LA PETITE FILLE, LE CHASSEUR ET LE LOUP

The premiere of the French version of Mendonça’s children opera THE GIRL, THE HUNTER AND THE WOLF at Opera National de Paris was received enthusiastically by both public and critic, receiving rave reviews in the French press:

“This is the bittersweet fable told to us by composer Vasco Mendonça and librettist Gonçalo M. Tavares in The Little Girl, the Hunter and the Wolf. Given as part of the Paris Opera's young audience program, this humble and poetic work poses, at a child's level, the question of what feeds our prejudices. At the same time, it opens a door to contemporary opera, for an audience that rarely has access to it. Despite a small musical formation (electric guitar, cello, clarinets and percussion), Vasco Mendonça never infantilizes his language.”
Thierry Hillériteau | Le Figaro, 31.01.24

“The Spectra ensemble, with its varied composition of cello, clarinet, percussion and electric guitar, supports the story in a musical blend that skilfully fuses elements of modal and contemporary music. The voice, for its part, is rooted in the lyrical tradition, with a narrative phrasing that has a modern dynamic. The score offers a progression of narrative tension, with simplicity and coherence, focusing on a fluid unfolding that faithfully accompanies the actions and emotions of the characters.”
Juan Barrios | Olyrix, 03.02.21