MARS: Signs of Life

Bradyworks / Instruments of Happiness

mars
mars

An Opera from Another Planet — World Premiere

An astrobiologist, a geologist and an engineer are the first human beings to set foot on Mars. Physically close but emotionally distant, they must rise to many challenges. Mechanical failures, limited resources and the arrival of new settlers from Earth all undermine the conditions of their settlement. Over time, the colony evolves far beyond the initial plan, transforming Mars and its inhabitants. Set in 2040, 2041 and 2140, the story travels through time by way of a fragmented narrative.

Composer Tim Brady and librettist Alexis Diamond have created a 68-minute chamber opera that is at once intimate and colossal. Space exploration, the colonization of Mars and the effects of climate change on society are vast subjects. And yet the libretto is a masterpiece of subtle personal reflection and interaction, carried by music that is expansive yet nuanced.

The work features three singers in the roles of the three scientists, a dancer embodying Mars, an electric guitar, a viola, electronics and striking video projections in place of a traditional set. The opera moves effortlessly from intimate spaces ruled by vulnerability to vast, immersive expanses. Each scene presents a decisive moment in which one of the characters teeters on the thread of fate. Intimate solo miniatures are set against vocal tours de force, in a bold composition charged with a powerful sense of urgency that draws the audience inexorably forward.

Support: Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, Conseil des arts de Montréal, La Fondation du Grand Montréal, Trellis Microgrant (ELAN) — Le ministère du Patrimoine canadien, Le Vivier.

Artists

Representation(s)

Place

Centaur Theater