Patria

For 40 years, [Murray Schafer] has been writing a huge cycle of 12 music-theater works, collectively titled "Patria." Larger than Wagner's "Ring" cycle or Karlheinz Stockhausen's "Licht," this cycle challenges the boundaries of both music and theater.
Colin Eatock New York Times August 27, 2005
The most wildly imaginative and physically ambitious series of music theatre works in the history of the Canadian stage.
William Littler, Toronto Star

Patria (homeland) is the title of a cycle of music dramas that Canadian composer R. Murray Schafer has been creating during the last thirty years. At the present time, ten parts of this monumental undertaking have been performed and published. Further works are in various states of creation, but enough has already been presented to reveal the series as among the most radical and challenging works to be produced within the past half century.

"There is nothing like Patria in the history of Canadian musical theatre, either in ambition, scope or mythmaking potency"

William Littler, Toronto Star September 16, 2002

Here is an overview with a brief description of each work.

Arcana
Editions
Online catalogue of scores books & recordings

Patria
Music/
Theatre
Projects

Patria newsletters
(courtesy Claire Heistek)
June 05 (pdf 800 kb)

June 04 (pdf -370 kb)

June 02 (pdf - 710 kb)

Feb 02 (pdf - 430 kb)

Asterion welcomes Barber Glass to our list of generous donors.

Barber Glass (Guelph) has agreed to sponsor an installation entitled "EOS - the hall of mirrors" for Asterion.

Princess of the Stars - Movie clips from the 2007 production:

The Dawn birds circle the Wolf (Quicktime 1.4 Mb)

The Three-horned Enemy
(Quicktime 534 Kb)

*The Palace of the Cinnabar Phoenix*
(review)	IMAGES FROM THE 2006 PERFORMANCE

Slide show of images from the 2005 production

Would you like to be informed when these pages are updated? Simply send us a message with your email address.

last update:
July 2009
Over 1,000,000 visitors to date.

to top of page

Asterion: A Journey through the Labyrinth

Information about the project and about plans for 2009

2007 news, Jerrard & Diana Smith

In May, we were very pleased to be among those representing Canada at the Prague Quadrennial of Scenography. We exhibited our designs for The Enchanted Forest, The Palace of the Cinnabar Phoenix and The Princess of the Stars. It was a wonderful experience and in addition we were very humbled by being nominated to receive the OISTAT honourable scenographers award.

link to the work presented at PQ07

The Patria Design Project

Jerrard and Diana Smith, designers for the Patria works since 1981 – have assembled a document describing their involvement in the creation of the Patria cycle and sharing some drawings, photographs and thoughts.