''Hadrian'' is an opera composed by American-Canadian singer-songwriter

Rufus Wainwright Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright (born July 22, 1973) is a Canadian and American singer, songwriter, and composer. He has recorded eleven studio albums and numerous tracks on compilations and film soundtracks. He has also written two classical opera ...

, with a libretto by

Daniel MacIvor Daniel MacIvor (born July 23, 1962) is a Canadian actor, playwright, theatre director, and film director. He is probably best known for his acting roles in independent films and the sitcom '' Twitch City''. Personal MacIvor was born in Sydney, ...

, based on the life of

Hadrian Hadrian ( ; ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. Hadrian was born in Italica, close to modern Seville in Spain, an Italic peoples, Italic settlement in Hispania Baetica; his branch of the Aelia gens, Aelia '' ...

(76–138 AD), Roman emperor from 117 to 138. First staged by the

Canadian Opera Company The Canadian Opera Company (COC) is an opera company in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest opera company in Canada and one of the largest producers of opera in North America. The COC performs at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performin ...

, the opera premiered October 13, 2018, at the Four Seasons Centre in Toronto, directed by Peter Hinton.

Background and development

''Hadrian'' is Wainwright's second opera, following ''

Prima Donna In opera or ''commedia dell'arte'', a prima donna (; Italian for 'first lady'; : ''prime donne'') is the leading female singer in the company, the person to whom the ''prime'' roles would be given. ''Prime donne'' often had grand off-stage pe ...

'', which premiered at the

Manchester International Festival The Manchester International Festival is a biennial international arts festival, with a specific focus on original new work, held in the English city of Manchester and run by Factory International. The festival is a biennial event, first takin ...

in 2009. Wainwright was inspired by

Marguerite Yourcenar Marguerite Yourcenar (, ; ; born Marguerite Antoinette Jeanne Marie Ghislaine Cleenewerck de Crayencour; 8 June 190317 December 1987) was a Belgian-born French novelist and essayist who became a US citizen in 1947. Winner of the Prix Femina and ...

's ''

Memoirs of Hadrian ''Memoirs of Hadrian'' () is a French-language novel by the Belgian-born French writer Marguerite Yourcenar about the life and death of the Roman Emperor Hadrian. First published in France in 1951, the book was a critical and commercial suc ...

'' (1951) and began composing ''Hadrian'' before ''Prima Donna''. However, lacking the confidence to "navigate all the emotional possibilities" that ''Hadrian'' would require, he concentrated his efforts on ''Prima Donna'' as his first opera production. On March 21, 2018, Cincinnati Opera and CCM Opera's joint Opera Fusion: New Works program presented excerpts from ''Hadrian'' and answered questions about the upcoming production.

Description

The opera in four acts focuses on Hadrian's relationship with

Antinous Antinous, also called Antinoös, (; ; – ) was a Greek youth from Bithynia, a favourite and lover of the Roman emperor Hadrian. Following his premature death before his 20th birthday, Antinous was deified on Hadrian's orders, being worshippe ...

, who has drowned. According to Wainwright and MacIvor, "You've got everything. A big chorus, lots of characters, the Nile... a love story... a political story... all the elements of traditional grand opera." MacIvor has also said of the opera: "The mystery of why Hadrian's remarkable love for Antinous – underlined by his bottomless grief – has not been celebrated widely as a model of eros points to a fear of same-sex love that has changed little from his age to ours. The deeper I delve into Hadrian's world and his time, the more parallels I see to how we live today."

Roles

Principal roles, as portrayed by the original cast members. *

: Thomas Hampson *

Isaiah Bell Isaiah ( or ; , ''Yəšaʿyāhū'', "Yahweh is salvation"; also known as Isaias or Esaias from ) was the 8th-century BC Israelite prophet after whom the Book of Isaiah is named. The text of the Book of Isaiah refers to Isaiah as "the prophet" ...

* Sabina: Ambur Braid *

Turbo In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (also known as a turbo or a turbosupercharger) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake air, forcing more air into the ...

: David Leigh * Plotina: Karita Mattila *

Trajan Trajan ( ; born Marcus Ulpius Traianus, 18 September 53) was a Roman emperor from AD 98 to 117, remembered as the second of the Five Good Emperors of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty. He was a philanthropic ruler and a successful soldier ...

: Roger Honeywell

References

External links

Composer's Notes: Rufus Wainwright on ''Hadrian''

Review Roundup: Rufus Wainwright's ''Hadrian'' at the Canadian Opera Company''Hadrian'' world premiere program
{{Rufus Wainwright 2018 operas Cultural depictions of Hadrian English-language operas LGBTQ-related operas Operas set in ancient Rome Operas by Rufus Wainwright

Background and development

Description

Roles

See also

References

External links