Philip Glass’ “Circus” Opera to Premiere Saturday

Philip Glass and Tilde Björfors (photograph by Mats Bäcker, courtesy of Sacks & Co.)

This Saturday will see the world premiere of the latest opera composed by Philip Glass. The title of the opera is Circus Days and Nights, and the libretto was created by the partnership of David Henry Hwang and Tilde Björfors, Artistic Director of the Swedish contemporary circus company Cirkus Cirkör. The text is based on poems by Robert Lax, written at a time when he was inspired by his fascination with the traveling circuses one might encounter during the Forties. Björfors has also prepared the staging, which will involve another partship, this time bringing Cirkus Cirkör together with the Malmö Opera. Glass scored his music for a “circus band,” consisting of trumpet, bass trombone, clarinet, violin, cello, percussion, and accordion.

The premiere performance will take place in Malmö at 6 p.m. (local time, equivalent to 9 a.m. local time) on Saturday, May 29. The opera will be given ten performances, all of which will be live-streamed. Tickets will be required for receiving the stream on a specific date,  but they will not be available for the premiere. The remaining performances, for which tickets are still available as of this writing, are (in Pacific Daylight Time) as follows:

• Tuesday, June 1, 10 a.m.
• Thursday, June 3, 10 a.m.
• Friday, June 4, 10 a.m.
• Saturday, June 5, 9 a.m.
• Tuesday, June 8, 10 a.m.
• Wednesday, June 9, 10 a.m.
• Friday, June 11, 10 a.m.
• Saturday, June 12, 9 a.m.
• Sunday, June 13, 7 a.m.

The Malmö Opera has created a single event page for the purchase of all available ticket. The running time for the performance is approximately two and one-half hours.