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Gavin Bryars In Residence at Adelaide Festival; Australian Premiere of Marilyn Forever

Jan. 31, 2015

Gavin Bryars In Residence at Adelaide Festival; Australian Premiere of <em>Marilyn Forever</em>

Gavin Bryars serves as composer-in-residence at the 2015 Adelaide Festival of Arts, running from February 27 through March 15 in Adelaide, Australia. This year marks the 55th anniversary of the festival, which has become one of Australia’s preeminent cultural events. The festival presents a wide range of Bryars’s works, including the Australian premiere of his recent opera, Marilyn Forever, which opens the festival in a three night run on February 27. Produced by Canada's Aventa Ensemble, the production features soprano Anne Grimm in the role of Marilyn Monroe and baritone Richard Morris as The Men, directed by Joel Ivany and conducted by Bill Linwood. 

On March 3, the composer joins the Gavin Bryars Ensemble in a program of his instrumental chamber works. The following evening, the Gavin Bryars Ensemble presents a program of his vocal works, featuring special guests The Song Company, Irish singer-songwriter Gavin Friday, and British mezzo-soprano Jess Walker. Gavin Friday narrates Bryars’s Shakespeare-inspired Nothing Like the Sun, while The Song Company, Australia’s leading vocal ensemble, performs selected works from his collection of laude and madrigals.  

On March 5, Bryars conducts the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra in a performance of his seminal work from 1971, Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet, for ensemble and pre-recorded tape. The program also includes performances of The Porazzi Fragment and selections from Bryars’s opera G… featuring Australian singers Anna Fraser and Alex Knight, alongside works by Howard Skempton and Arvo Pärt.  

For tickets and information on the Adelaide Festival, visit adelaidefestival.com.au

For more information on Gavin Bryars, visit schott-music.com

Gavin Bryars
Marilyn Forever (2010-2013)
a chamber opera
libretto (Eng) by Marilyn Bowering
for soprano, baritone and small chorus of tenor, baritone and bass
bcl.bsn-hn-perc-str(0.0.2.1.1); jazz trio (tsax-pno-jazz bass)
75’

Nothing Like the Sun (2007)
text (Eng) from Shakespeare’s Sonnets 55, 60, 64, 102, 123, 128 and 146
for soprano, tenor, narrator and eight instruments
bcl(cl)-perc(vib, cimbalom, tam-t, b.d)-egtr(gtr).pno-2va.vc.db
40’ 

Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet (1971)
for pre-recorded tape and instruments
Instrumentation flexible with instrumental groups optional but based on the following maximum scoring:
1.1.1.bcl.1-4.2.2.1-perc(glsp.vib)-gtr.hp.cel.org-string quartet.2db
35’ 

The Porazzi Fragment (1999)
for 21 solo strings
11vn.4va.4vc.2db
15’ 

G… (2001-2002)
opera in two acts, with prologue and epilogue
libretto (Eng) by Blake Morrison; German translation by Stephan Kopf, Zelma Millard and Michael Millard
for 2 sopranos, coloratura mezzo-soprano, low mezzo-soprano, countertenor, 2 tenors, 5 baritones, 2 bass-baritones, bass, SATBarB Chorus
2(2pic).0.3ca(2.ob,3.obd'am).1(Ebcl).bcl.2.cbsn-5(2.,3.tenor Wagner tuba in Bb,4.,5.bass Wagner tuba in F).0.2(2atbn).btbn.1-timp.2perc-hp.hpd(cel)-str(15.14.12.10.8, including Baroque ensemble: 6.5.4.4.2)
150’

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