Silent Tears is inspired from a story of a family I met in Yerevan, Armenia during the days of war. They fled from the city of Hadrut, Artsakh. It was devastating to see so many children having to flee their homes without their parents. The fathers were either KIA or still fighting. I heard a story of this child, whose mother sacrificed her own life to save her child. Having this story in mind, I had to write an opera that represents a true story for so many children that had to leave their homes”.
The opera unfolds in two contrasting yet interconnected settings: the intimate confines of a humble household and the expansive, yet equally poignant, outdoor yard.
As the curtain lifts, we are wrapped in the gentle embrace of familial love. A dedicated mother sings a lullaby to her beloved kid in the comfort of their home, their relationship apparent in the air. With the child finally asleep, the mother goes outside into the garden, where the peaceful beauty of nature provides a sad backdrop to her solitary chore of laundry.
However, beyond the calm surface is the terrible shadow of loss and longing. Among the fragile rustle of laundry, the mother's voice rises in a mournful tune, a heartbreaking tribute to her loving husband, who was sadly killed in the war. The peace is abruptly broken by the startling sound of sirens, signaling the start of a catastrophe. Bombs fall down from the heavens, shattering the village's precious peace. Desperately racing against time, the mother attempts to shelter her child from danger, only to be crushed by the ruthless attack.
As the smoke clears and the sounds of sorrow resound through the town, the daughter emerges from the house, her world devastated by the sight of her mother's lifeless body. In a genuine expression of grief, she cradles her mother's frozen body in a devastating scene of loss and despair. From the chaos rises the grandmother's calm voice of wisdom and power. She rallies the devastated neighborhood, asking people to leave their homes in pursuit of safety. During the chaos of departure, the grandmother and granddaughter find refuge in a shared sorrow, their voices mingling in a haunting chorus that resonates across the devastated countryside. And as they go, leaving behind the rubble of their previous life, they carry the bittersweet song of remembering, a monument to the eternal power of love and perseverance in the face of tragedy.
—Grigori Balasanyan (BM '25), composer
