with apologies to Nerva Nelli
New York City Opera has commissioned American composer Charles Wuorinen to write an opera based on “Brokeback Mountain,” a love story about two U.S. ranch-hands that won three Oscars when it was turned into a movie.
The opera house’s spokesman Gerard Mortier said in a statement on Sunday that Wuorinen had accepted an invitation to compose an opera entitled Haroun and the Sierra of Sissies, based on Annie Proulx‘s short story. It is slated to premiere during City Opera’s 2013 spring season in a production by Jonathan Miller. Casting for the work will include Ian Bostridge as Ennis del Mar and Shirtless Nathan Gunn as Jack Twist. Sylvain Cambreling, not shirtless, will conduct.
In preparation for the first performances of the opera five years hence, New York Times scribe Anthony Tommasini has already begun a weekly series of essays in which he posits a moral equivalence between the violent lynching of homosexuals with “the patronizing disdain of the tough-guy [dodecaphonic] modernists” against the oppressed minority of 20th century composers who used tonal methods.
Later in the series Tommasini will explain why the Haroun and the Sierra of Sissies should have been written by Thomas Adès in the first place.
The most interesting part of the article, if you read the link, is the quote of Charles Wuorinen claiming about thirty years ago something like: 12 tone music is the norm and only backward looking composers or pop music composers write tonal music.
I heard a retrospective concert almost ten years ago of Wuorinen’s works with those of another composer who was a contemporary of his. Wuorinen’s stuff was the backward looking material. He was stuck for apparently his entire composing career in the second viennese school. It all sounded the same, from beginning to end. 50 years or more of music, and nothing was more advanced, or even distinguishable, from the work of Berg, Schonberg, and Webern.
The other composer on the program went through a 12 tone phase obviously, but then grew beyond that and did the more interesting work over the course of his career. He didn’t have his nose up Schonberg’s ass his whole life.
I dunno, Jatm2063:
I recently heard some short–(and non-vocal)pieces of Wuorinen, at the TASHI reunion concert at Town Hall, in NYC..granted, they were Chamber works..and reworkings of Early English pieces(Byrd, I think?)–but listening to them , for the first time,I could quite easily imagine Wuorinen doing “Brokeback”(assuming that it should be done, which I have my doubts over…) in an easy -to-digest manner.
I don’t recall “Haroun” sounding like just a re-hash of the second Viennese school output–imho…
Concerning who’s out, now and former – although it was of course never mentioned in the press, Justino (Gus) Diaz, is completely bisexual, and as he had both male and female conquests in practically ever city he ever sang in, his sexuality is common knowledge in the opera world.
My impression, albeit third-hand or so, was that Troyanos was in fact quite private in general. I think it was assumed that she was on the team but I doubt she was out.
no Paddy, you were far from discreet and drawing conclusions about someone you do not know. But hey, have at it. wink wink. anyone can say anything they want. and you do.
I will never forget hearing Kurt Herbert Adler say:
“there are no homosexuals working for the San Francisco Opera!”
Endavanrya: You have the first half of a Sophie Tucker joke there.
“And I said to him, Kurt (I always called him Kurt), if they’re not working then why do you keep them on the payroll? Oh, I will never forget it!”
Who is the “adopted daughter”? is it true it’s another singer? inquiring minds want to know
The “adopted daughter” is Evelyn LaQuaif and she is a soprano. She performed the title role in “Isabeau” with the New Jersey Association of Verismo Opera. Ms. La Quaif has a varied background and is also an opera director.
This is an article where Lucine stresses “SHE IS NOT A LESBIAN!!!”
http://tinyurl.com/43y2cu
Gualtier: La Cieca is going to be pedantic a moment here. I do not believe Ms. LaQuaif is an “adopted daughter.” Rather, she is Amara’s legally adopted daughter, no scare quotes necessary. In a society in which certain relationships are given no legal status, it’s hardly surprising if some people feel constrained to resort to tactics that might, on the surface, seem a bit ridiculous.
I’m beginning to think that this thread really needs a “dyke ya know” tag.