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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