“In her nearly six-decade career, Meredith Monk—composer, choreographer, dancer, performance artist, director, filmmaker, and vocal wizard—continues to light up stages,” writes Victoria Looseleaf in last Monday’s (5/27) San Francisco Classical Voice. “Walt Disney Concert Hall, will be home to a production of Monk’s 1991 opera, ATLAS, with three performances [beginning] June 11 … directed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Artist-Collaborator Yuval Sharon… The three-part opera … originally premiered at Houston Grand Opera … is loosely based on an expedition by the fictional Victorian adventurer Alexandra Daniels…. Essentially an improvisation on vocal sounds or phonemes, the work requires hefty technical prowess, one allowing for the full range of elegant burbles, tremolos, repeating phrases, overtone singing, squeaks, and wails that are Monk trademarks…. The singers of ATLAS will also be doing terpsichorean duties [assisted by choreographer] Danielle Agami…. This production of ATLAS features the LA Phil New Music Group performing the opera’s original instrumentation, including a shawm, the forerunner of the oboe, and is conducted by [Assistant Conductor] Paolo Bortolameolli. Adding to the spectacle are Lucas Halls’s projections, Emma Kingsbury’s costumes and Es Devlin’s set design.”
Posted June 3, 2019
