Nova Sunday 11 October 2015

On this week's Nova: "Heresy" an electronic opera by Roger Doyle.

Composer Roger Doyle never thought he'd compose an opera but now he has. Heresy is, according to the composer himself, Ireland's first electronic opera and it premiered in the Project Arts Centre in November 2016. The opera itself tells the story of one of the Renaissance's most brilliant and controversial figures, Giordano Bruno. A magus, a priest, a philosopher, a spy and a playwright, Bruno was branded a heretic and burned at the stake in 1600 after a nine-year trial by the Roman inquisition. In tonight's Nova Roger Doyle introduces the world broadcast premiere of Heresy.

The libretto was by Jocelyn Clarke and Eric Fraad.

Morgan Crowley sang the part of Giordano Bruno.

Aimee Banks sang the part of the young Giordano Bruno,

Daire Halpin sang the parts of the Goddess Sophia and Queen Elizabeth I,

Caitriona O'Leary sang the part of the Goddess Circe,

Robert Crowe sang the parts of King Henry III, Sir Francis Walsingham, Cardinal Belarmine and James Joyce.

Jack Walsh was the actor playing the Janitor and Giovanni Bernardo in the play within the opera, with the other cast members joining in in a myriad of roles.

The 2 onstage musicians in those scenes were Nick Roth and Francesco Turrisi.
Directed by Eric Fraad

The producer for Lyric fm was Eoin O'Kelly

Nova

Nova is about new music, chronicling what's radical and what's conservative, who's established and who's in the avant garde. Tweet: @bernardnova

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