Oblivion.
“Aylward has crafted a brilliant piece of drama. ”
Two wanderers in a surreal and otherworldly landscape question their memory and identity. What do they remember of their lives? What paths will they travel? Will they find redemption or the truth of who they are?
Oblivion explores the afterlife, in all its spiritual, mythological, and existential aspects, and its similarities to our current conceptions of a post-apocalyptic world. The original libretto draws its mythos from Dante’s Purgatorio and the Book of Daniel while keeping the drama in an eerily familiar space.
“The libretto John Aylward wrote for his opera, packed as the narrative is with mystery and revelations, is as gripping as the score.
Oblivion is a distinctive work, obviously; even better, the modest number of vocalists and musicians needed to perform it make it an all the more feasible piece for smaller opera companies to present.”
“It drifts towards No Exit, Waiting for Godot, and Dante’s Purgatorio, while recalling Pelleas et Melisande”
“[A] fantastical tale of harmonic, haunting and rich songwriting.”
“Aylward is an imaginative and resourceful talent.”
“In Oblivion, the languages of opera and cinema merge to explore existential questions tied to memory and identity. Its innovative fusion of operatic and cinematic elements offers an intellectual and sensory experience that challenges convention and stimulates deep existential reflection.”
Nina Guo, soprano | Lukas Papenfusscline, tenor
Tyler Boque, baritone | Cailin Marcel Manson, baritone
Laura Williamson, viola | MIZU, cello | Greg Chudzik, contrabass | Daniel Lippel, electric guitar | John Aylward, electronics
Tianyi Wang, electronic sound design assistant
Stratis Minakakis, music director & conductor
Recorded at the Bombyx Center for Arts and Equity, Florence, Massachusetts, June 25th–30th, 2022
Produced by John Aylward
Joel Gordon, recording engineer
Peter Atkinson, recording assistant
Edited, mixed and mastered by Joel Gordon & John Aylward
Screenings and Performances
