Gavin Bryars: Marilyn Forever – Anne Grimm

Having previously composed three large-scale, full-evening, operas Gavin Bryars turned to the more flexible, intimate and manageable form of chamber opera with his fourth opera Marilyn Forever (2013)

Its smaller cast, reduced instrumentation and simpler production gave the possibility of many further productions, repeated performances, which would have been, and has proved to be, well-nigh impossible with the traditional forms.

Gavin Bryars met Canadian writer Marilyn Bowering whilst living on Vancouver Island, they became good friends and she showed Bryars her radio play about Marilyn Monroe, which he immediately felt would work as an opera. As Bryars explains: “When I lived in Sheffield in the early ’60s, I became almost obsessed with The Misfits – the last completed film for both Clark Gable and Marilyn. The Misfits is about the end of a way of life and there is an inevitable sadness and a sense of farewell that permeates the film. This seemed to fit with the way that we had conceived the opera.”

There are two soloists, Marilyn, soprano (performed here by Anne Grimm), and “The Men” (performed by Richard Morris ), a baritone who adopts various roles – music director, husband, film producer. In addition, there is a small “chorus”, a minimum of two singers, the Tritones, who form part of an a capella group with The Man, and observe and comment.

With the small instrumental ensemble, there are just eight players in the pit: bass clarinet/ clarinet; bassoon; French horn; percussion; violas, cello, double bass. In addition, there is an on- stage jazz trio: tenor sax, piano, double bass, with Gavin Bryars playing the bass on this 2015 recording at ABC Studio, Sydney.