Bridging Worlds and Epochs: Relic’s The Blood of the Rose Reimagines the First Opera of the Americas
In 1701, in the Viceroyalty of Peru, Tomás de Torrejón y Velasco made history by composing La Púrpura de la Rosa (The Blood of the Rose), the very first opera written and performed in the Americas. Grounded in a libretto by the great Spanish Golden Age poet Pedro Calderón de la Barca, the work recounted the timeless, passionate, and tragic classical myth of Venus and Adonis.
Now, early music ensemble Relic brings a fresh, reimagined narrative of this historic masterpiece to the stage. Making their Music Before 1800 debut at Corpus Christi Church on Sunday, October 4, 2026, Relic presents "The Blood of the Rose"—a dramatic instrumental adaptation that bridges continents, cultures, and centuries.
A Myth Reimagined: The Plot and Structure
The myth of Venus and Adonis is a story of divine passion, destructive jealousy, and transfiguration. In Calderón’s dramatic framework, Venus, the goddess of love, falls for the mortal youth Adonis. Their intense romance sparks the rage of Mars, the god of war, who sets out to destroy their love. After Mars orchestrates a deadly boar hunt that mortally wounds Adonis, the tragic lovers transcend mortal grief to be eternalized in the heavens—Venus as her star, and Adonis as his flower.
Rather than staging a conventional vocal production, Relic weaves this story into an eight-chapter instrumental suite interspersed with spoken excerpts from Calderón’s libretto (translated by Louise K. Stein and adapted by cellist Cullen O'Neil):
The Hunt
Venus Falls in Love
The Wrath of Mars
Adonis Falls in Love
The Cave of Disillusionment
The Garden of Love
The Death of Adonis
The Lovers Ascend
A Cross-Continental Musical Tapestry
What makes Relic's programming truly remarkable is its geographic and stylistic breadth. "The Blood of the Rose"centers primarily on Baroque music from the Iberian Peninsula and the New World, juxtaposed with English and European influences:
Iberian & European Masterworks: Works by Spanish master Mateo Romero, Antonio de Literes, and Juan Cabanilles sit alongside the dramatic overture to Venus and Adonis by English composer John Blow.
New World & Colonial Treasures: The program highlights European composers who migrated to the Spanish American colonies, such as Domenico Zipoli and Torrejón y Velasco himself, alongside indigenous and mestizo composers like Peru's José de Orejón y Aparicio.
Peruvian Codices: Sourced with guidance from musicologist Karin Cuéllar Rendón, the performance features traditional anon pieces from the 17th- and 18th-century Peruvian Codex Martínez Compañón and Codex Zuola.
Program Details
Concert: The Blood of the Rose
Ensemble: Relic (featuring violins, viola, cello, bass, bassoon/recorder, harpsichord, theorbo/guitar, and percussion)
Presenter: Music Before 1800 (Robby Meese, Artistic Director)
Date & Time: Sunday, October 4, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Venue: Corpus Christi Church, New York, NY
Experience a rare journey into the vibrant music of Baroque South America and Spain as Relic reclaims one of the Americas' greatest dramatic tales.