heart of darkness
|
|
| Joseph Conrad (1857 - 1924) |
In association with American Opera Projects, New York
.jpg)
"... a dense, dreamlike chamber opera heavily tinged with exoticism, like Death in Venice on steroids." - The New York Times
Heart of Darkness is the latest work from composer Tarik O'Regan who has been singled out by The Observer as, "one of the most original and eloquent of young composers... tonal but cutting-edge". He has also been highly praised by The Times, which noted, "O'Regan's gift for lyric flight seems boundless. You might have to reach back to Vaughan Williams's Serenade to Music, or even Tallis, to find another British vocal work so exultant. He's a composer of generous passion and imagination..."
The opera is in one act and is scored for 8 singers and 13 instruments. The libretto is by Tom Phillips, a composer in his own right whose opera Irma has been frequently performed and twice recorded.
Heart of Darkness is based on the book of the same name, written by Joseph Conrad and widely regarded as one of the best novels of the twentieth century. It is set in West Africa at the height of European colonialism. The central character is Marlow, a steamboat captain, whose job it is to undertake an ivory collecting river journey into the interior. Horrified at the greed of the ivory traders and their brutal exploitation of the natives, Marlow hears of the remarkable Mr Kurtz who is stationed deep in the very heart of the ivory country and is the company’s most successful agent. Marlow sets out on an obsessive search for Kurtz.
OEP will give the world première at the Linbury Theatre, Covent Garden, during the 2011/12 season.
Links
www.operaprojects.org