Iqaluit Debut of “Frobisher,” an Opera by John Murrell and John Estacio
by admin ~ February 7th, 2007
Four years in the making, the collaboration between composer John Estacio and librettist John Murrell begins its northern tour in Iqaliut this week. Commissioned by The Banff Centre and The Calgary Opera, Frobisher tells the story of the three expeditions of Martin Frobisher to the eastern arctic in search of the Northwest Passage, and the story of two contemporary filmmakers lured to his story. Anna, one of the filmmakers, first hears Frobisher in a dream and is drawn to tell his story and to see the North as the British explorer saw it. John Estacio and John Murrell are well known for their previous opera, Filumena, which told the story of Filumena Lassandro, an Italian immigrant to Alberta who became involved in the bootlegging trade in the 1920s, and was the last woman hanged in Canada. The CBC featured an audio broadcast of Frobisher on it’s radio two program, “Saturday Afternoon at the Opera,” and its northern tour is the first time an opera has been performed in Iqaliut. The complete libretto is available, as well as a CBC interview with composer John Estasio (Quicktime, RealMedia). Frobisher will be remounted August 8, 10, and 12 for the 2007 Banff Summer Arts Festival
Sources:
- CBC: Calgary Premiere, New Opera,
- Northern News Services: Frobisher comes to Frobisher
- The Banff Centre: Frobisher Page