Opera Vista: Edalat Square/Soldier Songs June 6, 2008

Houston's contemporary opera company, Opera Vista, presents two exciting new operas.

Edalat Square

Darkness and despair, disguised as piety and righteousness, descend from atop the minarets of the mosques, consuming those who seek hope through the light of God. On July 19, 2005 in Edalat Square, Iran, Mahmoud Asgari (17) and Ayaz Marhoni (16) were hanged for the crime of lavaat (sex between two men). Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, an estimated 4,000 people have been executed for lavaat. Inspired by the circumstances surrounding the execution of Mahmoud and Ayaz, the soul of Edalat Square emerges from the poetic essence of the Sufi mystics—emerging from silence and meditation, melody and prayer. Disturbed by a crisis in Islam, the soul awakens...

Soldier Songs

Soldier Songs is an evening-length multimedia solo cantata that combines elements of theater, opera, concert music and documentary to explore the perceptions versus the realities of the Soldier. This ever-relevant work features recently uncovered aerial film from Vietnam, stills taken by the soldiers themselves in Vietnam and Iraq, and recorded interviews with veterans of 5 wars, many of whom had never before spoken of their experiences. The work traces the shift in a person's perception through three phases of life: Youth (Age 6-18), Warrior (Age 19-45) and Elder (Age 46-66). A chilling and realistic view of our world and the nature of power in war, each of the eleven songs explores a different aspect of the experience. Ranging from rage, to fear, to joy, to grief, Soldier Songs asks the tough questions and seeks to tell the tough stories.

Official Website: http://www.operavista.org