MARS: Signs of Life

An Opera from Another Planet - World Premiere

Bradyworks / Instruments of Happiness

mars
mars

An astrobiologist, a geologist and an engineer are the first human beings to ever set foot on Mars. Physically close but emotionally distant, they navigate many challenges. Equipment 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 across a fragmented narrative  - out of order, yet complete.

Composer Tim Brady and librettist Alexis Diamond have created a 68-minute chamber opera that is at once intimate and monumental. 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 both expansive and 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 effortlessly between vulnerable, intimate spaces and vast, immersive spaces. Each scene presents a decisive moment in which one of the characters teeters on the edge of fate. Intimate solo miniatures juxtapose soaring, epic feats of choral mastery in an urgent and adventurous composition that propels the audience inexorably forward. Intimate solo miniatures juxtapose soaring, epic feats of choral mastery in an urgent and adventurous composition that propels the audience inexorably forward.

MARS: Signs of Life is the third opera in the tetralogy of operas by Tim Brady entitled HOPE (and the dark matter of history). The cycle confronts the problematic sides of social, cultural, political, religious, economic and industrial practices, inviting us to question our values and beliefs while offering a space for hope.

Support: Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, Conseil des arts de Montréal, La Fondation du Grand Montréal, Trellis Microgrant (ELAN), Department of Canadian Heritage, Le Vivier.

Artists

Representation(s)

Place

Centaur Theater

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