Dostoyevsky’s The Memoir from the House of the Dead can be simply described as dark, sad story of those who were man, for their crimes, are sentenced for prison, and women are simply prostitutes who can satisfy their needs.
Having read this book I wondered how could it possibly be staged and more over how could it be performed as an opera.
Throughout the show I was looking for elements that would help me understand opera, as I became to understand other genres of art that we have studied this year. To be honest, while watching it, and even afterwards I was not strongly that I did like it, or even understand it. And than we have talked about it in class and my perception changed.
There are two elements that stuck in my head; two parts of the show that enabled the book become an opera.
First one is the stage and stetting. We can see it right from the start: two tall gray walls, that’s all there is. Two walls that symbolize so much. Firstly, those walls make this oeuvre timeless. They allow the spectator to imagine, to choose in what time period the action should be taking place. Even thought Dostoyevsky’s story is taking place in XIX century Russia, none of the elements that we are presented with indicate that. The prisoners might be in prison in America in XXI century, or in one on Mars in XXX. This idea of timelessness is also supported by the juxtaposition of music and words. While the words express present pain and thoughts, the music conveys the joy of past feelings and situations. We can see how the prisoners, even though forced into a life in prison still live the moments that have already passed. It’s actually really moving. I can’t even imagine the emptiness they had to face while living inside a prison. We learn about the crimes that they have committed and nevertheless we associate with them. We start to feel pity for them, have empathy for them.
Another striking element of the play is the actors, so many of them. Albeit there were few principal actors/ singers at time stage was filled of people. They were almost overwhelming. This faceless-mass only emphasises the despair of prison’s atmosphere.  People are there because of the crimes they had committed. To the system a crime is a crime, doesn’t matter what kind. Political prisoners or murders are all put together without any hope. They have to work and work, without a visible ending. We can see this lack of personalities in their singing as well. Because of numerous participants on the stage in was very difficult to distinguish who was singing. This to me is a way for the director of showing that each of the singers is actually talking for all of them. They all probably went through similar voyage in their life and now feel similar pain. It doesn’t matter who is singing; they all have become a one.