| Bliss | |
|---|---|
| Opera byBrett Dean | |
| Librettist | Amanda Holden |
| Language | English |
| Based on | Bliss byPeter Carey |
| Premiere | 12 March 2010 |
Bliss is anopera in three acts byBrett Dean to alibretto byAmanda Holden. The libretto is based onPeter Carey'snovelBliss, which had earlier been made into the 1985 filmBliss. The opera premiered at theSydney Opera House on 12 March 2010 and has subsequently been performed in the United Kingdom and Germany.[1] A performance of the work lasts for about two hours and forty minutes.[2]
The development of this work suffered several setbacks over the years.Simone Young was musical director ofOpera Australia when it commissioned Brett Dean and Amanda Holden to write this work. Soon after, Young left Opera Australia and took up the position of artistic director (Intendant) of the Hamburg State Opera. Her successor,Richard Hickox, also supported the work; but he died in 2008. Then, theAustralian National Academy of Music, of which Dean was the Artistic Director, was threatened with the loss of its funding from the Australian federal government.
During the development of the opera, Dean wrote the orchestral pieceMoments of Bliss, which premiered on 2 December 2004 atHamer Hall, Melbourne, with theMelbourne Symphony Orchestra underMarkus Stenz.[3][4] Dean composed the role of Harry Joy specifically forPeter Coleman-Wright; three of this role's arias were sung by Coleman-Wright in a concert on 2 October 2008 under the titleSongs of Joy with theRoyal Liverpool Philharmonic conducted bySimon Rattle.[5][6]
The opera premiered byOpera Australia at theSydney Opera House on 12 March 2010. It then travelled to theEdinburgh International Festival and opened the 2010/11 season at theHamburg State Opera.[1]
The premiere ofBliss was accompanied with various programs on the ABC. On 13 March 2010ABC2 showed adirector's cut of the filmBliss, introduced by an interview of the film's directorRay Lawrence byDavid Stratton.ABC1 showed a documentary on 16 March 2010,Artscape – Making Opera Bliss and the opera's second performance on 17 March 2010 was broadcast live by ABC2 and shown on Melbourne'sFederation Square and in cinemas throughout Australia.[7]
Opera Australia's recording of the opera was nominated for theARIA Award for Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album in 2015.
The opera is set inBrisbane in the early 1980s.[8]
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 12 March 2010 Conductor:Elgar Howarth |
|---|---|---|
| Harry Joy | baritone | Peter Coleman-Wright |
| Betty Joy | soprano | Merlyn Quaife |
| Honey B | soprano | Lorina Gore |
| Alex | baritone | Barry Ryan |
| David Joy | tenor | David Corcoran |
| Lucy Joy | soprano | Taryn Fiebig |
| Johnny | tenor | Kanen Breen |
| Reverend Des / Police Officer 2 / "Nurse" | bass-baritone | Shane Lowrencev |
| Aldo / Nigel Clunes | tenor | Henry Choo |
| Mrs Dalton | mezzo-soprano | Milijana Nikolic |
| Police Officer 1 / Betty's Doctor | tenor | Stephen Smith |
| onstageviolinist | Erkki Veltheim | |
| Chorus, ballet | ||
| Director | Neil Armfield | |
| Choreography | Kate Champion | |
| Costumes | Alice Babidge | |
| Set design | Brian Thomson | |
| Lighting | Nigel Levings | |
| Sound Design | Bob Scott | |
