Romulus Hunt: A Family Opera
| Romulus Hunt: A Family Opera | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 16, 1993 | |||
| Recorded | at Right Track Recording and The Hit Factory, New York City. | |||
| Genre | Opera | |||
| Length | 63:36 | |||
| Label | Angel Records | |||
| Producer | Frank Filipetti and Teese Gohl | |||
| Carly Simon chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
Romulus Hunt: A Family Opera is singer-songwriter Carly Simon's 19th album, and 17th studio album, released in 1993. The singing on this album however is done by a cast of five. Simon herself appears only at the end, singing "Voulez-Vous Danser", added as a bonus track to the album.
History
Simon was jointly commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera Association and the Kennedy Center to write a contemporary opera that would appeal to younger people. She came up with Romulus Hunt, named after its 12-year-old protagonist. It is a family opera about divorce. Romulus tries to trick his divorced, ill-matched parents into coming back together. His sidekick is an imaginary Rastafarian named Zoogy who knows enough Jamaican magic to help with the plot. Eddie, Rom's father, is an artsy type who pierces his son's nose, while his prim mother, Joanna, worries more about propriety. A triangle is created by Mica, Eddie's girlfriend, a ditsy performance artist. During the show's final minutes Eddie learns to love Rom by recalling his own father's indifference.
The album was released on Angel Records.
Revival
In December 2014, the Nashville Opera Association premiered a new performance edition of the opera.[2][3]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Carly Simon
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Introduction (Voulez-Vous Danser)" | 1:04 |
| 2. | "Looser Arms" | 3:54 |
| 3. | "Valentine Aria" | 3:11 |
| 4. | "A Boy Of Twelve" | 5:47 |
| 5. | "Man With Wings" | 3:49 |
| 6. | "My Dance Is A Tango" | 4:38 |
| 7. | "Voulez-Vous Danser" | 1:39 |
| 8. | "Fond Of The Blondes" | 2:26 |
| 9. | "It's My Downfall" | 4:35 |
| 10. | "Incantation" | 3:22 |
| 11. | "The Fight" | 5:14 |
| 12. | "The Jig" | 1:25 |
| 13. | "Am I Still Young?" | 3:25 |
| 14. | "It's Such A Glorious Day" | 0:53 |
| 15. | "Seduction Aria" | 2:50 |
| 16. | "Romulus Hunt (The Nightmare)" | 2:30 |
| 17. | "Where Am I?" | 1:29 |
| 18. | "It Almost Happens On Its Own (We'll Never Leave)" | 3:07 |
| 19. | "Eddie's Soliloquy" | 3:43 |
| 20. | "Voulez-Vous Danser" | 1:16 |
| 21. | "Voulez-Vous Danser" (Bonus Track)" | 3:11 |
| Total length: | 63:28 | |
Credits
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References
- ^ Ruhlmann, William. Romulus Hunt: A Family Opera at AllMusic
- ^ Paulson, Dave (October 18, 2014). "Carly Simon teams up with Nashville Opera". The Tennessean. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
- ^ Stumpfl, Amy (December 4, 2014). "Nashville Opera takes unusual journey in 'Romulus Hunt'". The Tennessean. Retrieved April 19, 2015.