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), Niklas Pajanti (Lighting Designer), Savanna Wegmann (Set & Costume Design) and Lyric’s Artistic Director, Patrick Burns (Conductor).
Fri 22 Sep 7:30pm (Preview); Sat 23 Sep 7:30pm (Opening); Tue 26 Sep 7:30pm; Thu 28 Sep 7:30pm
Sat 30 Sep 7:30pm; Sun 1 Oct 2:30pm Approx duration: 90 minutes
TICKETS: Full price $48.24incl. A$3.24 Fee; concession $37.74incl. A$2.74 Fee or $20
Location: Theatre Works, 14 Acland Street, St Kilda