La Suspendida Live isn’t just a concert but a full-scale collision of worlds, performed with the energy of a rock show and the discipline of grand opera. Recorded at Le Forum in Vauréal, France, in November 2023, this filmed performance captures the first-ever metal opera in history, a work as ambitious in scope as it is in execution.
The brainchild of bassist and producer Laurent David, La Suspendida brings together his experimental jazz trio Kilter with an extraordinary lineup of collaborators. Front and center is operatic soprano Andromeda Anarchia, whose portrayal of María Elena, a woman wandering Limbo after her untimely death, anchors the work’s emotional heart. She’s joined by the Montreal-based Growlers Choir, their thunderous gutturals adding primal force, and the New York-based string quartet SEVEN)SUNS, weaving tension and elegance into the fabric of the score.
The production’s visual language is as deliberate as its music. Director David Unger’s eight-camera shoot captures the drama from sweeping crane shots to intimate close-ups, while stage director Jacques David’s vision integrates live illustration by Julie Castro-Grohowski and a dynamic light show by Mathieu Derothe-Renaud that seems to breathe with the story. The libretto, penned by Metropolitan Opera’s William Berger, guides the audience through María Elena’s journey with theatrical precision.
Musically, La Suspendida thrives in its refusal to be boxed in. Jazz, metal, and opera intertwine in shifting, unpredictable patterns, driven by drummer Kenny Grohowski (Imperial Triumphant) and saxophonist Ed Rosenberg III. The result is a work that feels alive, constantly moving between aggression, beauty, and narrative urgency.
Produced by Oléo Films with the support of QwestTV and the CNC, La Suspendida Live runs 83 minutes and offers not just a performance but a complete theatrical experience. It’s a rare moment when global talent converges to create something entirely its own. It’s neither purely concert nor purely opera, but a daring redefinition of both.
