Victory_Over_the

VICTORY OVER THE SUN

futurist opera

new staging, Vienna 1993

Text Alexei Kruchonykh Music 1913 Mikhail Matyushin Music 1993 Sergei Dreznin Sets & Costumes 1913 Kazimir Malevich Sets & Film projections Klaus Karlbauer Accusmatic" projections & Staging Dieter Kaufmann Costumes 1993 Erika Reimer Premiere March 1993 Theater im Kuenstlerhaus Vienna

with Gunda Koenig Roswitha Schreiner Birte Brudermann Anatoly Dorovskikh Mikhail Nikiforov Victor Zoykin Konstantin Rostchin Sergei Dreznin Dieter Kaufmann Klaus Karlbauer

for the German Web Site of this production ("Sieg über die Sonne") click here
to see Kazimir Malevich's originals from the Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, click here
to read the full English text (with Adobe Acrobat Reader) click here

Victory Over the Sun


BIn the cultural history of the 20. Century there are works that have become legends. The "futurist opera" VICTORY OVER THE SUN is certainly one of them. Performed only twice in 1913 in St. Petersburg, it created the biggest theater scandal of its time. A "futurist" team of the poet Alexei Kruchonykh, musician Michail Matyushin and, above all, painter Kazimir Malevich presented a bold and provocative work, booed by the conservative premiere audience but enthusiastically received by a group of fans whose number seemed to grow over time, as Socialist Realism made all such works appear both farsighted and masterful. Prologue was written by Velemir Khlebnikov.
You can see a rare historical photograph of the creators of "Victory Over the Sun"

Malevich's famous lack Square appeared for the first time in this opera; it was here that he discovered the style that later became known as Suprematism. The influence of this style on Western art was enormous. In Russia VICTORY OVER THE SUN, together with other Malevich works, was buried under the concrete blocks of "Socialist Realism." Opera is in a way a giant parabel on the eternal fight between the New and the Old. The Sun, a symbol of the eternal values, is captured and locked into the House of Concrete. The New Order is imposed, free of the morals of the past. But people feel uncomfortable, they don´t know what to do with their new freedom. And again there´s no end to the fight of New and Old. feel uncomfortable, they don´t know what to do with their new freedom. And again there´s no end to the fight of New and Old.

All is well that ends well
And has no end.
    Let the World go to hell But we are without END!

A

`Victory` `Over` `the Sun`		BIn the cultural history of the 20. Century there are works that have become legends. The "futurist opera" VICTORY OVER THE SUN is certainly one of them. Performed only twice in 1913 in St. Petersburg, it created the biggest theater scandal of its time. A "futurist" team of the poet Alexei Kruchonykh, musician Michail Matyushin and, above all, painter Kazimir Malevich presented a bold and provocative work, booed by the conservative premiere audience but enthusiastically received by a group of fans whose number seemed to grow over time, as Socialist Realism made all such works appear both farsighted and masterful. Prologue was written by Velemir Khlebnikov. `You can see a rare historical photograph of the creators of "Victory Over the Sun"`

^{futurist opera}

A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF THE..

-- Reforms in Russia;

-- Enthusiasm of Dieter Kaufmann, Austria's leading avantgarde composer, responsible for staging and for the electronic music in the production;

-- Artistry of Sergei Dreznin, Russian pianist and composer living in Vienna (new music + pianist/performer in the show) NB since 1998 Sergei is a resident of Manhattan, New York

-- Courage and fantasy of the film maker Klaus Karlbauer (set + film projections);

-- Experience of Erika Reimer (costume reconstruction + design);

-- Humor and professionalism of the bilingual troupe of three Viennese actresses and four Moskvichi (two opera and two pop singers)

-- and support of the Austrian Government

... MADE IT POSSIBLE TO PUT THIS WORK ON STAGE AGAIN!!

The Vienna premiere took place in March 1993 in Künstlerhaus theater.The audience and critics were enthusiastic. <Futurism is alive!> headlined the Vienna daily Kurier. <The Austrian-Russian cast acts with fun and to the point> (Salzburger Nachrichten). <Revue of the Absurd, the Scurrilous and original Nonsense>(Standard).

In October 1993, a week after Yeltzin´s men stormed the White House, the show came to Moscow to be performed on the old "Lyubimov" stage of the legendary Taganka Theater. Despite the curfew, all three performances were sold out. "A fireworks of fantasy" -- wrote Literaturnaya Gazeta.

In October 1997 VICTORY OVER THE SUN return to its birthplace, St. Petersburg!!

St.Peterburg performances were sponsored by Austrian Ministery of Foregn Affairs, Vienna City Council and Verein KulturKontakt, Vienna

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In 1999 Sergei Dreznin made a video presentation of this project at City University of New York
Next presentation -- a Biomachanika Workshop on May 15

contact Sergei at SDreznin@aol.com