Kristin Norderval, music | Naomi Wallace, libretto | Pauline Vaillancourt, stage direction | Dominique Blain, stage design | Nancy Bussières, lighting | Marianne Thériault, costumes | Bibbi Moslet, dramaturgy | Jacques-Lee Pelletier, make-up | Dominique Blain, visual artist
Kristin Norderval, soprano | Rebecca Woodmass, coloratura soprano | Dion Mazerolle, baritone | Claude Lemieux, actor | Vincent Ranallo, baritone | Daniel Pincus, tenor | Marie-Annick Béliveau, mezzo-soprano | Daniel Binelli, bandoneón | Francis Perron, piano | Nick Danielson, violin | Isabel Castellvi, cello | Pablo Aslan, double bass | Marc-Olivier Lamontagne, guitar | Eric Phinney, percussion
Ensemble Kô, choir
Cristian Germán Gort, conductor
Chants Libres Production, commissioned by TekstLab/ArtXchange (Oslo, Norway).
May 19, 2016, Monument-National, Montreal, world premiere
May 20, 21, 2016, Monument-National, Montreal
Libres m’était conté plunges you into this deeply moving opera, where the emotion of the subject matter was to be accurately reflected in the creation.
2016 — Prix Opus: “Concert of the Year — Modern and Contemporary Music” and “Concert of the Year — Montréal”
The opera is based on the life story of the Argentine architect and human rights activist Patricia Isasa. In 1976 Patricia Isasa — then a high school student, and just 16 years old — was abducted, imprisoned and tortured by the military junta that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983. Isasa was one of as many as 30,000 citizens who were “disappeared” in Argentina, often for activities such as belonging to a union, working with the poor or voicing opposition to economic and political policies. Very few survived.
Patricia Isasa was held for 2 years but never charged with any crime. After her release, Isasa felt compelled to find out who had been responsible for her abduction, torture and detention in a secret prison. 33 years after her abduction she managed to identify and bring her torturers to justice. In December 2009 six of Isasa’s torturers were sentenced to 19-23 years behind bars. Those convicted included a federal judge, a chief of police and the mayor of her hometown.
Based on personal conversations held with Patricia Isasa in 2010, the opera raises question about the amnesty given to highly placed people in government, the use of torture for political reasons, and the need to act with urgency.
A lecture about Patricia Isasa by John Robinson
Download the libretto (english — pdf)
Telecargar el libreto (espagnol — pdf)
