Friday, April 19, 2013

A to Z: Qu


Well, you gotta do what you gotta do when you get to Q. I don't know anything about this composer at all. Not a thing. His Wikipedia page indicates that he was born and studied in China and eventually emigrated to the United States, where he continues to compose. That's all I know.

So obviously, I've never heard this piece before. It's in two parts (because of YouTube length restrictions), and I don't think it's complete, but it's interesting enough that I don't care: a short opera called The Death of Oedipus. And it's fascinating. I'd love to see this staging live, with the stylized acting using masks on the singers. Wow. I love finding works like this! Back in college, the music department had a thing called "Opera Workshop", in which the vocal majors would learn and perform works like this. I've never much thought about the world of short opera since then. I wonder why that is?

Anyway, here is The Death of Oedipus.




Tomorrow: R. So many directions I could go...but probably back to Mother Russia.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

I really thought you would struggle with Q, but you came up with the goods! Congratulations.

Thee Earl of obvious said...

Sire

Please explain in some kind of detail your disdain for baroque.

Kelly Sedinger said...

I refer the Honorable Gentleman to the 'A' post in this series.

Thee Earl of Obvious said...

My embarrassment is surpassed only by the shame that my lack of diligence has brought to my shire.

Roger Owen Green said...

I admire your adventurousness.