Moscow State Symphony Orchestra

The iconic novel of Mikhail Bulgakov is a “forbidden fruit” no longer, but it still inspires many directors to do new stage adaptations. 

Our “Master and Margaret” is an unusual one, for the adaptation is based on symphonic principle. The thing is that this music principle can be easily applied to the art of drama, since it is a principle of philosophical reflection of life, with its evelasting fight of opposites, with simultaneous development of several lines (plot in text, imagery in music), and the unity of all makes an epic symphony.
 
With the expressive means of large symphony orchestra, the fantastic characters and images of the novel are becoming more vivid, even tangible. Each image has recognizable musical theme, while Bach, Mozart, Wagner, Strauss, Rachmaninov, Shostakovich, and Schnittke are some of composers whose music is used in the production.

Together, music and words will lead the audience their own way, making them consider the problems that are still there. Everybody should decide how to interpret Voland’s words about “a little child with outstretched arms” killed according to Voland’s order, who “had no time to sin”. And even after we have left the Hall we would “indly consider the question: what would your good do if evil did not exist, and what would the earth look like if shadows disappeared from it?”