Italian philosopher Giordano Bruno’s life, ideas, and martyrdom are brought to life at the GNO Alternative Stage through the new opera production Η λέξη (The Word), with music by esteemed composer and maestro Alkis Baltas and a libretto by Eleni Zafeiriou, in Angela-Kleopatra Saroglou’s staging. This work dramatically and contemplatively illuminates a man’s unrepentant stance against obscurantism by recording his inner conflicts, scientific visions, and uncompromising choice to die as a free individual rather than renounce his truth.
Giordano Bruno (1548-1600) was condemned for heresy by the Holy Inquisition and sentenced to death by burning at the stake for his theories about the immensity of the universe, the Earth’s motion, and the existence of solar systems. Despite threats to kill him, Bruno refused to utter the word “I renounce” regarding his theories until the very end of his life.
Within his cell, Bruno recalls periods of his life and his scientific theories while engaging in a difficult dialogue with his conscience and grappling with the dilemma of choosing between life and death. Before the Inquisitors, he defends his ideas and opposes obscurantism. In the end, he walks towards the “inflamed stake” with a full “heroic conscience,” remaining faithful to the theoretical principle he both taught and fully practiced.