Philip Glass: The Fall of the House of Usher - Chamber Opera in Two Acts Based on the Same-Named Story by Edgar Allan Poe

Description

First published in 1839, the famous story "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) appeared in "Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine" in New York. As the inventor of modern crime literature, Poe is among the pioneers of psychoanalysis with his fantastic horror stories. In American literature, he is often seen as an outsider. In Europe, made famous by his admirer Charles Baudelaire, his works quickly found an enthusiastic readership, especially in the German-speaking world. Poe's poetry often crosses the boundaries between the here and the beyond, which makes it particularly fascinating. William is summoned by his childhood friend Roderick Usher for help. Is it a dream or reality that William experiences during his stay at the Usher house? A journey into his own past. Roderick's strange love for his terminally ill twin sister Madeline, whose voice can be heard day and night in the house, even after she has been buried in the underground vault of the house. The American Philip Glass (born 1937) is one of the most popular contemporary composers. His name is always associated with the musical style of Minimal Music, a term first coined by the American Tom Johnson (e.g., The Vierton Opera, recently performed in 2025 by Opera Factory Freiburg) and the Briton Michael Nyman (e.g., The Piano). Glass himself would only classify his music from 1965 to 1975 as belonging to this style and prefers to describe his works as "music with recurring structures." His musical style is significantly influenced by Indian music and his mentor Alla Rakha. "Through this music, I developed my sensitivity to rhythm." Glass became world-famous in 1976 with the opera Einstein on the Beach, followed by numerous joint projects with Robert Wilson. In the 1980s, he collaborated with Achim Freyer in Stuttgart on a Glass trilogy, including the world premiere of Akhnaten (Echnaton). To date, Philip Glass has composed more than 20 operas. He became widely known to the public through his film scores (Koyaanisqatsi, Dracula, The Hours, among others). Glass's music supports the shattering narrative with a floating, immersive soundscape that transports the listener into a kind of meditative rapture. The apparent eventlessness in the music emphasizes, in connection with the story, the nightmare atmosphere of this horror ballad based on Edgar Allan Poe's story. For tenor, baritone, and soprano, Glass has scored the three main roles. He uses, alongside guitar, percussion, and synthesizer, a conventional chamber ensemble instrumentation. Philip Glass (*1937): The Fall of the House of Usher (1987/88) Chamber Opera in Two Acts Based on the Same-Named Story by Edgar Allan Poe Text: Arthur Yorinks Performances in original English with surtitles Freiburg premiere Artistic team Musical direction: Klaus Simon Direction: Joachim Rathke Set design: David Mohorič Dramaturgy: Cornelius Bauer Theatre pedagogy: Friederike Neff Soloists William (Baritone): Ekkehard Abele Roderick Usher (Tenor): Wei-Chieh Tai Madeline Usher (Soprano): Leonor Pereira Pinto Servant (Bass): Johannes Blank Physician (Tenor): Markus Brock Assistants Musical assistance & conducting 2nd performance: Yves Scheuring Korrepetition: Ariane Moulin Assistant director: Ann-Marie Najderek Set design assistant: Charlotte Vosteen Holst Sinfonietta Flute/Piccolo: Clara Giner Franco Clarinet: Lorenzo Salvá Peralta Bassoon: Robert Oros Horn: Pau Riedweg Canturri Drums: Lee Forrest Ferguson Guitar: Lorenz Zimmermann Keyboard: Ariane Moulin Violin: Sylvia Oelkrug Violin: Saskia Mährlein Viola: Katrina Saffuri Cello: Philipp Schiemenz Double bass: Anna Stelzner

Highlights

• Chamber opera by Philip Glass
• Based on Edgar Allan Poe's story
• Performance in Freiburg im Breisgau

General Information

The chamber opera "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Philip Glass is performed in Freiburg im Breisgau. It is based on the same-named story by Edgar Allan Poe and explores the psychological depths of the protagonists. The production promises a captivating blend of music and literature.

Location

Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 5, 79106 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany

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