Requiems. A Concert in Memory of the Fallen

2013 was a year of two projects for the Theatre. Irina Sadovnikova had long nurtured the idea of an evening made up of excerpts from various requiems. But a requiem, as is well known, is a funeral mass, and nobody wanted to spend a whole year immersed in that theme. So it was decided to work on two projects almost simultaneously: "An Ordinary Miracle" and "Requiems," all the more so since part of the company refused to take part in the musical, considering it frivolous, and gladly joined in work on the pieces by Mozart, Verdi, Fauré, and others.

We performed "An Ordinary Miracle" in February, and prepared "Requiems" for Victory Day — 9 May — thus dedicating the music performed to those fallen in wars. To enliven the visual side, most numbers were performed accompanied by colourful slides. The programme of the evening also included works by contemporary composers — A. L. Webber and V. Rivkin. The material was very difficult, and we realised we could not do without a conductor. We invited G. A. Smirnov, then the director of the men's choir "Slavyanka," who kindly agreed to conduct the performances.

The evening was a success! It was a pleasant feeling to have mastered this beautiful and complex programme.