An opera in 2 parts sung in English with fragments of Yoruba, Latin and Spanish with Lithuanian surtitles

Libretto by Kornél Hamvai after G. G. Márquez‘s novel Of Love and Other Demons

Music Director and Conductor Alejo Pérez (Argentina)

Director Silviu Purcarete (Romania)

Stage Director Gediminas Šeduikis

Designer Helmut Stürmer (Germany)
Video Projections by Andu Dumitrescu (Romania)

Chorus Master Česlovas Radžiūnas

A co-production between Glyndebourne Festival (Great Britain), the LNOBT and festival GAIDA / ISCM World Music Days 2008

World premiére at Glyndebourne - 10 August 2008

Premiére in Vilnius - 7 November 2008

This co-production between Glyndebourne Festival (Great Britain), the LNOBT and festival GAIDA / ISCM World Music Days 2008 will enable Lithuanian theatre-goers to get acquainted with one of the most famous contemporary composer in Europe. The biggest part of Eötvös’ works consists of operas, music for theatre, cinema – he belongs to that select brand of opera composers for whom the theatrical aspects of the form are positively to be relished rather than merely endured.

In autumn of 2006, when Eötvös first met Edward Kemp – author of plays, screenplays and opera librettos, dramaturge for plays, operas and ballets – the two talked a little about the deeper themes in the novel. “He asked me what I thought the story was reallyabout, and I replied that the answer was in the title: it’s a work about demonization, the way we polarize the differences between ourselves and others and mark out one person or group or set of ideas as ‘demonic’; in a multi-cultural society such polarization is particularly dangerous,” – remembers Kemp.

Many conversations and discussions between Eötvös and director Silviu Purcarete as well as conductor of the production at Glyndebourne Vladimir Jurowski had a significant influence on the overall shape of the work and it is typical of Eötvös’ spirit that there has been so much collaboration on this work, without ever losing sight of whose piece this is.

And thus an opera was born, generating sensations of suspense, suspicion and uncertainty, filled with wonderful music, profound thought, imagination, lots of fantasy and love. “I think in these terms the piece is more traditional and romantic in technique. This opera is not romantic in musical style but very romantic in terms of fantasy elements. The fantasy is the same now as the fantasy of the 19th century,” - claims Eötvös.

What was conceived in 2003 following a meeting at Glyndebourne to discuss a possible new commission is not complete. The première at Glyndebourne achieved thunderous success. Will Vilnius understand this mesmerizing story about forbidden love blossoming in 19^th century Columbia full of tropical magic, about love as obsession, love as “the most horrible of all demons”? Without a doubt. Language of music is universal and love is the same in every corner of the world.