ABSTRACT
A development in three stages may be discerned in Lyubimov's work in the opera, although these temporal divisions may not be as clear-cut as in the theatre, since operatic contracts often depended on external circumstances. In the first phase (1974–1983), Lyubimov attacked opera traditions and conventions. The second period (1982–1988) witnessed a preoccupation with the theme of society versus the individual, showing the individual as a victim of social conventions. In the last stage (1985–1990), faith and religion were the main concerns, both offering solace for the individual.
