WORLD PREMIERE
ATHENS & EPIDAURUS FESTIVAL, GREECE 2021
WHAT IF YOU WATCHED A 3 X 3 SOCCER MATCH WHERE OPERA SINGERS AND DANCERS SERVED AS PLAYERS, WITH TWO RIVAL CHOIRS AS FANS, CHANTING DEMANDING POLYPHONIC SONGS IN PLACE OF MOTTOS? AND WHAT IF THE SPORTSCASTER STOPPED COMMENTING ON THE GAME AND STARTED PROVIDING POLITICAL COMMENTARY ON WORLD NEWS INSTEAD? SET PIECES, PENALTY KICKS, YELLOW CARDS, PROTESTS, GOALS, MISSED OPPORTUNITIES, OFFSIDE, EXTRA TIME; THESE ARE THE INGREDIENTS OF A NEW, STRIKINGLY ORIGINAL OPERA COMPOSED BY ELEFTHERIOS VENIADIS, WITH AN UNEXPECTED LIBRETTO BY AUSTRIAN WRITER GERHILD STEINBUCH, DIRECTED INTO AN OPERA BY SOFIA SIMITZIS. THE PERFORMERS ARE JOINED ON STAGE BY THE VENTUS ENSEMBLE AND KALAMATA'S SONORAE YOUTH CHOIR.
COMPOSER: ELEFTHERIOS VENIADIS
DIRECTOR: SOFIA SIMITZIS
ORIGINAL TEXT: GERHILD STEINBUCH
TRANSLATION: MARIA MANTI
STAGE DESIGN: THOMAS GOERGE
COSTUME DESIGN: THOMAS GOERGE, GINA ILIOPOULOU
LIGHTING DESIGN: ELIZA ALEXANDROPOULOU
VIDEO DESIGN: DIONYSIS SIDIROKASTRITIS
SOUND ENGINEER: PANAGIOTIS PARASKEVAIDIS - AUX STUDIO
CONDUCTOR: PHAEDRA GIANNELOU
LIVE COMMENTATOR: ELEFTHERIOS VENIADIS
FOOTBALL PLAYERS:
ANGELIKI ZOE KARAGKOUNI, SOPRANO
IRINI TZANETOULAKOU, CONTRALTO
DIONYSIS MELOGIANNIDIS, TENOR
DIONYSOS TSANTINIS, BARITONE
MIKES GLYKAS, ACTOR
KONSTANTINOS PAPANIKOLAOU, DANCER
VENTUS ENSEMBLE:
DIMITRIS GKOGAS, TRUMPET
FANIS VERNIKOS, TRUMPET
GIANNIS GOUNARIS, FRENCH HORN
SPYROS VERGIS, TROMBONE
MENELAOS MORAITIS, TUBA
GEORGE BOUKAOURIS, PERCUSSION
SONORAE YOUTH CHOIR OF THE MARIA CALLAS MUSIC SCHOOL OF KALAMATA
CHORUS MASTER: KATERINA TSITSA
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: POLYPLANITY PRODUCTIONS ATHENS, YOLANDA MARKOPOULOU, VICKY STRATAKI, IOANNA VALSAMIDOU & CHIOS MUSIC FESTIVAL, IFIGENIA KONDYLI
A WORK COMMISSIONED BY ATHENS & EPIDAURUS FESTIVAL, KATERINA EVANGELATOU
PHOTOGRAPHS BY MICHALIS KLOUKINAS, DIONYSIS SIDIROKASTRITIS, THOMAS GOERGE