top of page

Thoughts on upcoming IOC double bill and the significance of tears

  • Writer: Galina Barskaya
    Galina Barskaya
  • Oct 15, 2021
  • 2 min read

We are having a great time working on our double bill: Mozart and Salieri/Kashchey the Immortal!

I'm asking myself, why are these operas still relevant to our times and what makes them relatable?

Why do we still care about Mozart and are fascinated with his life and death? And what does an old Russian fairytale have to offer? (besides great music, singing and staging, of course).

As much as I (and I hope all of us) love Mozart and his art, I think the reason for our interest in him is very much personal.

In the story, Mozart and Salieri are represented not so as much historical personas, but as archetypes. Have we ever met a carefree person who seems to have all the pleasures in life coming effortlessly to them? Have we ever seen someone enjoying easy and perhaps undeserved success? Have we ever seen (and perhaps experienced) a person who works

very hard, and yet can't get the desirable outcome? You bet we all have seen it! And that means that Mozart and Salieri really tells a story about all of us, and not just some composers who died centuries ago.

In a very different way, but also in relation to archetypes that play such an important role in our psyches, characters in old Russian fairytales are also very relatable. Although they are specifically Russian, they can also exist in any land. How many old stories feature a beautiful Princess, a fearless Prince Charming, an evil old Magician, natural sources (Mighty Wind), and also a beautiful dangerous Sorceress? The answer is: many. These stories fascinate us, and in a strange way, help us to understand and deal with challenges in our everyday lives. They also take us to a wonderful timeless Fantasyland!

And what about tears? As you will see, tears in both of these stories lead to one of the character’s transformation/demise.

Salieri, who cries for the first time after hearing Mozart's Requiem, is getting ready to accept an important truth about himself. As for the Sorceress, (Kaschey's daughter Kashcheevna), her unexpected tears lead to her father's death, but also to the liberation of the captive Princess and to her own transformation.

There is so much more to these stories that could fill a book. Come explore with us!

 
 
 

Comments


Recent Posts
Archive
Search By Tags
Follow Us
  • Facebook Basic Square
  • Twitter Basic Square
  • Google+ Basic Square
  • w-facebook
  • White Instagram Icon
  • Twitter Clean

© 2021 by Classical Musician. Proudly created with Wix.com

"Stone Guest"  by A. Dargomyzhsky

 Performances: 

     Friday November 1st and Saturday November 2nd 2024

      at 7:30 PM

      St. Andrew's Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall

        11555 National Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064

              

"Daphne" by R. Strauss

      Friday March 21st and Saturday March 22nd 2025

      at 7:30 PM

      La Cañada Congregational Church 1200 Foothill Blvd,

      La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011

"Anna Bolena" by G. Donizetti

        Friday June 20th and Saturday June 21st 2025 at 7:30 PM

        at 7:30 PM

      La Cañada Congregational Church 1200 Foothill Blvd,

      La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011

For more information visit IOC blog https://www.independentoperacompany.org/news-press

OUR  E V E N T S​ AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

IOC Spring 2025 Gala was a huge success! Many thanks to our generous donors and supporters!

Creative Recovery
LA California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program

LAC_logo_primary_greyscalesq.png
Independent Opera Company
            is supported by
         Los Angeles County          Department of Arts and Culture
DCA_LOGO_BW.jpg
Independent Opera Company
       is supported, in part,
    by a grant from the DCA

Join our mailing list

Never miss an update

bottom of page