Does life have a sound? Is it possible to put evolution to music? When you venture into the music of Tomorrow, In a Year, you might get an idea. This is an artful interpretation and a sonic investigation of evolution, suggesting that life does not sound like serene divine harmonies in a clear hierarchy, but rather like an ever changing and expanding, slow motion jacuzzi of rhythms, voices, instruments fighting to reproduce, mutate, adapt.

There was much hype and buzz around one of the key events at this year’s Melbourne International Arts Festival. From the intriguing billboards placed around Melbourne, to the information that this opera featured modern day music by Swedish electro pop duo The Knife, to imagery that sparks futuristic visions, it is with this knowledge and admittedly, with high expectations, that I ventured to see Tomorrow, In A Year by Danish contemporary opera auteurs, Hotel Pro Forma, at this year’s Melbourne Arts Festival.

As a lover of more traditional opera and an attendee to many of the well respected operas that have been performed at Melbourne’s beloved Arts Centre each year, I went with some level of skepticism and uncertainty to Tomorrow, In A Year, once I read more about the storyline. I hoped that the unconventional score created by The Knife, in collaboration with musicians Planningtorock and Mt Sims, would bring the performance together; fill the gaps so to speak.

Interestingly, the music was partly recorded in the Amazon jungle and Iceland, combining sounds from the natural world with man-made electronic atmospherics, interspersed with swirling vocals. Add to that lasers, the latest light and sound, and I was sure it was going to be a performance to remember.

The music is sparked by the pioneer of natural selection Charles Darwin and his revolutionary evolutionary findings and writings in his book The Origin of Species. First published in 1859, the work is based on the discoveries he made on his journey to the Galapagos Islands from 1831-1836 aboard the good ship HMS Beagle.

It spans the life of the earth, from the earliest geology, amoebas and insects, passing the dinosaurs, arriving at man, maybe looking further on. And it tells the story of Darwin and his ability to upset the established order and wrestle the ownership of creation from God. This is development of sound and music as a battle between ideas, conquering the constantly changing moment.

Firstly though, a word of advice: I highly recommend that you attend this with some knowledge of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, or you will most certainly be left in the dark for much of the performance. Oh, and don’t sit in the centre as you’ll have a piercing green light right at eye-level, as we did, which caused much discomfort for us and the people nearby. A slight adjustment to the drop down screen would have amended that problem. Definitely an oversight by the production crew.

This short opera, at a mere one hour and 20 minutes, is either something you will love or hate. Actually more that you will enjoy or leave confused and bewildered by the abstract and directionless narrative. Speaking to several friends who saw it, they had nothing but praise for its contemporary style, calling it “amazing”. For me, however, I was left wanting more from the performance, a deeper storyline, higher level of choreographic development, and more exciting, emotive singing.

With only one opera singer in the cast, and two other contemporary singers who were not as strong as to be expected for someone in their role, some may say that it is a stretch to even call this an ‘opera’. The saving grace is the visual stimulation from the projector, lasers and smoke effects, but they alone are not enough to hold this performance together or maintain my interest.

As the last of all the events I saw at the Melbourne Arts Festival, I must say this was the most disappointing and baffling. It was spectacular in look and feel and musically very interesting but the storyline, for me personally, lacked direction and consistency. This could also be seen with the way the audience was completely unaware the opera had ended, resulting in a very loose quiet clap to emerge at the end of the performance. It appeared that the audience was in shock.

Granted the audience was made up of many whom would not be your regular opera-goers, however the story did not feel to come to a conclusion or close, leaving us wondering “is it over?”. The rumbles from around me seemed to share the same confusion and uncertainty about the whole performance. And it was the only event I saw that didn’t have a roaring applause at the end…or more than one return to the stage by the cast.

That said, the beauty of the Melbourne Arts Festival is the opportunity to see things you wouldn’t normally see, experience performances however abstract or avant garde, and to mingle with a variety of people you may not normally see in your regular social activities. I have nothing but respect for the Melbourne Arts Festival and I look forward to next year’s offerings. I’m sure it’s going to be brilliant yet again.