MEDIATHEK

Drillalians is an opera series (six operas over five nights) that has no precedent in Russian theatre. Six major contemporary composers – Dmitri Kourliandski, Boris Filanovsky, Alexey Sioumak, Sergej Newski, Alexey Sysoev, and Vladimir Rannev – composed sequential musical statements, each of which represents a unique acoustic environment, a reinterpretation of the libretto and the personal world of each composer.
 The premiere of this cycle of five performances was an important event in Russia’s cultural life: the project was nominated for a Golden Mask national theatre award in 2016, was proclaimed a radical turning point in contemporary opera by theatre critics, and broke new ground for professionals and the general public.
 Drillalians is based on a philosophical and poetic text by Boris Yukhananov about a fantastic nation that exists parallel to earthly reality. This fantasy tale, performed over five evenings, represents a journey into the past, the present and the future, to Venice and St. Petersburg, to a meditative surreal universe, and to the common kitchen of an ordinary young man who is obsessed with his mission.
 The Questa Musica chorus and soloists brought the music of six very different composers to life with flair and brilliance, as was well noted by the critics. In its compositional complexity – the music, the philosophy, the set design, the technological achievements and the performances – the Drillalians project is a unique phenomenon in contemporary theatre.