Giiwedin, a First Nations opera

By unsettledscores / On / In Music, News, Opera, Review

Christopher Moore’s History, article by Christopher Moore:

http://christophermoorehistory.blogspot.com/2010/04/giiwedin-first-nations-opera.html

“A terrific piece of theatre: Native Earth Theatre’s production of the opera Giiwedin, by Spy Dénommé-Welch and Catherine Magowan. A full scale opera about the struggle for aboriginal land…Fine operatic singing and presentation, brilliant music too.”

Giiwedin: Not quite settled but native tale hits some strong notes

By unsettledscores / On / In Music, News, Opera, Review

NOW Toronto, article by Jon Kaplan:

https://nowtoronto.com/stage/opera/giiwedin/

“It’s the style of the ambitious piece that’s especially striking. Composed by Catherine Magowan and Spy Dénommé-Welch, with a three-language libretto by the latter, Giiwedin (meaning North Wind) blends First Nations and baroque European music in an epic, sometimes surreal look at the choices facing both native residents and European settlers in northern Ontario.”

A new opera gets a bit lost in the woods

By unsettledscores / On / In Music, News, Opera, Review

The Globe and Mail, article by Colin Eatock:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/a-new-opera-gets-a-bit-lost-in-the-woods/article4314275/

“They wrote the music for their opera together, jointly creating a score that was a mixture of many styles, from baroque to tango, with a few native touches, but conspicuously avoiding a dissonant “modern classical” sound. In a further departure from modernist convention, there’s a historical sensibility built into the opera’s structure, with a formal prelude and overture, and scenes neatly subdivided into arias and ensemble numbers. The result is an impressively sophisticated pastiche.”