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.