The first thing to jump to mind upon laying eyes on seasonal Metchosin couple Gavin Bryars and Anna Tchernakova likely isnB次元官网网址檛 Marilyn Monroe, Russian feature films, opera and international acclaim.

The two spend their summers on their typically idyllic rural Metchosin property: heritage house, sunburnt lawn, lush garden, a ginger cat named Bluey wandering lazily in the heat.

But they lead double lives, spending their working lives in Europe, Bryars composing music to great recognition and Tchernakova directing films, primarily in her homeland of Russia.

B次元官网网址淲e spend certainly every summer here,B次元官网网址� Bryars said, adding the two have owned their home in Metchosin for about 11 years now.

B次元官网网址淲e try to spend as much time in Canada as possible,B次元官网网址� Tchernakova said. B次元官网网址淲e know the community, we really like the community. We like the spirit of the neighbourhood.B次元官网网址�

Their two worlds do have overlap, and perhaps this year more than usual. The world premier of a new chamber opera on the last days of Marilyn Monroe, with music from Bryars, is taking place in Victoria, at the McPherson Playhouse Theatre on Sept. 13 and 14.

Bryars is a composer with a storied background. Born in Yorkshire, England, with a first career as a bass player, later moving on to study and teach music composition. Working with John Cage, the experimental composer, and Tom Waits, among many others. He has had three operas open in three major opera houses in Europe and has produced well regarded compositions in the avant-garde music world.

This latest work, titled Marilyn Forever, is written by another Metchosin artist, writer Marilyn Bowering, and features the performances of Eiv酶r P谩lsd贸ttir, a vocalist from Faroe Island, and Thomas Sandberg, from Denmark.

Although the idea for the work comes from Bowering, Bryars said he has always found Monroe to be a fascinating figure, someone who he always suspected must have been quite interesting and complex behind her sex kitten public image.

B次元官网网址淚 always felt there was something behind those eyes. There is a sense of melancholy, someone seeking something,B次元官网网址� Bryars said. B次元官网网址淚 remember being very saddened by her death, which seemed to me to be very pointless and unnecessary.B次元官网网址�

Tragedy lends itself well to opera, and the tragedy of MonroeB次元官网网址檚 death drew Bryars.

B次元官网网址淥ne would have that in a Shakesperian play. ThereB次元官网网址檚 a sense itB次元官网网址檚 inevitably going to end badly,B次元官网网址� Bryars said. B次元官网网址淭he way she was a driven person, she was fragile, sometimes pushed beyond her limits by people around her and maybe not respected.B次元官网网址�

The opera has been in the works for six or more years, and was workshopped in Banff about three years ago, a small test run which went well, Bryars said.

Bryars intentionally made the choice to do a proper, full fledged premier in Victoria, rather than a larger cultural capital, because of his connection to the city and because of its particular cultural environment.

B次元官网网址淕iven that this is a smaller scale piece it seemed nice to do it here,B次元官网网址� Bryars said. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a degree of pretense about the sophistication you find in big cities. One can find a certain blaze quality there, a B次元官网网址榮een it allB次元官网网址� kind of approach. B次元官网网址� I find I value a lot the way people respond here.B次元官网网址�

Tchernakova will give a talk at the Metchosin Community House (4430 Happy Valley Rd.) Saturday (Aug. 24) from 7 to 10 p.m. The event is by suggested donation of $15 per person, which will go towards the Metchosin Community Association.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 going to talk about creation, how you go from the inception to something tangible,B次元官网网址� Tchernakoiva said.

Tchernakova has a number of feature films to her name, mostly Russian, but also including the Victoria-shot CBC movie Last Summer which starred and was based on a story by P.K. Page.

This year Tchernakova will speak primarily about her latest film project, a Russian feature film titled DogB次元官网网址檚 Paradise. The film tells the tale of two children growing up in Russia in 1953, a tumultuous year in Russian history. The film is freshly completed and has yet to be screened publicly.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 very interesting to see what a child perceives from what he sees in the grown upsB次元官网网址� lives and how a child can interpret it,B次元官网网址� Tchernakova said.

The film will be released in Russia in autumn and the intent is to bring it to the festival circuit next year. The talk will include a question and answer period.

Tickets for Marilyn Forever are $42.50/$39 and are available at the MacPherson Box Office (250-386-6121 or rmts.bc.ca).