In his final weeks of his long-standing position as artistic director of Victorian Opera and artistic consultant with Orchestra Victoria, Richard Mills has delivered Galileo.
Victorian Opera, together with the combined forces of Orchestra Victoria and La Compañia Orchestra present this not to be missed event.
Faith, knowledge and power collide in the exploration by Mills and librettist Malcolm Angelucci on the fortunes of one of the world’s greatest thinkers.
Written with Samuel Dundas (baritone) in mind, the lead role of Galileo is performed expertly by Dundas together with a strong cast.
“Galileo is a story about the search for truth in the context of the fragile realities of human life. The fortunes and spiritual quest of Galileo are seen through his relationships with loved ones, family, and the authorities that govern his world. It is a story about the complexity and fragility of truth in the political landscape, it is a story about an individual’s journey of external discovery which parallels an interior search for truth and meaning in life”.
Richard Mills
Listen to Mills discuss Galileo
Galileo is Mills’ third opera in three years following on from The Butterfly Lovers and Nativity, and illustrates his compositional techniques learned from years of playing within a symphony orchestra as professional percussionist.
Mills’ exceptional talents range from compositions for chamber ensembles, such as String Quartet No. 4: Glimpses from my book of Dada, to his Symphonic works Aeolian Caprices, and Cello Concerto and to his Ballet Snugglepot and Cuddlepie.
Galileo is an opera for the times, offering a searching meditation on questions of faith in a violent, hostile, and uncertain world.
World Premiere:
Wednesday December 20
Palais Theatre, St Kilda
