How to make opera in times of war? The Kyiv collective Opera Aperta tackle this question in their latest work even as they are confronted with the Russian invasion on a daily basis. In their works, they combine music, performance, theatre and political reflection. As an interdisciplinary collective, they push for radically opening up opera to the present day and the public.
Mōdraniht. Songs of Winter War is a journey through different styles of music and times, through tragedies as well as rituals to drive away evil spirits. According to Norse mythology, Mōdraniht, the ‘Night of the Mothers,’ descends upon Europe on 21 December. People gather for a ritual dance to protect their homes from dark forces and to welcome the sun, which must be reborn each year. The project is based on an expedition from the Carpathian mountains in Ukraine (shattered by political upheavals) via the Uzbek Aral Sea (one of the greatest man-made environmental disasters) to the small Cantabrian village of Silió in Northern Spain. This village is home to one of the oldest carnival traditions in Europe, the Vijanera: a winter carnival based on pagan rituals. Powerful and acutely current music theatre!