"Nothing in his life that he attempted to do worked except his paintings," says Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Bernard Rands, whose new opera Vincent will have its world premiere in Bloomington April 8. Rands describes Van Gogh as the quintessential tragic figure, who unravels into poverty and mental illness, only to be honored posthumously as one of the greatest painters of all time.
Rands, a Grammy Award winner and Harvard professor, has been thinking about the opera since he attended the opening of the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam in 1973. "I was one of the first on the doorstep," he remembers. "The experience of that exhibition was so impactful and so inspiring. I found his character so fascinating and so gripping. I thought one day I would like to make a theater work."
The IU Jacobs School of Music commissioned the opera as part of its celebration of 100 years as a department. Jacobs Dean Gwyn Richards says, "You think this kind of cultural activity happens only in a metropolis, but you have enough special people gathered in Bloomington with a special talent and creative ability, coupled with an audience that appreciates and recognizes the role of culture and the importance of an expressive life, and you have a singular opportunity for excellence."
The production will take place at the Musical Arts Theater April 8, 9, 15 and 15. Read more in the upcoming issue of Bloom Magazine, or visit http://music.indiana.edu/operaballet/vincent/index.html for ticket information.
No comments:
Post a Comment