I filmed this brief interview with a subset of the Miseries a few days ago on the back steps of the opera house, with the help of assistant director Allegra Libonati. The Miseries represent, well, the misery in the world – the pain, the torture, the anguish – as the victims of the famine and …
We actually interviewed Hal a few months ago during the June/July rehearsal period, but somehow that file got lost in the shuffle, so I re-filmed this interview with him in his dressing room before one of the rehearsals. Hal has previously starred in such productions as the World Premiere of Philip Glass’s Les Enfants Terrible, …
This is the third of the three-part interview with Tod Machover discussing the history of Death and the Powers. Here, Tod talks about how the project evolved from the first draft of the libretto to today’s full-scale production, from about 2004 to 2010. This is probably my favorite interview I’ve filmed to date – you …
Continue reading “Interview with Tod Machover 3: From the Libretto to Monaco”
BU Today has posted a story about Robert Pinsky: Robot, of Thee I Sing Pinsky’s words help put technology in innovative opera. In the article, Robert talks about how he became involved in the project and discusses the differences between writing poetry and writing for opera. Composer Tod Machover says “I have been constantly delighted …
Continue reading “Listen to Robert Pinsky, librettist for Death and the Powers”
Post by Peter Torpey, M.I.T. Media Laboratory Over the past three years, I’ve played several roles throughout the production of Death and the Powers, working closely with Tod Machover and Alex McDowell to figure out what is necessary and possible to present the story of Simon Powers. From thinking about how to tell the story, …
Continue reading “Meet the Team – Peter Torpey (Visual Design)”
By iPhone from Tod: “I just got to my hotel in Paris after a very delayed (air traffic controller strike:) flight from Nice and the longest taxi line at Orly airport that I’ve ever seen (and that’s saying a lot!!!). About to go to sleep so I can get up early and be at the …
Continue reading “Through Tod’s camera lens – September 15, 2010”
Soprano Sara Heaton is a semi-finalist in this year’s Competizione dell’opera in Dresden, was a finalist in the 2010 Giulio Gari competition, and a regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera competition in 2008. She had her professional opera debut as Despina in Così fan tutte with the Boston Baroque orchestra, led by conductor Martin Pearlman. …
Continue reading “Meet the Artists: Sara Heaton (understudy for Miranda)”
It’s hard to believe so many things about being in Monaco. The fact that we’re staying above the Fairmont Hairpin, the most famous loop of the Monaco Grand Prix, or that we get to live and work every day right along the glistening Mediterranean Sea, or that we’re even here in Monaco at all – …
Matt Checkowski is a busy guy. A graphic designer by training, he moved into film by “sneaking in the back door” at a design company in LA called Imaginary Forces, where he spent his time working on various experience design pieces that eventually led him to spend a year creating the dream sequences in Steven …
Continue reading “Interview with Matt Checkowski – Media Content Designer”
Choreographer Karole Armitage’s role in Death and the Powers was to create the human and technologic gestures and movements that would embody the story and emotion of the opera. Although Karole has worked with as diverse a range of performers as any choreographer – from elite classical ballet dancers to pop stars like Madonna and …
Continue reading “Meet the Artists – Karole Armitage (Choreographer)”
Opera of the Future 