Bogoluchie (2024) - part I, excerpt

Bogoluchie is based on the mystical revelations and spiritual methods described and poetically expressed by the medieval monk St. Symeon the New Theologian (949–1022) in his _58 Hymns of Divine Eros_. The Greek-Byzantine mystic held ideas that were radical for his time about how every human being can experience direct contact with God, as well as about his own visions of the endless, uncreated light.

As much a drama as a ritual, Bogoluchie follows the path of the soul through the three traditional stages of Orthodox Christianity: *Purification (Catharsis)*, *Illumination (Theoria)*, and *Deification (Theosis)*.

In *Catharsis*, the person confronts their own weaknesses and vices, crossing the shadows of their existence. In a moment of divine surrender, the protagonist humbly longs for God’s intervention, seeking comfort and redemption.

Theoria reflects the moment when the soul encounters God’s uncreated light and depicts the revelation of God’s mercy and boundless compassion, enveloping the repentant soul in a supernatural embrace.

Our protagonist finally reaches the sublime encounter of Theosis*. This mystical union—an active participation in God’s very life—draws inspiration from the direct spiritual insights of the saints and mystics of the Orthodox Christian tradition. In the final dissolution, *Psalm XIII emerges as a transcendent vocalization of countless prayers.

Christian Karlsen & Djuro Zivkovic
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Djuro Zivkovic – music
Djuro Zivkovic – after St. Symeon the New Theologian – libretto

Christian Karlsen – musical direction
Aleksi Barrière – stage direction
Anke Laerenbergh – set and costume design
Tomas Heyman – lighting
Walter Berge – sound
Prof. Dr. Georgios Konstantinou – chorus master

Carina Vinke
Jacob Kellermann
Viktoria Andersson

Greek Byzantine Choir
BIT20 Ensemble
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Duration: 110 minutes without intermission
Language: Performed in Greek, English, and Church Slavonic with Swedish subtitles
World Premiere: Incomplete version on 18 October 2018 in Bergen; full version on 19 January 2024 at Folkoperan, Stockholm
Publisher: Edition Octoechos

Teo Hillberg – musical assistant
Sonja Lindgren – set design assistant
Isadora Gelin – costume assistant
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BIT20 Ensemble

Flute: Ingela Dien
Oboe: Hege Sellevåg
Clarinet: Håkon Nilsen
Bassoon: James Lassen
Horn: Danilo Kadovic
Trumpet: Jon Behncke
Trombone: Grethe Westbo Tonheim

Percussion: Owen Weaver and Trond Madsen
Piano: Jarle Rotevatn
Theremin: Djuro Zivkovic
Electric bass: Jacob Kellermann
Accordion: Irina Serotyuk

Violin: Jutta Morgenstern and Martin Philip Shultz
Viola: Liene Klava
Cello: Agnese Rugevica
Double bass: Callum Jennings

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Greek Byzantine Choir

Georgios Konstantinou
Antonios Aetopouls
Vasileios Georgaras
Dimitrios Grivas
Alexandros Gantzos
Nikolaos Gkrizis
Konstantinos Lanaras
Evangelos Kotsonas
Ioannis Panousakis