By Subject Arts U.S. premiere of staged concert explores classic literary works
| U.S. premiere of staged concert explores classic literary works |
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| Thursday, March 12, 2009 | |
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The Hilliard Ensemble, an English classical quartet, will perform the U.S. premiere of a new vocal work on March 28-29 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The quartet will act as well as sing in the two performances of “I went to the house but did not enter,” co-commissioned by Carolina Performing Arts of UNC and the Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth College. The performances, at 8 p.m. March 28 and 7:30 p.m. March 29, will examine classic literature by T.S. Elliot, Samuel Beckett, Franz Kafka and Maurice Blanchot, and will analyze the frailty and darkly comic nature of the human condition. The shows will feature original compositions written specifically for The Hilliard Ensemble by German composer and director Heiner Goebbels, who will direct the performances. A staged concert in three tableaux, the performance examines the essence of bravery and the human spirit. London’s The Guardian newspaper called “I went to the house but did not enter” “immensely powerful,” awarding it four out of five stars in an August 2008 review. Stage Edinburgh hailed it as “jaw-droppingly word-perfect” and “stunning.” “Being a major force behind the development of this new work is privilege and a big leap for us as a presenting organization,” said Emil Kang, executive director of the arts at UNC. “Once again this season, many industry eyes will be on Chapel Hill.” The performance will look at some of the most celebrated works of 20th-century literature, including Elliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” Blanchot’s “The Madness of the Day,” Kafka’s “Excursion into the Mountains” and Samuel Beckett’s “Westward Ho.” “It’s a very accessible piece of musical theater, and it has this acute sense of humor about human lives and relationships,” said Kang, who saw the world premiere of “I went to the house but did not enter” at the Edinburgh International Festival in August 2008. Since 1993, the Grammy-nominated Hilliard Ensemble has been considered one of the world’s preeminent vocal ensembles. The group’s albums have received praise from publications including The New York Times and The Globe and Mail in Toronto. “I went to the house but did not enter” is produced by Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne E.T.E. of Lausanne, Switzerland, and co-produced by the Edinburgh International Festival 2008, Schauspiel Frankfurt in Germany, Teatro Comunale di Bolzano/Stadttheater Bozen in Bolzano, Italy, Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg and Musica festival international de musiques d’aujord’hui de Strasbourg in France. Support for the U.S. tour of “I went to the house but did not enter” comes from the Swiss Arts Council and Pro Helvetia. Tickets for The Hilliard Ensemble’s performances are available online at www.carolinaperformingarts.org , by calling (919) 843-3333 or at the Memorial Hall Box Office on Cameron Avenue, open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Tickets start at $25. Tickets for Carolina students with valid UNC One Cards are $10. Tickets for all other remaining performances in the 2008-09 Carolina Performing Arts season also are on sale. For high-resolution images, and artists’ Web sites, visit: http://www.carolinaperformingarts.org/media Media advisory: Limited numbers of tickets for these performances are available for media representatives. Please contact Carolina Performing Arts at (919) 843-3333 for more information. Carolina Performing Arts contact: Harry Kaplowitz, (919) 843-3119, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it News Services contact: LJ Toler, (919) 962-8589 |