International Confederation of Theatre Associations
| Author of the idea and composer | Alexander Bakshi |
| Soloist | Gidon Kremer |
| Directed | Kama Ginkas |
| Styled | Sergei Barkhin |
A musical mystery for a soloist, a string orchestra, an ensemble of percussion instruments and brass, a shaman, performers of traditional ethnic and folk music, a vocalist, a ballerina and mixed choir.
«The Polyphony of the World» has no libretto and almost no words. Its plot is driven forward exclusively by music, movement and visuals. However, this mystery play is not a theatricalized concert; it is an example of the Theatre of Sounds. This name describes a musical theater that has no literary characters and no music illustrating a character's feelings, relationships or actions. The stage is occupied primarily by musicians who replace the word with musical intonations. Music here is not limited to the usual, boxed-in space of the stage; sounds arise in many different spatial locations. The performers may simultaneously play different types of music in varied tempos and rhythms. They are not divided into soloists and supporting musicians or into lead and secondary characters.
The principle of this kind of theater is polyphony or, to be more exact, dissonance. The key theme of this Mystery is the search for community among people of different cultures. This is not merely a matter concerning musical structures. The symbol of European music is the orchestra. Violins stand at its center while the ritualistic Asian and African drums are relegated to the periphery. The orchestra is a model of subordination because the alternative to the dictatorship of the conductor is chaos. The last empire collapsed before our eyes and determined our subsequent fate. Perhaps that is why the majority of the musicians in this production are from countries of the former Soviet Union: We are nostalgic about our roots, about the cultural community which once nurtured us but no longer exists. A new way of thinking arose as the last century gave way to the new. Its essence is the recognition of merit and equality among all human cultures. The notion of The Polyphony of the World has arrived to replace the idea of The Harmony of the World. However, its model has not yet been given expression in art. Any time we hear voices of equal concentration, we nonetheless invariably single out one - that of the Author.
Alexander Baksh
Performance gallery
6 photo
