“Prometheus Bound” in Montreal in 1994 The Bold First Opera of Young Panagiotis Karousos

 

“Prometheus Bound” in Montreal in 1994

The Bold First Opera of Young Panagiotis Karousos

In 1994, in Montreal, Canada, a young Greek musician undertook an exceptionally ambitious project: to bring Aeschylus’ ancient tragedy “Prometheus Bound” to the operatic stage.

He was Panagiotis Karousos, then a young music student at the Université de Montréal. The project became his first major test as a composer and opera creator and would eventually serve as the starting point for a long career devoted to musical composition and lyric theatre.

“Prometheus Bound” premiered in Montreal in 1994 and was subsequently presented in French in a translation by Professor Jacques Bouchard, director of Modern Greek Studies at the University of Montreal.

From Vocal Studies to Composition

Karousos initially pursued vocal studies. At the University of Montreal, he studied singing with Claude Savard and worked on repertoire with pianist Gaston Germaine.

His teachers, however, recognized that his strongest qualities lay increasingly in composition and musical imagination. At the same time, he spent long hours in the university libraries studying scores and orchestration, particularly the works of Richard Wagner.

A decisive influence was Professor Jacques Bouchard. Bouchard encouraged the young musician to set ancient Greek texts to music and supported his vision of creating a broader cycle of Greek lyric works, which Karousos called the “Greek Tetralogy – The Dawn of Civilization.”

Within this framework, the idea of transforming Aeschylus’ “Prometheus Bound” into an opera took shape.

A Greek Work in the Heart of Montreal

The undertaking was highly ambitious for a young composer. Karousos sought to assemble a production involving respected figures from Montreal’s musical life.

A particularly important role was played by Claudette Denys, pianist of the Opera de Montréal and professor at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal. Denys believed in the work and contributed substantially to its preparation.

The artistic team also included Canadian bass Joseph Rouleau, known for his international career and association with Maria Callas, mezzo-soprano Annamaria Popescu and soprano Leila Chalfoun.

The participation of these artists gave the project considerable artistic weight. A young Greek creator was attempting to present a work inspired by ancient Greek tragedy within one of Montreal’s important artistic institutions.

The First Performance

The road to the premiere was difficult. The production encountered artistic, organizational and financial problems. The young composer had to continue the project even after some of the original collaborators withdrew.

The first presentation did not unfold as the creator had hoped. Yet its significance cannot be measured solely by the outcome of one evening. Its deeper importance lies in the fact that a young Greek composer, still at the beginning of his career, had dared to undertake a complete opera based on one of the great works of ancient Greek literature.

The subsequent history of the work demonstrates that the effort did not remain an isolated event. The opera continued to be presented in Montreal, including in its French version, and later reached other cities and countries.

The Opera and the Composer’s Public Presence

During the same period, Karousos began to gain a wider public presence in Canada. Among his notable appearances was his participation in Téléthon des étoiles on Montreal television station CFCF12, where he appeared with Claudette Denys at the piano.

Thus, the Montreal period was not only the period in which “Prometheus Bound” was born. It was also the beginning of the young composer’s public artistic presence in Canada.

From Montreal to Buckingham Palace

A remarkable document connects the 1994 production with the British Royal Household.

In connection with the presentation of “Prometheus Bound” at Place des Arts, Karousos created a commemorative engraved plaque and sent it to Buckingham Palace as an artistic gesture of respect.

The composer’s archive preserves a letter from Buckingham Palace dated 26 August 1994, addressed to Panayiotis Karousos. The letter states that the Queen appreciated his message and considered it kind of him to send the plaque he had made. It was signed by Philippa de Rothschild, Lady-in-Waiting, on behalf of the Queen.

The document is a particularly interesting historical record of the period: it preserves the correspondence between a young Greek composer in Montreal and Buckingham Palace immediately following his 1994 artistic undertaking.

A First Attempt That Became a Beginning

The 1994 “Prometheus Bound” should be viewed within the context of Panagiotis Karousos’ early creative development.

It was not the work of an already established composer. It was the ambitious attempt of a young musician who was still developing his artistic language, searching for his direction and seeking to connect ancient Greek tragedy with contemporary operatic creation.

Perhaps this is the greatest significance of that first Montreal presentation: the young creator did not allow the difficulties of the first production to define the future of the work. He continued.

“Prometheus Bound” was subsequently presented in different countries and languages, and its artistic journey continued for decades.

The story of Montreal in 1994, therefore, is not simply the story of an opera premiere. It is the story of the first major attempt by a young Greek composer to find his own voice through Aeschylus.

And from there, Prometheus continued his journey.