Dallas Opera to Present U.S. Premiere of SUNKEN GARDEN by Michel van der Aa

The Dallas Opera is privileged to announce that TDO will present the United States Premiere of composer Michel van der Aa's critically acclaimed contemporary masterpiece, SUNKEN GARDEN, "a fantastical tale to set the ears and eyes popping" (New York Times headline) during the Texas company's 2017-2018 Season.

The work, described by its creator as an "occult mystery film opera," fuses film and live performance (including 3-D and other visual effects) to deliver what Steve Smith of The New York Times called "a bold, rewarding venture" during its 2013 English National Opera world premiere at the Barbican. The production coming to Dallas was reworked for a successful 2015 relaunch at Opéra de Lyon.

Dallas Opera performances-sung entirely in English with supertitles projected above the stage-are scheduled for March 9, 11(m), 14 & 17, 2018 in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center. This astonishing work will be directed (both on film and on stage) by Mr. van der Aa himself.

The announcement was made by Keith Cerny, the Kern Wildenthal General Director and CEO of The Dallas Opera, at the conclusion of this evening's "Composing Conversation with Michel van der Aa" at Studio Music Grill (Royal Lane, Dallas).

"I first experienced SUNKEN GARDEN in Lyon, France, in the spring of 2015" explained Mr. Cerny, "and found it a uniquely rewarding theatrical experience."

"Michel is an outstanding composer, yet his skill as a videographer and his pioneering use of both two-and-three-dimensional projections, paired with live singers, stretch the boundaries that typically define "What is Opera?"

"Much like Joby Talbot and Gene Scheer's Everest, the stunning visuals throughout this work and the brilliantly surreal libretto by Sci-Fi/Fantasy writer David Mitchell prompts a necessary rethinking of the art form itself.

"I found myself captivated by Michel van der Aa's extraordinary musical and visual vocabulary-and many in the audience clearly shared my sense of awe," Cerny adds. "I was certain we were witnessing a work of rare originality and multi-disciplinary innovation.

"Frankly, I couldn't wait to bring it to the U.S."

SUNKEN GARDEN was originally a co-production of ENO, Toronto's Luminato Festival, Opéra de Lyon, the Holland Festival and London's Barbican Centre. This opera also marked the first collaboration between the Dutch composer and British novelistDavid Mitchell (Cloud Atlas).

Heidi Waleson, reviewing for The Wall Street Journal described the experience: "The inventive and haunting music is acoustic and electronic, live and prerecorded, classical and pop...Film and music align seamlessly; neither would make sense without the other...When the live singers enter the 3-D garden, the music grows richer and more expansive...The images here are spectacular: the opulent trees and flowers; the quivering holograms of the two captives, Amber and Simon; and the vertical pool through which Zenna enters and departs, which explodes out toward the audience as a shower of droplets or a giant, whirling funnel.

"The fine singers-live and on film-adeptly captured the ferocity and pathos in Sunken Garden. And the lively actors...were completely believable...technical wizardry enhanced the humanity of the piece rather than overwhelming it," Ms. Waleson added.

SUNKEN GARDEN will star English baritone RodeRick Williams as "Tony Kramer," British soprano Katherine Manley as "Zenna Briggs," and renowned Swedish soprano Miah Persson as "Iris Marinus." All will be making their Dallas Opera debuts in this production.

Set and lighting design is by Theun Mosk with costumes by Astrid Schulz.

AnTony Craig of Gramophone (UK) emphasized that SUNKEN GARDEN is a compelling theatrical work: "This is real drama and it works dramatically. The mystery is as complex as TV film noir. The spoken interviews work as film and the 3D successfully drew me right into the sunken garden. Crucially, Sunken Garden works as opera, with Van der Aa's fusion of musical styles matching the fusion of mediums."

And Andrew Clement of The Guardian added, "Van der Aa has directed the show as well as the often sumptuous-looking film sequences. As always he's done it with immense technical skill, and both his orchestral writing and the electronic soundtrack are strikingly effective."

All performances are in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center unless otherwise indicated. Single Tickets range from $19 to $275. Full Subscriptions (five opera productions) begin at $95; Flex Subscriptions (three-performances of your choice) begin at $75. Family performance tickets are just $5. For more information or to make your purchase, contact The Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or visit us online, 24/7, at www.dallasopera.org.

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