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Ausrine Stundyte as Cio-Cio-San, Elizabeth Janes as Butterfly’s child and Sarah Larsen as Suzuki in Seattle Opera's production of Puccini's Madama Butterfly. Photo by Elise Bakketun.
North American Works Directory Listing
Kafka's Chimp
Composer: John Metcalf
Librettist: Mark Morris
Other Artistic Personnel: Keith Turnbull, Stage Director; Richard Pittman, Music Director; David Gaucher, Set/Costume Designer; Claude Accolas, Lighting Designer; Nicole Mion, Choreographer
Original Cast: Michael Douglas Jones as The Director, Frances Pappas as The Lady, Allyson McHardy, Steven Horst as Peter
Premiere Date: August 01, 1996
Producing Company: The Banff Centre for the Arts
Description: The work tells the tale of an African chimpanzee's capture and subsequent metamorphosis into a "cultured" Western human being. The seven instrumentalists are, to varying degrees, incorporated into the dramatic and physical action.
Length: 02:00
Total Acts: 2
Musical Style: The work is built on a whole-tone row. The result is diatonic with an avoidance of chromaticism except when called for in two specific scenes to make a dramatic point. The rhythm is an important aspect of the piece, combining elements of minimalism and of African drumming. The vocal writing favors traditional operatic lyric writing with elements of extended voice work when the dramatic needs of the character require it. The overall structure of the work is highly organized and utilizes traditional classical structures. The interplay between instrumentalists and singers is an important feature of the piece, and the association of specific characters with specific instrumentalists is an important dramatic and musical component of the work. In fact, the instrumentalists function as visible, mobile dramatic characters.
Contact: Theatre Arts, Banff Centre for the Arts
Address: Station 21, Box 1020
Banff, AB T0L 0C0 Canada
E-mail Address: kelly_robinson@banffcentre.ca
Schedule of Performances Listings
Kafka's Chimp (Metcalf)
Thursday, August 01, 1996 - Banff Centre

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