Enriching lives with rare and reimagined operatic experiences.
Established in 2003, Lyric Opera of Melbourne is a bold, creative opera company committed to developing operatic artists, building new audiences and enriching the operatic repertoire by creating a forum for the production of lesser-known works. Lyric's work is focused on producing innovative and exploratory music-based theatre, using contemporary practices that challenge, engage and inspire artists and audiences alike.
BIOGRAPHICA
22 Sep - 1 Oct 2023
Theatre Works, St Kilda
Hot on the heels of Lyric Opera’s multi-award-winning hit production Iphis is the Victorian premiere of Biographica. This 2017 Australian opera is composed by Mary Finsterer with libretto by Tom Wright was the winner of the 2018 APRA|AMCOS Art Music Award for Vocal Work. Scored for eleven musicians, five singers and one actor, Biographica blends spoken and sung text with shimmering orchestral colours in a contemporary reinterpretation of the essence of the Italian Renaissance.
Centred on the real life of Gerolamo Cardano, a sixteenth-century scientist, mathematician, linguist and gambler, this opera is a poignant exploration of the psyche of a man whose brilliance and ‘self destructive’ nature coexisted in a captivating and devastating dance.
Cardano’s ground-breaking contributions to the realm of probability, innovations in sign language and the invention of the combination lock, have left an indelible mark on history. Beneath the surface of his profound achievements lay an enigmatic and often tormented soul. This opera interrogates the question of what really made a ‘renaissance man’.
Biographica is a new production created by the multi-award-winning team of Heather Fairbairn (Director), Savanna Wegman (Designer), Niklas Pajanti (Lighting Designer) and Lyric’s Artistic Director, Patrick Burns (Conductor).
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