The nano subject of this nano opera revolves around the traditional opera and its rituals, traditions of aesthetics and ethics. The piece addresses one of the rituals performed by men while getting ready for the opera. It raises the nano question of the relation between inner and outer beauty in opera dress code that society inflicts on men. The spectators should understand the title Dress Code: Opera literally and prior to getting ready to experience the idea encoded in the opera one shall get properly/appropriately/operatically/smartly dressed.
Is it us, who create a dress code or is it the dress code that creates us?
Composer Rita Mačiliūnaitė
Why do men require a necktie when going to an opera?
Director Justas Tertelis
What does Rita Mačiliūnaitė’s nano opera Dress Code: Opera, lasting less than three minutes, tell us in our crazy world? Clearly, the author disagrees with those composers, who, according to Gérardo Grisey, steal time of the listeners’ lives. To the contrary, sixty-one bars are enough for her to make a sketch of theses of her creative work, look for a relationship with the vocal audacities of the avant-garde and to compose opera heresies of the 21st century. However, in a manner appropriate for quality nano-products, this opera is permeated by creative and technologic ingenuity. For instance, depending on the listener’s attitude, all four parts of the opera (tape, clarinet, tenor and baritone) can model by choice the changing functions and relationship between “performers” and “the orchestra pit”. The nano opera also features the composer’s signature obligatory “leit-timbre”, or her favourite clarinet. Its technical virtuosity beats the opera characters who try to sing without any scruples or the smallest argument and assuming the hero stance it comes to the throne. Yet another mutation of contemporary opera…? Meanwhile, the secret of connection between title and compositional identity presents a test for our creativity.
Musicologist, prof. habil. dr. Gražina Daunoravičienė
The strangest thing is that from the very first beat until the end the work’s energy captured the audience for all of its three minutes. <…> The success was determined by well thought-out dramaturgy of the piece by composer Rita Mačiliūnaitė. There were no unnecessary pauses. If it were possible to visually depict the principle of the arrangement of the musical material, it would be proper to draw a straight line going up. Yes, it was a consistent development.
Brigita Jurkonytė, Literatūra ir menas