Work Information
Philip Glass : The Fall of the House of Usher
| commissioned by the American Repertory Theater, Cambridge, MA and the Kentucky Opera |
| Work Notes |
Opera in two acts.
Libretto (English) by Arthur Yorinks based on the story by Edgar Allan Poe
Translation available: German |
Publisher |
Dunvagen Music Publishers Inc |
| Category |
Opera and Music Theatre |
Year Composed |
1988 |
| Duration |
1 Hour, 30 Minutes |
Solo Voice(s) |
Soprano, 2 Tenors, Baritone, Bass |
| Orchestration |
1(pic).0.1.1/1.0.0.0/egtr/perc/syn/str(2.1.1.1.1) |
Languages |
English, German |
| Availability |
Hire Explain this... |
Programme Note
Poe's famous horror story has fascinated poets, dramatists and composers for over a century. Poe hints at much, but states hardly anything at all. Is the story real, or is it a hallucination? What are the relationships between the narrator (William), his friend Roderick Usher, and Roderick's dying sister, Madeleine? Has she been buried alive, or is it a demon from hell who takes such spectacular revenge at the end? And is the vast house in which they live a living, malignant entity? Incest, homosexuality, murder and supernatural hang in the air, but, then again, such things may exist only in the imagination of the audience.
© Philip Glass
Cast:
Madeline Usher - lyric soprano
Roderick Usher - tenor
William, a visitor - baritone
Physician - tenor
Servant - bass
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