La Traviata

3, 6, 8, 10 May

Otello

25, 28, 30 October 1 November

Philip Glass Trilogy

Philip Glass

5-23 August
Philip Glass Trilogy
Cycle 1
Akhnaten – Tuesday 5 August 7.30pm
Einstein on the Beach – Thursday 7 August 5:00PM
Satyagraha – Saturday 9 August 7.30pm

Cycle 2
Akhnaten – Tuesday 12 August 7.30pm
Einstein on the Beach – Thursday 14 August 5:00PM
Satyagraha – Saturday 16 August 7.30pm

Cycle 3
Akhnaten – Tuesday 19 August 7.30pm
Einstein on the Beach – Thursday 21 August 5:00PM
Satyagraha – Saturday 23 August 7.30pm

Akhnaten
Duration : 2hrs 40mins
Interval : 20mins

Akhnaten opens in 1353 BC in Egypt.

On the death of his father, Akhnaten is crowned as the new King Amenhotep IV. Immediately he abolishes the Amon traditions of his father, deposing Amon priests, and proposes instead the monotheistic worship of Aten, the sun-god from whom all life springs. He builds a temple, Akhetaten, in honour of Aten, and refuses to practice polygamy, preferring to remain true to his wife, Nefertiti.

As his pre-occupations cause him to become increasingly isolated from his people, the Amon priests incite the people to overthrow him. Akhnaten and his family are left roaming the ruined Akhetaten, mourning the passing of their epoch.

Akhnaten is one of Philip Glass’s great operatic achievements, and Leigh Warren’s beautiful choreography adds a thrilling dimension to this modern operatic classic.

Conductor and Chorus Master Timothy Sexton
Director and Choreographer Leigh Warren
Set and Costume Designer Mary Moore
Lighting Designer Geoff Cobham

Akhnaten Tobias Cole
Nefertiti Cherie Boogaart
Queen Tye Deborah Caddy
Horemhab Andrew Turner
Aye Robert England
High Priest Amon Adam Goodburn
Amenhotep/Scribe Peter Furness

State Opera Chorus
Leigh Warren Dancers
Adelaide Art Orchestra
Einstein on the Beach
Duration : 2 x 2hrs
Interval/Dinner Break : 1hr 45mins

Einstein on the Beach changed forever the way people viewed opera. Its premiere was a revelation, challenging centuries old taboos, and yet offering an alternative in which time becomes flexible, where seconds become minutes, and Philip Glass’ subtle but continual changes of texture, rhythm and melody insinuate their way into your consciousness. Einstein on the Beach is a never-to-be-forgotten experience.

Einstein on the Beach is the first in Philip Glass’ trilogy of early portrait operas. This reinterpretation of this 20th century masterpiece places dancers, singers and musicians as equally matched pillars of the performance.

Einstein was originally conceived as an unbroken work lasting more than four and half hours. Leigh Warren’s interpretation results in two distinct halves:
The first half (Parts 1 & 2) explores the mass/energy equivalence equation and the concepts of mass, relativity and balance.
The second half (Parts 3 & 4) explores the phenomenon, properties and mysteries of the ‘fifth element’ – light. Einstein, like many scientists before him, was engaged in a lifetime investigation into the mysteries of the nature and property of light. Revelations and incidents that occurred in Einstein’s life acted as inspiration for creation of the source material.

The structure of the work follows the music closely, allowing the individual elements to entwine, creating new and complex equations of movement, sound and light.

Conductor and Chorus Master Timothy Sexton
Director and Choreographer Leigh Warren
Set and Costume Designer Mary Moore
Lighting Designer Geoff Cobham

State Opera Chorus
Leigh Warren Dancers
Adelaide Art Orchestra
Satyagraha

Duration : TBC

Satyagraha is inspired by the life of the legendary Indian peacemaker Mahatma Gandhi and his life-long search for truth through non-violent means – a concept he named satyagraha.

The opera is a mystical and magical journey, commencing with the mythical battle between Arjuna and Krishna on the Kuru Field of Justice. What follows in a series of episodes, in three acts, spanning from 1896 to 1910, which capture pivotal events in Gandhi’s life. The final scene paves the way to enlightenment and heaven. Sung in Sanskrit with text from the ancient Bhagavad-Gita episode of the Mahabharata.

With its large choruses, brilliant ensembles and meltingly simple but beautiful melodies, Satyagraha is a moving testament to the power of Glass’ music and its ability to keep you enthralled.

Conductor and Chorus Master Timothy Sexton
Director and Choreographer Leigh Warren
Set and Costume Designer Mary Moore
Lighting Designer Geoff Cobham

Gandhi Adam Goodburn
Miss Schlessen Deborah Caddy
Mrs Naidoo Naomi Hede
Kasturbai Cherie Boogaart
Mr Kallenbach Andrew Turner
Parsi Rustomji Jeremy Tatchell
Mrs Alexander Deborah Johnson
Arjuna Mark Oates

State Opera Chorus
Dancers in collaboration with the Adelaide College of the Arts
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra

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State Opera SA’s commitment to the development of new work continues this year with the presentation of three workshops to develop new Australian operas and music theatre works including; Cloudstreet – the Opera, Innocence Lost and a multi-stage concert work based around the River Murray. In February, State Opera SA presented a workshop of Act Two of Cloudstreet – the Opera, with music and lyrics by George Palmer (and Tim Winton), directed by Gale Edwards and  musical direction by Timothy Sexton. Over two weeks, 15 singers participated in intense rehearsals in the Opera Studio creating a working version of the second act of the opera, which was very well received by an invited audience. State Opera CEO & Artistic Director Timothy Sexton commented that workshops such as this are vital to ensure the proper and thorough development of new works. “The aim of the workshop process is to test the structure of the Act, in anticipation of it being taken through to its final incarnation.” “George Palmer’s writing is highly melodic and quintessentially theatrical. We’re planning on presenting the world premiere of the complete opera in late 2015 or early 2016 in what promises to be a very significant event on the national opera calendar,” he says. In June, State Opera SA in partnership with SINGular Productions will also hold a one week workshop on the development of Innocence Lost – a new Australian opera adapted from Stephen Orr’s book Time’s Long Ruin – which in turn was inspired by the events surrounding the disappearance of the Beaumont children in Adelaide in 1966. Innocence Lost looks at the issue of child abduction in general and the effect such events have had in shaping our modern society. Libretto and concept is by Adam Goodburn with music by Anne Cawrse. The project was recently awarded Arts SA’s Major Commissions grant for 2014 with the aim of presenting the complete opera after a suitable development period. Finally, in November 2014, State Opera will workshop and present two scenes from a new concert/theatre work based on South Australian aboriginal mythology – with the working title Ngurunderi – Opera on the Lake. With music and text by Tim Fatchen, this work draws upon the mythology surrounding the mouth of the River Murray and the lower lakes and Coorong region. This work is being developed in collaboration with the Ngurrundjeri people of the lower Murray River and will be presented in sections over the next four to five years, with the eventual aim of a complete performance on the River Murray in 2018/2019. This project involves both indigenous and non-indigenous performers and features original music for orchestra, chorus and soloists.