Opera ‘strings’ theory together

Various : An opera about string theory and five-dimensional space has premiered in Paris. Hypermusic Prologue is a collaboration between composer Hèctor Parra and Harvard physicist Lisa Randall , who authored Warped Passages: Unraveling the Universe’s Hidden Dimensions (Allen Lane, 2005), an account of cutting-edge physics, including string theory, and the likelihood that there exists additional spatial dimensions.Randall says that the piece which is basically about two physicists, one of whom explores other dimensions, and one who stays at home. It tries to capture the competition in cutting edge science, the creativity in science as well as in art, says Randall in the above video. “It wasn’t clear how to incorporate the ideas into an opera...it did turn into an exciting collaboration."Baritone James Bobby and soprano Charlotte Ellett sang Randall’s libretto, accompanied by musicians and technicians of the Paris-based Ensemble Intercontemporain . A review in Nature by Stefan Michalowski and Georgia Smith says that the singers and musicians gave “admirable performances, with flashes of startling beauty.” Hypermusic Prologue will be performed on 27–28 November at Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, Spain, and on 6 December in the Grand Auditorium of the Philharmonie, Luxembourg.