Pyramus and Thisbe, the opera composed by Barbara Monk Feldman, had its world premier last night in Toronto.
The first Canadian opera to be staged in 16 years, it is inspired by Ovid’s classical myth of star-crossed lovers who can communicate only through a crack in the wall that separates them, as well as the 17th century painting Stormy Landscape with Pyramus and Thisbe by Nicolas Poussin, and the light and colour of her native Gaspé, Monk Feldman used music to tap into the characters’ unconscious.
“I wanted the opera, in a sense, to be a non-opera,” Feldman told CBC News, referring to the production’s sparse style and understated drama.
Writing it had been a labour of love five years ago. A friend suggested she send it to the Canadian Opera Company.
COC General Director, Alexander Neef, said he was drawn to the work’s delicacy and originality, and excited by the possibility of staging it – despite the risks of tackling new works.
Pyramus runs only 40 minutes, so Neef paired it with two short Baroque works penned by Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi, 400 years ago. Singers Krisztina Szabó and Phillip Addis will play the lead roles in all three productions.
New operas are a generally a tougher sell to audiences more accustomed to crowd-pleasers such Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata, which is being staged on alternate nights to Pyramus and Thisbe at Toronto’s Four Seasons Centre.
For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.