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Work Overview
Sword Songs is a theatrical song cycle about the life of 17th century sword-fighter, opera singer and queer icon Julie d'Aubigny. This song cycle is part of a collection of works about Julie, including an instrumental suite and an opera-in-development.
Julie d'Aubigny lived a life that seemed impossible: she burned down convents, fought in duels, and won the hearts of men and women everywhere both on and off the stage. An openly queer, cross-dressing, rapier-wielding opera star in the 17th century, she has become the subject of several (often contradictory) stories of daring and adventure. In fiction and in fact, it is difficult to pin Julie down. Historical sources are sparse and often disparate. Despite this, there is a fervour about Julie - an almost mythological figure, whose presence in queer history eclipses her limited record.
There are relatively few biographical details that we know for certain - Julie is most famous for sword-fighting duels in the streets (dressed as a man), conducting several love affairs considered scandalous, and for her roles on the opera stage. Julie was a soloist at the Paris Opéra, shaping the early public image of the operatic contralto. She was also notable for the creation of several operatic roles (including the Magician in Henri Desmaretes' Didon and Clorinde in André Campra's Tancrède). When I began to research Julie with my librettist Evan Bryson and dramaturg Alyson Campbell, I was intrigued by the combination of very sparse primary historical sources combined with a multitude of stories, rumour and gossip across historical eras. I became fascinated by the ways in which people have talked about Julie, from the 17th century to the present day.
Sword Songs explores the mythologisation and multiplicity of stories about Julie, the magnetism that she still exerts and the hearts that she is still stealing. Through an interweaving of sometimes contradictory visions of Julie's life, we see her not as a singular figure but as a shapeshifting centre-point for a multitude of ideas about queerness and living a life defiant of the structures around us. In Sword Songs, two singers delve into moments of Julie's life - sword fights, love affairs and performances. The mezzo-soprano voice sings exclusively from Julie's perspective, and the soprano voice sings as her lover, the Madame la Marquise de Florensac, and as Julie herself, at various points.
Work Details
Year: 2025
Instrumentation: Soprano, mezzo-soprano, piano.
Duration: 44 min.
Difficulty: Advanced
Commission note: Commissioned by Lyric Opera of Melbourne.
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