Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Paola Prestini and Magos Herrera’s immersive processional opera PRIMERO SUEÑO is a transfixing marriage of music and setting

• By drediman
• January 25, 2025
• No Comments

On Sunday night, I attended the final performance of Paola Prestini and Magos Herrera’s new opera Primero Sueño at The Met Cloisters. Essentially, the opera is presented as a fever dream experienced by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, a philosopher and poet — widely considered a proto-feminist — who lived during the Baroque era in what is now known as Mexico. Over the course of the 100-minute opera, we witness her intense desire for knowledge and her ultimate realization that our senses and intellect are limited in their ability to fully comprehend the workings of the universe. This defiant refusal to be contained by conventional thought and her elevated quest to catch a glimpse of the universe beyond our grasp is what makes Sor Juana so ahead of her time and an an ongoing inspiration.

First and foremost, the production represents a transfixing marriage between music and setting. Meticulously staged by director Louisa Proske in a meditative processional manner through the atmospheric rooms of The Cloisters, Primero Sueño is as much opera as it is immersive art installation, seamlessly integrating artfully-crafted sculptures and masks (courtesy of David Herrera), gorgeous projection design (Jorge Cousineau) and dynamic choreography (Jorrell Lawyer). Thankfully, the production easily manages to overcome the logistical challenges that often mar such immersive productions, resulting in an uninterrupted meditative experience. The work is led by six “sisters” — each superb vocalists — as well as a few non-singing guides who steadily lead the audience through an organic progression of diverse tableaus (sometimes promenade style, at times seated), successfully evoking the same overwhelming sense of wonder that Sor Juana must have felt.

Throughout, the music was exquisitely wrought. Prestini and Herrera’s sublime score is a subtle and hypnotic blend of sacred monastical music, Mexican/Spanish folk music, and contemporary classical music stylings. Although a contemplative solemnity permeates the piece, there’s also emotional urgency that courses through it. The expert sound design by Christian Frederickson perfectly amplified the score as needed; it also utilized the echoing chambers and hallways of The Cloisters to striking sonic effect, suggesting a world beyond the our personal field of vision. At the core of it all was Herrera’s performance as Sor Juana. Her smooth, soulful singing and sensitive characterization grounded and brought deep humanity to Primero Sueño.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

PRIMERO SUEÑO
Opera
The Met Cloisters
1 hour, 40 minutes (without an intermission)
Closed