The Alpha (“α”) opera boldly raises important social and cultural issues of the present day. Opera addresses such topics as gender equality, minority politics and crisis of great narratives. A sensational combination of two distant genres of opera and comic strips adds extravagance to the history of love and murder (led by a strong main character).
The story of the opera represents a variation on the topic of the fate of Federico Garcia Lorca, one of the most famous Spanish poets and playwrights of the 20th century. In Alpha, Isabella Garcia Lorca, Federico‘s sister, returns to Spain after many years of emigration to reveal the secrets of her brother‘s fate. The circumstances of the writer‘s death still remain blurred, while his burial place was thought to have been located in the vicinity of Alfacar town in Andalusia for some time. Desire to reveal the truth is hindered by the mystery trapped in the circle of time, the same mystery that keeps reverting us back to the beginning, becoming “alpha” without “omega”.
The “α” score was devised in admiration for flamenco melodies and the repetitive structures of minimalist music. The opera‘s rhythmic texture consists of two layers collated by the contrast principle: the constant, rhythmic pulse versus the “hovering” high-frequency ringing, as if giving voice to the uneasy silence. The actors are singing their parts in the background of these rhythmic structures, the latter ranging from fussy recitative to heavily ornamented melodies. In the score, the vocal lines reflect in the accordion and guitar parties, which are often interlaid through vibrant electronics by creating, gradually, a thickening vertical of sounds.
Composer Albertas Navickas
Not only it is an opera – it is a “comic-strip opera” about a female superhero who is fighting both supernatural and earthly demons, about her trials and struggles in the world. To me, the “α” opera resembles a set of pages – a comic book. The “α” opera is MEGA-feminine.
Director, stage and costume designer Dr. GoraParasit
In 2019 the creative team behind the opera was awarded the Golden Stage Cross award in Opera / Operetta / Musical category.
Alpha is a piece that deserves to be brought to an international stage, addressing the burning issues of today related to strong woman and gender equality.
Rasa Murauskaitė, Kultūros barai
A surprisingly successful combination of opera and comic strip.
Emilija Visockaitė, 15min.lt
Alpha clearly declares that opera no longer represents a sophisticated luxurious genre – it can reflect the topical issues of today’s social and musical life and sound professional, at the same time retaining professionalism.
Justina Paltanavičiūtė, kauno.diena.lt
Aesthetics of the production flirts with feminism, comic strips and visuality of computer games; directing language employs elements of pantomime, along the conceptual score of lighting and colour.
Lauma Mellēna, nra.lv