Ivo Josipović
Opera Lennon
This musical spectacle brings a span of emotions, from joy and love of music to sadness, loneliness and attempts to face one's own demons.
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Ivo Josipović
Opera Lennon
About the creation of the Lennon opera
The opera “Lennon” is an extraordinary piece of music by composer Ivo Josipović based on the life and musical legacy of the legendary musician John Lennon. This opera, which premiered in 2010, is an extremely inspiring interpretation of Lennon’s life and his influence on the world.
It takes us through key moments in Lennon’s life, starting with his early youth, his rise with The Beatles, his controversial marriage to Yoko Ono, and all the way to his philosophy of peace and social activism. The opera deals with the internal struggle that Lennon was going through, expressing his emotions, fears, and artistic visions.
The opera “Lennon” not only delivers a musical extravaganza, but also touches on important themes that were important to Lennon as an artist and activist. Josipović’s opera explores the issues of war, political turmoil, the struggle for peace, as well as the power of art in changing the world. Through deep emotions and powerful moments, the opera reminds us of Lennon as an icon who believed in the power of love and music as a means to achieve positive social change.
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Summary of the plot of the opera
The opera in five acts is divided into two parts of about 40 minutes each, with a break in between. Interestingly, everything happens in the short time after Lennon’s murder, when in a series of pictures/acts, Lennon recalls the people and relationships in his life that defined him. And there are a lot of these people, so the play features many who you would expect: mother’s sister Mimi, with whom John Lennon grew up after the death of his mother Julie – and experienced his first emotional shipwreck – first wife Cinthya, their son Julian, Yoko Ono, May Fang – a Japanese assistant with whom Lennon had an important relationship, with the presence and consent of Yoko – Beatles manager Brian Epstain – another tragic figure, died too early, at a time when it was not publicly known that he was gay – and members of the Beatles, of whom only Paul McCartney, pathetically, singled out as the best friend and support.
They are all “packaged” in gray, unattractive suits from the mid-sixties, in contrast to the more attractive, “white” Lennon from the end of the decade.
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About the release
Opera Lennon is of exceptional musical and scenic importance. Its stage content shows the spectacular story of the murder of the famous leader of The Beatles, who was shot at the entrance of his home in New York, on December 8, 1980, after which the main question that intrigued the world was: What could turn a fan into a killer of the man he adored?
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