By Anna Pidgorna | For Mezzo-Soprano and Piano | From the opera Plaything | 7′

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Synopsis of Plaything:

After leaking damning information on their government, the Hacker has found refuge in a
foreign embassy. One step outside and Hacker would be arrested. As months and years pass, Hacker fears the public has forgotten this fateful sacrifice. One day, Madame Suzuki, a talking parrot and social media sensation, comes to the window. The Hacker captures Parrot and uses the bird as a PR tool to regain the attention of journalists and fans worldwide. Tensions soon arise between human and bird over their new empire. What is true freedom and what does it cost? Parrot cleverly manipulates the increasingly crazed Hacker to leap out of the window in the name of freedom, lording over the embassy room in peace.

Scene 1: Not a Word
Every morning, in an attempt to maintain their sanity, Hacker goes through the same routine,
which includes flipping through the newspaper hungrily in search of their name. Not finding any
mention of themselves yet again, Hacker sings the aria “Not a Word.” Disgusted and depressed
by the media’s coverage of some stupid parrot, Hacker returns to bed.

Commission/Dedication: Plaything was commissioned and developed by Musique 3 Femmes through the Mécénat Musica Prix 3 Femmes Prize.
Premiere: Plaything was premiered and produced by Musique 3 Femmes in September 2022 at Ufafabrik in Berlin. North American premiere by McGill Opera in Montreal, November 2022.