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Dona Nobis Pacem show's world premiere in Kazan creates a stir 15.04.2015

Dona Nobis Pacem show's world premiere in Kazan creates a stir

The audience were enraptured by the outstanding choreographer and legendary dancer Vladimir Vasiliev’s production.

(Kazan, 15 April, Tatar-inform). The world premiere of a show called Dona Nobis Pacem (Latin for 'give us peace') based on Bach’s Mass in B minor and produced by outstanding choreographer and legendary dancer Vladimir Vasiliev on Tuesday night took place at Tatar State Opera and Ballet Theatre.

The first time Vladimir Vasiliev thought of staging a performance based on Bach’s Mass in B Minor was 40 years ago. Many years later, on the verge of Vasiliev’s 75th anniversary his dream came true, in Kazan.

The spectacular performance includes theatre’s choir and orchestra, the ballet company, as well as lead singers.

At a news conference before the premiere, Vladimir Vasiliev said Dona Nobis Pacem was a story about people, about that “each living human needs to gift goodness to the others”, yet at the same time it was “my story about myself, about my way”.

The show’s spatial solution includes the orchestra being in the middle of the stage, unlike in most performances, when the orchestra is found in the pit. The choir is located behind the orchestra.

The forestage is given to the lead singers and the ballet dancers.

The show’s conductor Vincent de Kort is found in the epicentre, throughout the spectacle moving about, either turning to the orchestra and choir or to the audience. During the Agnus Dei aria the conductor even steps away, leaving the orchestra to play alone.

Dona Nobis Pacem’s stage design by Viktor Gerasimenko stuns with its scale. A huge ball-planet and a ring, a symbol of infinity, endlessness and eternal love, are the foundation. Given a big cast being on stage all the time, the scenery remains the same, which is made up for by spectacular light design by Aivar Salikhov and video projections that fill the stage.

The theatre’s press service has said on 18 April, Vladimir Vasiliev’s birthday, the performance will be shown on the stage of Russia’s Bolshoi Theatre’s historical stage.

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