Ana Sokolovic’s Clown(s) Hailed as "A Stunning Masterpiece”
_©VivienGaumand.jpg)
Sokolovic’s Clown(s) has been met with sweeping critical acclaim following its world premiere at Opéra de Montréal, with critics hailing the work as a landmark achievement in contemporary opera.
Following its world premiere at the Opéra de Montréal (January 31–February 8, 2026), Ana Sokolovic’s Clown(s) has been met with sweeping critical acclaim, with reviewers recognizing the work as a landmark contribution to contemporary opera and a watershed moment in the composer’s career. With music and libretto both by Sokolovic, the opera is conceived as a favola in musica unfolding across seven scenes tracing the life cycle of a clown, drawing inspiration from Fellini, Chaplin, Keaton, and commedia dell’arte in a vividly theatrical meditation on the human condition.
Le Devoir hailed the work as “a stunning masterpiece,” writing that “what defines the genius of Clown(s) is not only its originality, but its power, intelligence, and extraordinary level of realization.” La Presse praised the score’s sonic imagination: “There is everything in this score … but above all, it is Sokolovic—her unmistakable gift for atmosphere-building and instrumental color.”
Directed by Martin Genest, the production’s immersive theatricality and interdisciplinary scope proved central to critics’ enthusiasm: “There is circus, commedia dell’arte, Fellini, and much more—true theater injected directly into the veins.” Clown(s) emerges from its premiere not only as an ambitious, fully realized work that expands the expressive possibilities of opera, but as a defining artistic statement in Sokolovic’s evolving operatic voice.
Le Devoir [translated from French]
“a stunning masterpiece”
“The singularity of Clown(s) within the operatic universe should earn the composer an even broader and more rapturous international response than Svadba, her previous and widely acclaimed operatic work.”
"What defines the genius of Clown(s) is not only its originality, but its power, intelligence, and extraordinary level of realization.”
La Presse [translated from French]
“There is everything in this score: a Ligeti-like chorus at the clown’s conception ... and several passages whose rhythmic vigor recalls Stravinsky—especially Les Noces. But above all, it is Sokolovic—her unmistakable gift for atmosphere-building and instrumental color.”
“There is circus, commedia dell’arte, Fellini, and much more—true theater injected directly into the veins.”
My Scena [translated from French]
“The emergence of a new genre.”
“Clown(s) represents an arrival point—a decisive moment in an artist’s life after which one can say there is a ‘before’ and an ‘after.’”
“The choice of the ondes Martenot … is an act of inspired genius.”
Opera Canada
“I’ve never seen anything remotely like it—and I doubt I ever will again.”
“Clown(s) is full of driving rhythms, strong contrasts ... haunting melodies and striking dissonance.”
“It’s rare for an opera to feel genuinely interdisciplinary.”
> Further information on Work: Clown(s)
Photo: ©VivienGaumand / Courtesy of Opéra de Montréal