09/16/2026
Updated September 17, 2026 at 10:23
In 1967, as Canada celebrated its Centennial, composer Harry Somers and librettists Mavor Moore and Jacques Languirand set out to create an ambitious new opera about one of the country's most controversial historical figures: Louis Riel.
In the September 1967 issue of Opera Canada, the opera's creators described a work that was deliberately Canadian. The opera moves between English and French, reflecting the languages of its characters, while Somers incorporated folk material into a score that also used electronic sound and experimental techniques.
An important note is that the opera was created without input from or collaboration with Métis or other Indigenous peoples. Its original production featured non-Indigenous performers portraying Indigenous characters and included disrespectful representations of First Nations peoples. The creators also incorporated a sacred Nisga’a mourning song without permission from its traditional songkeepers or Elders.
The visual world of the opera was researched just extensively. Designers Murray Laufer and Marie Day drew on historical photographs and archival material from across Canada, incorporating images of Fort Garry, the Prairie landscape and the Battle of Batoche directly into the sets.
For Somers, the goal was more than recreating history. He hoped the opera could help younger Canadians discover “some of the excitement and depth of feeling” surrounding Riel and his time.
After its premiere in September 1967, Louis Riel became a widely discussed and contested work of Canadian opera and part of the cultural legacy of Canada’s Centennial year.
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Images from the September 1967 issue of Opera Canada magazine. Original articles by Elina Macniven, Mavor Moore, and Harry Somers.
1. Costume design by Marie Day for Louis Riel.
2. Article opener from Opera Canada, September 1967. Art direction by Willem Hart.
3. Opera Canada page featuring photos of Louis Riel. Original image credits are not provided in the source.
