Opera and history converged compellingly in São Paulo, Brazil, with the unveiling of “Esquecer? Nunca Mais!” (“Forget? Never Again!”) at São Paulo’s Teatro Moise Safra. It is a new work that vividly confronts the devastating impact of the Brazil’s grim military dictatorship. This opera, conceived by renowned historian and Brazilianist James N. Green, and set to music by acclaimed composer Élodie Bouny alongside Roee Ben Sira, brings to the lyrical stage a harrowing yet resilient narrative based on a true story of political resistance in the face of unrepressed tyranny.

A Narrative Forged in Survival and Memory

The opera’s libretto, penned by Fernanda Maia, is deeply rooted in the historical research and personal encounters of Green, who was an activist in his youth. The narrative traces the real-life ordeal of Marcos Arruda, an economist, educator, and militant of the Ação Popular movement, who became a symbol of political resistance after surviving severe torture at the hands of the military regime.

Green’s connection to the story is profoundly personal. He first met Arruda in Washington in the 1970s through the Committee Against Repression in Brazil. The opera’s dramatic arc is heavily anchored in primary sources, specifically the letters, documents, and memories preserved by Arruda’s mother, Lina. Her relentless fight to save her son resulted in a book that serves as the central axis for the opera’s narrative.

Incidentally, Green is no stranger to the opera world, nor to making headlines alongside influential figures in Brazilian politics. He once made international news when he escorted former Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff to a performance of Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin” at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Rousseff, herself a survivor of torture under Brazil’s fascist military past, emerged among world leaders as a profoundly knowledgeable opera lover, and once famously corrected a journalist who attempted to trip her up on the intricate details of Verdi’s “Otello.”

A Triumphant Moment for Composer Élodie Bouny

For Franco-Bolivian composer and guitarist Élodie Bouny, who has built an international career across both classical and Latin American musical traditions, the opera’s premiere coincided with another significant milestone.

On September 16, only hours before “Esquecer? Nunca Mais!” was presented onstage, Bouny was announced as a nominee for the 2026 Latin Grammy for “Tríptico Sudamericano,” in the category for Best Classical Composition. The work, performed by Paraguayan guitarist Berta Rojas, with Pedro Franco, Federico Tarazona, and Jorge Glem, is among the five nominees in the category. The nomination coming on the same day as the opera’s opening night created an unusually concentrated moment in Bouny’s career.

Bouny also holds a significant place in the recent history of São Paulo’s operatic scene. In 2022, “Homens de Papel,” her opera based on the play by Brazilian dramatist Plínio Marcos, was presented by the Theatro Municipal de São Paulo as part of a double bill with Leonardo Martinelli’s “Navalha na Carne.” The two works were the institution’s first commissioned new operas.

Musical Synthesis

The collaboration between Bouny and Roee Ben Sira is particularly striking. Both composers are skilled in mixing diverse regional musical traditions and classical styles. Bouny’s musical signature relies on a seamless fusion of her rigorous European classical curriculum and rich regional veins of Latin American influences. Her academic research at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro investigated the structural differences between classically trained and popularly trained guitarists, reflecting a dual fluency that she seamlessly brings to her operatic orchestrations.

Ben Sira similarly bridges disparate worlds. A pianist, composer, and academic researcher, he is deeply rooted in both classical and jazz piano, but is also committed to traditional Brazilian styles. He is particularly acclaimed for his expertise in choro — a highly technical, syncopated Brazilian instrumental genre.

Opera as Historical Reckoning in a Fragile Democracy

For its first public performance this month, the São Paulo production assembled a robust cast that included some of the leading lyrical voices in Brazil, including tenor Jabez Lima and baritones Vinícius Atique and Julián Lisnichuk. Notably, soprano Gabriella Pace, one of Brazil’s most vibrant singing actresses, assumed the tragic and complex role of Maria Moema — a character who, unable to withstand the torture, ultimately betrays Arruda. The creative team guiding these performances includes artistic direction by Pablo Maritano, stage direction by Zé Henrique de Paula, and conducting by Leonardo Labrada.

The timing of “Esquecer? Nunca Mais!” could not be more pertinent. Brazil is approaching a highly polarized presidential election. The election’s first round, on October 4th, came amidst intense political polarization and renewed public debate over the country’s democratic institutions and the legacy of the military dictatorship. Once again the country’s fragile democracy is being challenged by the candidacies of fascist leaning far-right factions — some of whom openly challenged the 2022 victory of now-president Luiz Lula da Silva and blatantly attempted to overthrow the election results with an orchestrated invasion and depredation of Brazil’s congress building, federal court, and presidential palace.