The Timeless Philosophical and Cultural Meanings in Sergei Slonimsky’s Operatic Adaptation of King Lear

Abstract

The focus of this article is the new opera by Sergei Slonimsky, King Lear, based on the Shakespeare's tragedy (in Boris Pasternak's translation adopted by the composer himself as a libretto). The opera premiered in Moscow and Saint-Petersburg in 2016. Using this opera as a case study of Shakespeare's adaptation to music, we utilize it to better understand the development trajectory of contemporary Russian musical theater. The goal of this article is to highlight timeless philosophical and cultural meanings of King Lear opera through culturological approach. We explore the history of King Lear musical adaptations in Russian and global tradition; the approach taken by Sergei Slonimsky; the use of Renaissance and Baroque musical style within the contemporary musical trends; and the interpretation of the main characters of the opera (King Lear, Cordelia, Fool). We come to the conclusion that the new opera synthesizes techniques of high and mass culture, thus allowing the composer to translate timeless philosophical meanings of Shakespeare's tragedy into music in a rich and powerful way.