HOLD YOUR BREATH
by Éna Brennan, Hugo Canoilas and David Pountney
World Premiere
Sung in English with German surtitles
PREMIERE
August 15, 2024 - 8:00 p.m
Werkstattbühne Bregenz, Austria
DURATION
approx. 90 minutes (no intermission)
Commissioned by the Bregenzer Festspiele as part of the Opernatelier
In cooperation with Kunsthaus Bregenz.
In a society where the individual’s life depends on the unemotional decisions of a selected few, a young woman tries to keep the memory of her grandmother alive. Suddenly, humankind faces some kind of creature and is seized and changed by its movements. Some claim to have created this mysterious octopus-like being. How is this creature related to human beings and do they have a hold on their lives?
Over several years, the composer Éna Brennan, the director and librettist Sir David Pountney and the visual artist Hugo Canoilas worked together in the Opernatelier to create a music theatre for the Werkstattbühne. Its main character right from the beginning is one of the most fascinating – and probably most intelligent – animals on this planet, an octopus. The singers’ voices and the dancers’ movements merge with the musicians whose sounds are electronically transmitted, thus creating a music theatre that engages all senses.
As a violinist and composer Éna Brennan wanders between different worlds. In 2020, she became internationally known with her short opera Rupture as part of the 20 Shots of Opera at the Irish National Opera. The visual artist Hugo Canoilas is known for transforming galleries into walkable stages. Born in Lisbon, the multimedia artist now commutes between Vienna, New York and Portugal. Sir David Pountney returns to Bregenz where he left his mark on the Bregenzer Festspiele as artistic director from 2004 to 2014 with several productions on the Seebühne.
The Official Scott Hendricks
The Red Leader | Priest | Dollmaker | Speaker Sam Furness
The Black Leader | Dollmaker Maria Hegele
The Nurse | Dollmaker Idunnu Münch
The Granddaughter | Dollmaker | Woman Shira Patchornik
Stage Direction and Libretto Sir David Pountney
Visual Artist (Stage | Costume Design) Hugo Canoilas
Choreography Caroline Finn
Dramaturge Olaf A. Schmitt
Members of the SYMPHONIEORCHESTER VORARLBERG
About the Opera Studio
‘What does an opera of the 21st century sound like, look like and how do we experience it? The Opera Atelier is a joint project by Bregenz Festival and the Kunsthaus Bregenz that creates a space for artists and their ideas, explorations and thoughts paving the way for an opera to premiere at the Werkstattbühne. The audience is invited to follow this process over several years. Following the premiere of To the Lighthouse in 2017 and Wind in 2021, now it is time for an explorer and a returnee to set out on a new adventure: Belgian-Irish composer Éna Brennan, the Portuguese artist Hugo Canoilas and the British stage director Sir David Pountney, formerly artistic director of the Bregenz Festival.’ – Read more
Previous Events
Konzert Im Kub 2
‘While Éna Brennan, Sir David Pountney and Hugo Canoilas are still working on the new opera for the Opera Atelier premiere in 2024, those interested can already gain insights into their work thus far at the Concert at KUB. Composer Éna Brennan writes for various artists, among them soprano Shira Patchornik, who is the star of this year’s concert. In 2019, audiences were already in raptures when they saw her in the role of Tatiana in Eugene Onegin. Now, together with other musicians, she brings the newly created sounds to life and combines them with music from past centuries.’
Soprano Shira Patchornik
Countertenor Gerben van der Werf
Harpsichord & Organ Rani Orenstein
Electronics Éna Brennan
August 9th 2023, Kunsthaus Bregenz
Photography © Bregenzer Festspiele / Anja Köhler
Einblick 2
In January 2023, the second insight into our opera was shared in public - a 30min performance in which Hugo Canoilas’ Phantasmagoria was presented on a mechanised roller, accompanied with music recorded in Dublin, featuring soprano Liz Hilliard and electronics.
January 12th 2023, Werkstattbühne Bregenz
Photography © Bregenzer Festspiele / Anja Köhler
Konzert Im Kub 1
I was invited to curate a concert of music in partnership with Bregenzfestspiele in August 2023, music which has either meant something to me over the years or influenced my work. I selected a programme which utilised strings, percussion and electronics and also incorporated a piece I am currently working on which will appear on my debut album.
It was a joy to work with musicians from the Symphonieorchester Vorarlberg and Ensemble Plus, and stage the performance in the sonorous Kunsthaus Bregenz.
August 9th 2022, Kunsthaus Bregenz
Photography © Bregenzer Festspiele / Anja Köhler
Einblick 1
In January 2022, the first insight into our opera was shared in public - an introduction to the artists involved and look at our initial ideas and conversations moving forward.
January 25th 2022, Werkstattbühne Bregenz
Photography © Bregenzer Festspiele / Anja Köhler
Press
