KOPERNIKUS: A RITUAL OPERA FOR THE DEAD by Claude Vivier (Against the Grain). At Theatre Passe Muraille (16 Ryerson). Runs to April 13. $25-$85. 416-504-7529. See listing. Rating: NNNN
Kopernikus: A Ritual Opera For The Dead makes you wonder what else Montreal-born composer Claude Vivier would have produced had he not been murdered in 1983 at the age of 34.
His only opera is a haunting, dreamlike piece in which Agni (Danielle MacMillan), clad in a suitably fiery dress to evoke her Hindu namesake, enters a dimly lit underworld and encounters various mythical or historical figures who will, after about an hour, usher her into some other realm.
Among these are Lewis Carroll yes, Agni is like an avant-garde Alice in Wonderland Merlin, Mozart and Tristan and Isolde. Some of the libretto is in French (with surtitles), but much of it is sung in gibberish, adding layers of mystique to the proceedings.
Director Joel Ivany and set/lighting designer Jason Hand transform Theatre Passe Muraille into a suitably subterranean space, with musicians, singers and a couple of dancers occupying various levels. While theres no discernible narrative, the sounds and images create an absorbing, immersive experience, unlike anything youll see at the opera house or, indeed, at much theatre.
