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Adriana Mater 2008 production shot

Adriana Mater 2008

July 26 - August 12, 2008

In an unnamed country at war…

… themes of revenge, forgiveness, and redemption touch the consciousness in profound ways in this American Premiere.

Music By
Kaija Saariaho
Libretto By
Amin Maalouf

Synopsis

Light

Just before the outbreak of war. Adriana tries to go inside her house, but a drunken young man bars her way. Tsargo reminds her that they danced together a year ago. She rebuffs him. A dream sequence begins, and it is unclear who is dreaming – Adriana or Tsargo, or both. Tsargo prepares to take Adriana dancing, but as she takes his arm he turns into a bottle that drops and breaks. Adriana wakes up laughing. Tsargo also awakens, feeling humiliated, and rushes off uttering threats.

Darkness

The rumble of war comes, echoing Tsargo’s fury. He re-enters as a soldier carrying a gun. He knocks at Adriana’s door. She snubs him as sternly as before, and he breaks down the door. We deduce that he rapes her.

Two Hearts

A pregnant Adriana quarrels with her sister over her decision to keep the child. Refka has a dream which expresses her anxiety about the unborn baby. Adriana shares those fears – will her son turn out to be Cain or Abel?

Confessions

Seventeen years later. Yonas, Adriana’s son, has just learned the truth about his father. Yonas is furious, especially with his unknown father, whom he swears to kill. The scene ends with another dream, in which Yonas slays his whole family, finally turning his weapon against himself.

Rages

Refka enters to tell Adriana some news, but comes instead upon Yonas, who upbraids her for having lied to him about his father. Adriana enters and Refka tells her, in Yonas’s presence, that Tsargo is back in the country. Yonas charges off vowing to kill him.

Duel

Yonas confronts his father. Tsargo admits who he is and what he has done. Yonas announces that he intends to kill him, and asks him to turn around. As he turns slowly, we discover he is blind. Unable to kill him, Yonas flees.

Adriana

All four characters are on stage independently of one another. All are distraught. Only Adriana and Yonas eventually meet. Yonas asks her to forgive him for failing to avenge her. Yonas explains what happened. She tells him that before he was born, she wondered whether her son would turn out to be a killer like his father. Her answer has come. Yonas is her son, sprung from her blood, and not the son of a monster. “We are not avenged,” she tells him. “We are saved.”

Artists

Monica Groop headshot

Monica Groop

Mezzo-soprano

Adriana Mater

Matthew Best headshot

Matthew Best

Bass

Tsargo

Pia Freund headshot

Pia Freund

Soprano

Refka

Joseph Kaiser headshot

Joseph Kaiser

Tenor

Yonas

Ernest Martinez Izquierdo headshot

Ernest Martinez Izquierdo

Conductor

Peter Sellars headshot

Peter Sellars

Director

George Tsypin headshot

George Tsypin

Scenic Designer

Martin Pakledinaz headshot

Martin Pakledinaz

Costume Designer

James Ingalls headshot

James F. Ingalls

Lighting Designer

Susanne Sheston headshot

Susanne Sheston

Chorus Master