Opera performance in La Paz, Bolivia in 2001

El Requiem para la Selva Amazonica Op. 10 (1992) for a mixed choir and seven instruments was first performed in Germany in 1993 by Camerata Vocale under the direction of Klaus Braun. Oldrich Halas, of Bolivian and Czech origin, adapted the opera to the Bolivian-Amazon context in 2001. His adaptation of the original Requiem for an Amazon Forest was performed in La Paz, Bolivia, on 26th June 2001 to accompany the book presentation of the same day organised by CSEND. The books’ title is « Negociaciones en Cambio Climático y Ambiente:Dinámica global y local (Climate Change and Environmental Negotiations: Global and Local Dynamics) edited by Raymond Saner, Sergio Jauregui, Lichia Yiu published by Los Amigos del Libro, La Paz, 2001. The opera performance was funded by CSEND.

Oldrich Halas selected a combination of classical and regional musical instruments that were used by the following musicians namely: Flauta:Guillermo Luna, Clarinete en si bemol:Eduardo de la Fuente, Fagot:Mauricio Wayar, Violonchelo:Dunja Garcfa, Piano:Wendy Asturizaga, Tinbales:Israel Conradi. While the group played the opera, the video artist Antonio Suarez projected magnificent images of the Bolivian Amazon regions of Beni and Pando on the walls of the hall where the opera was being played.