Transit of Venus (opera)
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Transit of Venus is an
Manitoba Theatre Centre in November 1992
.
Performance history
The opera was first performed by Manitoba Opera on November 24, 2007.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 24 November 2007 (Conductor: James Meena) |
|---|---|---|
| Le Gentil, age 35, astronomer | baritone | Russell Braun |
| Celeste, age 15, his fiancée | soprano | Monica Huisman |
| Margot, age 36, his mother’s companion | mezzo-soprano | Jean Stilwell |
| Demarais, age 18, his assistant | tenor | Colin Ainsworth |
| Madame Sylvie, age 65, his mother | mezzo-soprano | Judith Forst |
| Male and female servants chorus | ||
Synopsis
The story is based on the expeditions of the 18th-century French astronomer, Guillaume le Gentil de la Galaisière. He attempted to record the transit of the planet Venus across the Sun as a way of estimating the distance between the Earth and the Sun. Celeste, his fiancée, loves him at first but then turns to his assistant, Demarais.