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Days and Nights with Christ is the first opera by Tasmanian composer Constantine Koukias (1965 -), and the first opera / music theatre production by IHOS Experimental Theatre Troupe (now IHOS Music Theatre & Opera). It premiered at Hobart’s Salamanca Arts Festival in 1990 and two years later was a highlight of the Festival of Sydney. The work, which explores images associated with schizophrenia, was inspired by the experiences of the composer’s brother and by their shared Greek heritage.

Featuring two sopranos, a mezzo soprano, a counter tenor and (as the Christ figure) one dancer, Days and Nights with Christ is sung in Ecclesiastical and modern Greek. The libretto is a collection of fragments drawn from Byzantine liturgy, the Old and New Testaments, Jewish-American eccentric Emanuel Bronner’s “Rules for Life” and an interpretation of commentary provided by individuals suffering from schizophrenia.

The music, influenced by Greek Orthodox Byzantine chant, is essentially melodic, combining the human voice with electronically treated acoustic instruments. The original ensemble comprised electric trombone, oboe and percussion.

Days and Nights with Christ is noted for its use of vast spaces and experimental staging effects, including a wall of ice and a mountain of salt. It was last produced in 1997.

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