Work of the Week – Gavin Bryars: Marilyn Forever

Some legends do not fade; they grow deeper and more mysterious with time. Marilyn Monroe is such a figure—a presence whose allure continues to resonate long after the cameras stopped rolling. The premiere of Gavin Bryars’ chamber opera Marilyn Forever at Staatstheater Braunschweig on March 7, 2026, coincides with the 100th anniversary of the birth of Norma Jeane Mortenson. Conducted by Christine Strubel and directed by Marie Gedicke, this production seeks the woman behind the myth, exploring a soul that often remained hidden in the glare of the spotlight.

Norma Jeane Mortenson: A Century of Fragility

Bryars avoids the predictable by illuminating the internal contradictions of his protagonist. Using Marilyn’s own words, the opera captures a life caught between a public need for exhibition and a private, almost painful sensitivity. The instrumentation reflects this duality: a jazz trio blends with a small opera orchestra, allowing classical arias to dissolve into the melancholic freedom of jazz. It is a musical portrait of a woman battling anxiety and loneliness while projecting the image of an invincible screen goddess.

Following the Braunschweig premiere, the production will move to Theater Hof in June 2026. Published by Schott Music, Marilyn Forever stands as a sophisticated tribute to a woman whose search for meaning and truth finally finds a home in Bryars’ evocative music. A century after her birth, the opera honors the human heart beneath the Hollywood icon.

Learn more:

• Marilyn Work page with online score

• Event at Staatstheater Braunschweig

• Composer profile Gavin Bryars