ELLIOTT SHARP : opera/theater : SPINOZA
An opera by Elliott Sharp and Janene Higgins, SUBSTANCE: The Infinite Spinoza is inspired by the revolutionary thought of Baruch Spinoza and his view of the infinite. As in their previous operas Die Grösste Fuge, Filiseti Mekidesi, and Port Bou, the singing, music, and sound design are expanded by the video which provides the set, setting, and commentary. The work is projected for 2026.
SUBSTANCE is composed for a tenor singer, a six-voice choir, and a chamber orchestra comprised of two oboes, clarinet, bass clarinet, two French horns, two trumpets, two trombones, violin, viola, cello, two percussionists, and layers of electronics, both prerecorded and with live processing. The libretto by Sharp is based on the writings of Spinoza.
The role of Baruch Spinoza will be played by rising star tenor Ali Safi. Born in Kabul, Afghanistan his musical praxis encompasses Schubert, qawaali music, blues, and improvisation.
Baruch Spinoza was born in 1632, to a Portuguese Jewish family in Amsterdam. Considered to be one of the key figures of the Enlightenment, Spinoza invented the notion of "substance", a fundamental quality that exists within its own definition, an expression of God and the infinite without the anthropomorphic dogma and hierarchies of organized religion. Spinoza’s views brought him into conflict with the elders of the Jewish community in Amsterdam leading to an accusation of atheism and his excommunication and banishment. Spinoza then lived in various Dutch towns where he pursued his vocation as an esteemed lensmaker while continuing to develop and publish his thoughts on infinity, God, religion, and the role of the state. His philosophy continues to this day to be an inspiration for progressive thinkers and those who follow a scientific view of the universe.
SUBSTANCE's breadth of vision incorporates philosophy, video, sound, music, and an immersive experience. Framing SUBSTANCE will be Spinoza's vocation as lensmaker. The notion of a lens that allows one to see the infinitely microscopic and the infinitely macroscopic will fuel the creation of video with discrete objects granulating into pure abstraction as well as the reverse. This framing will also inform the sound design with key words and phrases magnified, analyzed, and likewise transformed into abstract textures as well as returning them from the abstract to the concrete, from the cosmic to the material.
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