Kepler
Part of the 2009 Next Wave Festival
Nov 18, 20 & 21 at 7:30pm
An Opera by Philip Glass
Libretto by Martina Winkel
Bruckner Orchestra Linz
Conducted by Dennis Russell Davies
Note: This is a concert staging
"...one of the most influential—and controversial—contemporary composers... the founding father of minimalism." —The Guardian (UK)
Regarded as one of the most important composers of our time, minimalist pioneer Philip Glass continues to enthrall audiences around the world with his ever-evolving operas, orchestral works, and film scores. With Kepler, Glass pushes into the sonic and celestial beyond in a concert version of his opera about Johannes Kepler (1571—1630), a founding father of modern science who discovered the laws of planetary motion.
Spacious, elemental, and imbued with wonder, Glass' hypnotic score becomes the sound of the cosmos as we witness Kepler struggling to reconcile scientific discovery with the divine. Celebrated conductor Dennis Russell Davies and Bruckner Orchestra Linz support a stellar cast and 42-member chorus drawn from the Upper Austrian State Theatre, Linz, in this illuminating portrait of science at the dawn of our modern age.
BAM Howard Gilman Opera House
Approx 120min with no intermission
Tickets: $20, 40, 65
In German and Latin with English titles
Featuring soloists and choir of the Upper Austrian State Theatre, Linz
Commissioned by Upper Austrian State Theatre, Linz, and by Linz09, Cultural Capital of Europe.
Official Homepage: Philip Glass
Don't miss the "Glass Engine," an original, interactive way to explore the composer's oeuvre.
Official Homepage: Bruckner Orchestra
Dennis Russell Davies conducts the acclaimed Austrian orchestra in Kepler
Audio: Philip Glass interview on NPR's Fresh Air
Glass interviews Glass in this fascinating interview between NPR's Ira (This American Life) and composer Philip.