Introduction Artistic profile Gallery Myth and tragedy of the famous virtuoso soprano The Serbian artist Marina Abramović is the mother of performance art. Behind her lies a splendid career spanning over four decades which has contributed greatly to redefining the image of the female body in the 20th and 21st centuries. Her works are autobiographical and draw on the suffering caused by disillusionment and dramatic love affairs. As a result they find a special echo in the life of the great diva Maria Callas (1923-1977), who embodied mortal passions in both opera and private life. Abramović presents this show, which combines opera, live art, performance art and video creation, to mark the centenary of the birth of Callas, also known as La Divina Assoluta. Entitled The Seven Deaths of Maria Callas, it contains some of the iconic arias which studded the Greek soprano's career and recall the countless women "sacrificed" by 19th century composers in their toy theatres where women were invariably the victims. Abramović's passion, obsession and empathy with the myth and tragedy of the famous virtuoso soprano reach their peak in this new immersive experience based on the premature deaths of seven characters – ranging from the abandoned bride to the deserted mistress – who are also self-portraits of the artist who plays them. Callas's complex personal life was marked by lost loves and a lonely death and she lives again before our eyes in these reinterpretations of death scenes. In each traumatic moment of loss, love and longing, Abramović honours and inhabits Callas's own spirit, suggesting the possibility of reimagining and redefining these roles for future generations of singers. With the support of: 7 Deaths of Maria Callas Scenes from operas by Vincenzo Bellini, Georges Bizet, Gaetano Donizetti, Giacomo Puccini and Giuseppe Verdi World premiere 01/09/2020 at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich Libretto by Petter Skavlan and Marina Abramović Operatic project: Marina Abramović Music: Marko Nikodijević Approximate running time 1h 30m Artistic profileOperistic projectMarina AbramovićMusicMarko NikodijevićStage directorMarina AbramovićAudiovisual directorNabil ElderkinDramaturgyBenedikt StampfliCostumesRiccardo TisciConception of the Stage DesignAnna SchöttlLightingUrs SchönebaumSoundLuka KozlovackiAudiovisuals for the intermezziMarco BrambillaActress and live performanceMarina AbramovićActor in the audiovisualWillem DafoeCoproductionBayerische Staatsoper of Munich, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Greek National Opera of Athens and Opéra national of ParisCastVIOLETTA VALÉRYGilda FiumeFLORIA TOSCAVanessa GoikoetxeaDESDEMONABenedetta TorreCIO-CIO-SANAntonia Ahyoung KimCARMENRinat Shaham LUCIA ASHTONLeonor BonillaNORMAMarta MathéuChorus of the Gran Teatre del Liceu (Pablo Assante, director)Symphony Orchestra of the Gran Teatre del LiceuConductorAntonio Méndez March 20239Thursday19:00Turn Abuy10Friday19:00Turn Bbuy11Saturday19:00Turn Cbuy '7 Deaths of Maria Callas' (© W. Hoesl) '7 Deaths of Maria Callas' (© W. Hoesl) '7 Deaths of Maria Callas' (© W. Hoesl) '7 Deaths of Maria Callas' (© W. Hoesl)