The collection includes librettos of four operas written by Vladimir Sorokin in collaboration with outstanding composers. A classic of Russian postmodernism, easily breaking the boundaries of genres and not recognizing authority, he demonstrates a deep understanding of opera and the specifics of musical theater. Stylistic sensitivity, which does not prevent the author from remaining himself, unites texts for very different performances. The production of "Rosenthal's Children" to the music of Leonid Desyatnikov at the Bolshoi Theater in 2005 caused heated discussions and received the Golden Mask award; the experiment of “Dreams of the Minotaur”, shown in 2012 at the “Territory” festival, turned out to be too radical for the general public; Handel's oratorio, which gave the title to the entire collection, became the first work of director Konstantin Bogomolov on the musical stage, and “Purple Snow” was staged on the stage of the Berlin Opera House. The librettos written by Sorokin reveal an unexpected side not only to the writer’s work, but also to modern opera. Contains obscene language!