revolution, which ended in the department from the Netherlands? Zotov rewrote the Robert-Dyavol to the music of Jakomo Meyerber (they say, Nikolai was afraid of the presence of Satan on the stage) and composed a new libretto to the Rossinievsky “William Tele”-the opera went in Russia under the name “Karl Swerl”. Being a theatrical reviewer of the Northern Bee, Zotov wrote a review of the performance according to his libretto, and did it with a captivating frankness: “We ourselves, who are lower and now reasoning about this libretto, we can boast that we were happy about the previous plot in the current one, and although in this alteration there is very much meaning, but how it gave our public the opportunity to hear on the stage on the stage. Rossini is the lovely musical work, then we do not repent in our work. "

Of course, the audience knew the original plot perfectly. Saltykov-Shchedrin in his chronicle "Petersburg Theaters" composed a letter of an imaginary viewer who was outraged by the reaction of the Nihilists who reacted not to musical beauty, but to the plot: "The whole theater approved the behavior of the Swiss, the whole theater demanded for them the Constitution! Tell me for mercy! Requires - you will understand this thing! So soon the Palkin is a tractor, soon Adelefino ( i.e. is a public house. - PC ) will require the constitution ... For the Swiss, then go with them! ”

The clergy received Fariseyski, putting external piety above the inner conviction

All these are examples of political censorship. Spiritual censorship was not allowed to the theater. If the clergy decided the fate of opera performances, the Russian audience would not see either Puritan or the Huguenots, or Maria Stuart - operas, the heroes of which are the damned heretics, not to mention the works where the Gentiles act.

But to the creation of Richard Wagner, it is difficult to make claims on the church part. "Tangaer" is a story about the eternal choice between carnal and spiritual, about the conflict of pagan passion and Christian enlightenment. How did the Novosibirsk shepherds not see this essence, this glorification of the true faith, complaining about the purely formal signs of "insulting feelings"? If, according to the prosecutor, Metropolitan Tikhon, the Novosibirsk Diocesan Directorate “every day” claims, receives complaints of indignant parishioners, the Holy Prevention should explain the high spiritual meaning of the Wagnerian tragedy for its flock.

But the Novosibirsk clergy received in the Farisean, setting external piety above the inner conviction. Worse: Vladyka Tikhon unceremoniously invades the competence of the secular authorities, thereby violating the constitutional principle of separation of the church from the state. In his letter to the prosecutor Ovchinnikov, he claims that the opera performance " offends the feelings of all conscientious citizens of Russia, since in the state symbols of the Russian Federation, in particular, in the emblem of Russia, there is a cross ." This is in no way his concern. Finally, he refers to "events in Paris, which led to human victims", thereby equating the Orthodox Russia to the Muslim fanatics.

The innovative production of Timofei Kulyabin is a huge cultural event for the Russian opera scene, and most likely, not only for it. Novosibirsk was looking forward to this premiere. For a young director, this is the first opera performance to become his professional credo. Authoritative Moscow reviewers wrote, without exaggeration, enthusiastic reviews. " The scale of the statement, the theater feat, the impossible tension of all forces, several months of rehearsal, standing on a standing ovation ," is the impression of the Opera critic of Colta.ru Ekaterina Biryukova. “ The sensational result of the ascetic work ,” is the opinion of the novel by Dolzhansky and Dmitry Renansky from Kommersant. Both predict: the Novosibirsk opera will become the place of pilgrimage opeams.

A new word in Wagnerian - it has not been possible for the Russian opera for so long! And the Russian Orthodox Church once again demonstrated its deafness, in a literal and figurative sense, to the result of an extremely difficult artistic search, to the spiritual request of society, disrespect for the work of the troupe and the opinion of the public. Like an ancient lizard from a mossy cave, she crawled into the light of God, wildly looks around and, not being able to create anything herself, tries to destroy the fruits of someone else's creativity.

Today, the artist in Russia, as a row, is poisoned and punished for courage and audacity. But in the end, this test was sent to the young director for nothing. The main thing is not to retreat. The hero of Wagner, Pope Urban, also did not give forgiveness, but forgiveness came from above.

Vladimir Abarinov - Washington Observer Radio Liberty

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