AMERICAN HIGHWAYS #78: NEW OPERAS – As I was preparing this show, composer Ned McGowan said to me over the phone: “It’s hard to live up to the expectations of opera.” But here are some marvelous attempts to do just that.
Among highlights, I perform a one-minute dadaist operatic tour de force by Moritz Eggert, and we hear excerpts from the premiere of Eggert’s new opera Caliban last week in Amsterdam (Opera Forward Festival) which also featured The New Prince by Mohammed Fairouz.
Theme Music :
Steve Reich. The Desert Music (1984)
First Movement (Fast).
Chorus of the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Members of the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Michael Tilson Thomas & William Carlos Williams.
Nonesuch Records 79101.
Kurt Weill
Street Scene – “Lonely House”
Dawn Upshaw; David Zinman: Orchestra Of St. Luke’s
Nonesuch 79458-2
Jimmy Page, Robert Plant
Stairway to Heaven
Altius String Quartet
Navona Records (NV6078)
Scott Joplin
Kismet
Richard Dowling, piano
Rivermont CD BSW-2240
William Bolcom
Incinerator Rag
Altius Quartet
Parma Recordings/Navona NV6078
Moritz Eggert
Hämmerklavier XI
Guy Livingston, piano
Wergo 6649-2
Moritz Eggert
Caliban [excerpt]
Asko/Schonberg Ens, conducted by Steven Sloane
world premiere – live recording March 25, 2017
Petra Dubach & Mario van Horrik
Waves [excerpt]
Petra Dubach & Mario van Horrik, electronics
Telemark LP 62801 [release planned for 2018]
Mohammed Fairouz
The Named Angels
V. Mikhail’s Thunder
VI. Azrael. Malak-al Maut
VII. Jibreel at HIRA
VIII. Israfel’s Spell
Del Sol String Quartet
Dorian Sono Luminus DSL 92193 CD
Alanna Battat
One minute improv
Alanna Battat, pianist
private recording
Samenstelling & presentatie:
