IYOV is an

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

- requiem for

prepared piano A prepared piano is a piano that has had its sounds temporarily altered by placing bolts, screws, mutes, rubber erasers, and/or other objects on or between the strings. Its invention is usually traced to John Cage's dance music for ''Works for p ...

, cello, drums and voices by composers Roman Grygoriv and Illia Razumeiko, directed by Vlad Troitskyi.

Performance history

''IYOV'' was created in 2015 commissioned by the festival of contemporary art ''

Gogolfest GOGOLFEST ( uk, Гогольфест) is an annual multidisciplinary international festival of contemporary art and cinema in Kyiv, Ukraine, dedicated to the famous writer Mykola Gogol. The festival showcases theater, music, film, literatur ...

''.

Synopsis

Job Work or labor (or labour in British English) is intentional activity people perform to support the needs and wants of themselves, others, or a wider community. In the context of economics, work can be viewed as the human activity that contr ...

(Iyov in Hebrew) is the central character of the Book of Job in the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts ...

. This is a story of his life, pride and disbelief, the search for life's meaning and death, hope and regret. The center of musical scenography is the prepared piano that turns into a real orchestra. The pianist and singers use a wide range of percussion instruments such as snare drum, marimba and timpani sticks, triangle, ride cymbal. They use coins, keys, fingers and nails for playing on the strings and the body of the grand piano. The instrument sounds like a harpsichord, drums and occasionally as a synthesizer or electronic sounds generator. Music of ''IYOV'' combines minimalism and the avant-garde, neoclassicism and rock. Polyphonic choral episodes and instrumental interludes alternate with the parts that use a full range of the human voice: from classical, jazz and folk singing to breathing, screaming, whispering and overtone singing. The dramaturgy of music performance is based on the contrasting compilation of recitatives based on the Book of Job and parts of Requiem/Catholic Mass, which refers to traditional Latin texts. Opera-requiem ''IYOV'' is a synthesis of ancient Greek drama, baroque opera, oratorio, Requiem, and the techniques of postmodern theater. It is the mystery of the birth of a new sound inside the piano and the demonstration of endless possibilities of the human voice.

Cast

References

{{Portal bar, Opera Operas 2015 operas Operas based on the Bible