Seven selected short operas by young Portuguese composers, are presented in absolute creation, to be evaluated by a jury of mixed personalities, of varied artistic fields, moving way the idea of opera to a specialized niche. The Award Carlos de Pontes Leça* of 5000 euros, will be attributed to the winning opera, as a new opera commission, to be presented in future editions of the Festival.
This contest and award intend to stimulate the composition of new repertoire, the emerging of new talents and the empowerment of the relation between opera and audience of today.
Musical direction: Rita Castelo Blanco
Stage Direction: António Pires
Set design & costumes: Daniela Cardante
Light design: Anatol Waschke
Sound design: Ricardo Costa
Cast
Mariana Castello Branco, soprano
Rita Filipe, meio-soprano
Carlos Monteiro, tenor
Tiago Matos, barítono
Ensemble MPMP
Sara Llano, violin
Catarina Távora, cello
Miguel Costa, clarinet
João Pedro Silva, saxophone
Jorge Caeiro, accordion
Jury:
Catarina Molder (artistic director)
António Chagas Rosa (composer)
Aya Koretsky (film director)
Otelo Lapa (scene director and director)
André Cunha Leal (classical music programmer (CCB) and artistic director (Cistermúsica))
* Great Portuguese Musicologist who has been mostly significant to development of Portuguese contemporary music, since the 2nd half of XX Century.
This second episode of “Tales of Creation” occurs after the separation of the carriers of divine flame, Adam and Lilith. God sends an angel to Lilith, a fugitive from Eden, to convince her to come back to Adam, in vain. God then creates Eve from one of Adam's ribs, generating a new divine couple. Despite this new relationship mirroring the previous one, Eve, an echo from Adam’s soul, has no flame of her own. Dissatisfied, Adam leaves Eden, seeking Lilith.
This Ithaca, I can't find
Diogo da Costa Ferreira
Music and Libretto Diogo da Costa Ferreira
Length: 25’
There is a cyclope despotically ruling, seeking to satisfy all his obscene appetites. There is a Penelope, who simply can’t wait, but is driven by love to discover Ulysses. There is a Godess, Athena, seeking to help hero Ulysses, but who can’t be heroin of her own life. There a Ulysses who plays Ulisses and becomes hero, initiating journey of discover and of Being.
Echo/Archipelago
João Ricardo
Music: João Ricardo
Libretto: Tatiana Faia
Length: 20’
In a garden, by the end of Summer, two lovers meet again to what they imagine to be their last conversation, the only one they will ever have. Vaguely inspired by episodes of Ovidio’s Metamorphoses, fragments of Eco and Narcissus myths crossroad and re-write themselves, in a time where everythig is mediated by the images we project from ourselves which we review and edit until nausea, in a game of appearance, which disguises very often, void.
The treasure
Miguel Jesus
Music and Libretto Miguel Jesus
Based on homonym tale by Eça de Queiroz
Length: 20’
Three brothers, noble and broken. Rui, Guanes and Rostabal, unexpectedly find a safe box filled with gold. Rui elaborates a plan, in which Guanes would go to buy food and drinks, as well bags to carry the gold, but during his absence, both brothers conspire to kill him. After doing so, Rui kills Rostabal in the back and prepare himself to keep the treasure. But he didn’t know that Guanes had reserved him a surprise…