Angels in America
composer: Peter Eötvös
author: Tony Kushner
librettist: Mari Mezei
Opera in two parts by Peter Eötvös
after the original theatre play 'Angels in America' by Tony Kushner
Libretto by Mari Mezei
Premiere: 23. November 2004 Paris, Théâtre du Châtelet - Musikalische Leitung: Peter Eötvös - Inszenierung: Philippe Calvario - Bühnenbild: Richard Peduzzi - Kostüme: Jan Morrell
Orchestra instrumentation: im Graben: 3 Vokalisten (S., Alt, Bar.) · 1 Tonmeister (+ ein weiterer im Saal)
1 (auch Altfl., Picc) · 0 · 1 (auch Bassklar., Kb-Klar.) · 2 Sax (I: S-A-Bar; II: A-T) · 0 - 0 · 1 · 1 · 0 - 2 S. (Vibra. · Marimba. · Crot. · Beck. · Chin. Beck. · Nietenbeck. · kl. Tr. · gr. Tr. · Tabla · Cabaza · Glsp. · Gongs · Röhrengl. · Tamt. · Metallröhren · Metall-Guiro · Trg. · ind. Schell. · Tube Maraca · kl. u. gr. Tamb. · Whisper Chimes) - 2 Git. (I: akk., Bottle-Neck, verstärkt.; II: electrisch) - 2 Keyb.* - Str. (alle mit Chorus-Effect) (6 · 0 · 4 · 3 · 2)
* Klänge sind erhältich unter www.eotvospeter.com
Cast of characters: The Angel • soprano - Harper Pitt (Joe´s wife) • soprano (with wide range) - Hannah Pitt (Joe´s mother) • mezzo-soprano (with wide range) - Joseph Pitt (Harper´s husband) • baritone - Prior Walter (Louis´s boyfriend) · lyrical baritone - Louis Ironson (Prior´s boyfriend) ? tenor - Belize (black nurse) ? counter-tenor (mezzo) - Roy Cohn (lawyer)? bass-baritone
Other characters: Rabbi Chemelwitz, an orthodox Jewish rabbi, played by Hannah - Mr Lies, a travel agent, played by Belize - Henry, Roy´s doctor, played by Hannah - Woman, in the South Bronx, played by Belize - Ghost 1, a ghost of a dead Prior Walter from the 13th century, played by Roy - Ghost 2, a ghost of a dead Prior Walter from the 18th century, played by Joe - Ethel Rosenberg played by Harper - Voice played by the Angel - Angel Antarctica played by Harper - Angel Asiatica played by Hannah - Angel Africanii played by Belize - Angel Oceania played by Louis - Angel Europe played by Joe - Angel Australia played by Roy
Year of composition: 2003 - 2004
Edition: full score
Material on hire
Description:
The politically committed New York playwright Kushner describes the American neurosis of the turn of the millennium as a dark nightmare in a spectacular theatrical hallucination. Many of the main characters were real persons, such as Ethel Rosenberg who was put to death on the electric chair by a criminal lawyer (Roy Cohn), a collaborator of McCarthy. In Kushner's play and even in the opera, the ghost of Ethel Rosenberg appears to watch Roy Cohn die in agony of aids.
In this play, hallucination and reality merge perfectly. It is mainly this quality that has encouraged me to work with this subject, ever since I dealt with the idea for the first time five years ago.
In the opera version, I put less emphasis on the political line than Kushner; I rather focus on the passionate relationships, on the highly dramatic suspense of the wonderful text, on the permanently uncertain state of the visions.
The main character of the story, Prior Walter, has aids. Knowing that he has to die and fighting to survive, he invents an angel (in this case a female angel) who tells him to save the world as a prophet.
In his vision he rises to heaven, rejecting the mission in front of the astonished angels with the following words: 'I’ve lived through such terrible times, and there are people who live through much much worse, but... You see them living anyway. When they’re more spirit than body, more sores than skin, when flies lay eggs in the corners of the eyes of their children, they live. If I can find hope anywhere, that’s it, that’s the best I can do. I want more life'. He then lays down the Book Of The Prophets and returns down to earth.
The opera will be sung in English. Due to the very close proximity of the microphones to all singers and the 16 solo instruments, an intense, intimate, almost physical contact is created between the 8 actors and the audience.
(Peter Eötvös)
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