FREE SPIRITS

"The first of our themed seasons brings together two of the greatest operas of the 20th century, Janáček’s The Cunning little Vixen and Berg’s Lulu. Both works study a female character who exists outside the boundaries of social morality, and therefore poses a threat to that morality. Inevitably, she ends up dead, as the alternative would be the collapse of society itself." David Pountney, Welsh National Opera's Chief Executive and Artistic Director To accompany our FREE SPIRITS themed season we’ve created a tumblr blog that will explore and celebrate the notion of free spirits. You can take part, share and debate who you think in recent history was a true free spirit. You can take part by sharing your FREE SPIRIT using the Twitter hashtag #wnofreespirits or by submitting a post. Follow @wnotweet on Twitter IN THEATRES ACROSS WALES AND ENGLAND 8 FEBRUARY - 2 MARCH 2013 Visit our website wno.org.uk

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Mathilde Carré

French Resistance agent turned double agent for Germany in WWII, inmate of HM Prison Aylesbury. She wrote in her diary when facing French treason charges: "What I wanted most was a good meal, a man, and, once more, Mozart’s Requiem.”

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Kamila Stösslová, Janáček's great muse and unrequited love.

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Jane Austen.

One of the most widely read authors in English literature.

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Carmen Sylva, Queen of Romania, secret republican and writer.  

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@DavidMorley23 nominates first UK woman PM.  

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Rhian Hutchings recommends George Eliot: Amazing woman who blazed her own trail both artistically and personally!

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Life and death, energy and peace. If I stop today it was still worth it. Even the terrible mistakes that I made and would have unmade if I could. The pains that have burned me and scarred my soul, it was worth it, for having been allowed to walk where I’ve walked, which was to hell on earth, heaven on earth, back again, into, under, far in between, through it, in it, and above.

Gia Marie Carangi

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Angela Davis - Academic and Activist

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"I feel there is something unexplored about woman that only a woman can explore".

American Artist Georgia O'Keeffe

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American author and poet Maya Angelou.

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"The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain".

Dolly Parton

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Aphra Behn - English writer and spy. Aphra was one of the first woman to earn a livelihood as an author.

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María Eva Duarte de Perón

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Denis Joe nominates suffragette campaigner Sylvia Pankhurst #wnofreespirits

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@papagen01 An operatic free spirit? How about Anna Nicole Smith? #wnofreespirits

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@TraviataJones nominates Lady Gaga as a #wnofreespirits

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@IainBellMusic nominates Lady Godiva as a #wnofreespirits