The Magic Pillows, a hugely successful opera production for all the family, is transferring to the small screen to reach children, and adults too, on their phones and tablets, their computers and television sets, premiering on GNO TV on 5 December. This well-known work by Eugene Trivizas –which met with great success both as a novel (translated into many other languages, and the winner of numerous awards) and as a theatre play– was adapted by the author himself to debut as an opera for all the family, set to music by George Dousis, and breathing life into the dreams of young and old alike. This production is made possible by a grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) to enhance the GNO’s artistic outreach.

This hopeful, moving, and meaningful fairy tale by Eugene Trivizas tells the story of a band of children at an unloved school and their inspiring teacher, who together take a stand against the greedy King Glorious the Omnificent, quite determined to reclaim their lost dreams. The author had this to say about the work: “I hope everyone who sees the Magic Pillows takes to heart the words spoken by the teacher in that freezing classroom, inside that run-down school: ‘No matter what they take from you / there always still will be / something they can never touch / something yours to keep! / In times of woe and sorrow / your dreams shall ever be / a pot of gold, a hope to hold / your place of sanctuary!’”

The emotionally rich and melodious music of George Dousis winningly winds its way around breath-taking palace halls, neglected classrooms, and gloomy emerald mines, breathing life into this spirited band of characters. The composer notes: “It was such a pleasure, wandering the palace gardens and quaint alleyways of this fantastical world – of Ouranoupolis. A place at once exotic and quite real. The Magic Pillows is a work that’s ever relevant. The plot structure and words offered up by Eugene Trivizas guided me –with a sense of absolute safety– through a compositional process that proved almost entirely instinctual.”

The fast-paced, funny, and emotion-filled staging by Natasha Triantafylli goes straight to the poetic heart of this redemptive and limitlessly rich classic tale.

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Modern Opera

The Magic Pillows (Dousis) Athens 2021 Nicolas Maraziotis, Nikos Kotenidis, Dionisios Melogiannidis, Vangelis Maniatis

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