Opera Scotland

von Paradis

Posted 15 Sep 2020

As lockdown continues, albeit in a somewhat reduced form, opera buffs have a variety of online options. 

At 7pm on Friday 25 September, an online documentary “The Making of Paradis” is to be shown on the Tete-a-Tete Opera Festival’s website www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/the-paradis-files/.  

The new chamber opera has music by Errollyn Wallen, working alongside playwright Nicola Werenowska and Graeae theatre director Jenny Sealey. The piece is dedicated to raising the profile of Maria Theresia and bringing out her own voice.

“The Making of Paradis” concerns the talented female composer Maria Theresia von Paradis, who wrote much music greatly admired at the Viennese Court in the 18^th century.

Mozart, Salieri and Haydn all composed for von Paradis, who was blind but showed remarkable courage in overcoming her disability.  Her story is a remarkable one, and deserves to be more widely known.