The Making of the Representative for Planet 8 (opera)
Template:Glass operas The Making of the Representative for Planet 8 is a full-scale opera by Philip Glass with a libretto by Doris Lessing based on her novel of the same name, first performed in 1988.
The opera was co-commissioned by English National Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Het Muziektheater, Amsterdam, and Theater Kiel, and co-produced with Artpark, Lewiston, New York State.
Performance history
The opera was first performed at Houston Grand Opera on 8 July 1988.[1] The British premiere was 9 November 1988 by English National Opera at the London Coliseum.[2] This production was broadcast live in the UK on BBC Radio 3 on 13 December 1988. Due to a technical fault, scene four from act 3 was not broadcast.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Houston premiere, 8 July 1988 (Conductor: John DeMain) |
London premiere, 9 November 1988 (Conductor: Michael Lloyd)[3] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doeg Memory-maker and Storyteller | baritone | Harlan Foss | Andrew Shore |
| Johor Canopean agent | bass | Timothy Breeze | Richard Angas |
| Alsi a young woman | soprano | Louise Edeiken | Lesley Garrett |
| Marl Keeper of the Herds | baritone | David Langan | Simon Masterton-Smith |
| Bratch Guardian of Health | mezzo-soprano | Julia Parks | Tamsin Dives |
| Pedug Teacher of the Young | baritone | Richard Sutliff | John Kitchiner |
| Rivalin Custodian of the Lake | mezzo-soprano | Patricia Shockler | Jady Pearl |
| Masson the Builder | tenor | Edgar Moore | Peter Bamber |
| Klin Tender of Fruits and Plants | soprano | Edrie Means | Gloria Crane |
| Nooni a young man | tenor | Jason Alexander | Christopher Gillett |
Synopsis
The people of Planet 8 are peaceful and content, until one of the Canopean Agents arrives and tells them to prepare for an impending ice age. The embattled population fights courageously in the face of certain death, and their efforts are transformed when they become the one single 'representative' of the planet's people and culture.
Recordings
Unlike many of Philip Glass's other operas, The Making of the Representative for Planet 8 has not been recorded for CD sale.
References
- Notes
- ^ Houston Grand Opera program notes
- ^ English National Opera programme notes. Henrietta Bredin (editor), Battley Brothers Printers, London.
- ^ "Planet 8: a total mismatch" by Andrew Clements, Opera, January 1989, p. 15
External links
- Dedicated page on the official web site of Philip Glass
- Details of the opera, including production photographs, dorislessing.org
- "Reviews/Music; New Opera By Lessing And Glass" by John Rockwell, The New York Times, 11 July 1988
