Madimi
a chamber opera in one act

Details:

Libretto: Michael Hall (UK)
Duration: 95'
Composed: Completed 2007
Bruce Wolosoff Music

CAST: Queen Elizabeth I of England (mezzo); Dr. John Dee, notable scholar and polymath (baritone); Madimi, a spirit conjured up in Dee's black mirror (soprano).

SYNOPSIS: The opera, in 6 scenes, alternates between Queen Elizabeth's private study and the 'skrying' room in John Dee's house in Mortlake where he would invoke the spirits to appear in his black mirror. The three strong, archetypal roles are very evenly balanced and reveal the tensions and interplay between Dee, who is genuinely seeking the secrets of the universe, the Queen, who is obsessed with money, power and control, and Madimi, who promises to be the most forthcoming of the 70 odd spirits Dee contacted in his black mirror.