Mini-Monoopera in The Musical Theatre of The 21st Century

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to analyse the specifics of the mini-monoopera as an innovative phenomenon of the musical theatre of the 21st century in the context of the synthesis of arts and aesthetics of “opera aperta”. The research methodology is based on musicological, semiotic, cognitive-communicative, hermeneutical methods and methodological approaches. The scientific novelty of the study, based on the results of the analysis of the specifics of the experimental forms of stage expressiveness of the mini-monoopera, is to identify the trends of multimodality, interpretive multiplicity and audience involvement as a co-author of meanings, which emphasises the presence of the principles of postdramatic theatre and the aesthetics of “opera aperta”. Conclusions. The generalisation of the research findings demonstrates the relevance of the mini-monoopera in the context of post-dramatic art, which appears as a synthetic chamber form that combines experimental research with intimacy of expression, focusing on the inner world of the character, his emotions, philosophical reflections and personalised experience of the audience. The appeal to the post-dramatic approach is manifested in the rejection of a linear plot, the emphasis on proceduralism, and the merging of the roles of performer, narrator and interpreter. The use of multimedia, artistic multimodality, flexible compositional and performance strategies (including aleatoric elements and multiple interpretations) contribute to the formation of a so-called “open” musical structure that corresponds to the concept of “opera aperta”. The analysed work by Lyudmyla Samodayeva “Borges and Me” demonstrates the main features of a contemporary mini-monoopera, which in the context of the musical theatre of the 21st century appears not only as a genre experiment, but also as a composition that appeals to the rethinking of the operatic tradition in the context of contemporary culture and art.