Mannes School Of Music Announces a New Production of THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER

Mannes School of Music at The New School announces a four-performance run of Philip Glass's chamber opera, The Fall of the House of Usher. This new production by Troy Hourie (scenographer for the acclaimed 2017 Mannes production of Robert Ashley's Dust), is to be presented Thursday, February 1, 8pm; Friday, February 2, 8pm; Saturday, February 3, 3pm and 8pm in Stiefel Hall at Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street.

With score by Glass and libretto B. Arthur Yorinks, this production of The Fall of the House of Usher will feature students from The New School's College of Performing Arts under the musical direction of David Fulmer.

Premiered in 1988, Usher is a two-act opera based on Edgar Allan Poe's story The Fall of the House of Usher. The work features five solo voice parts (soprano, two tenors, baritone, and bass), accompanied by a small chamber ensemble that includes strings, percussion, winds, and electronics.

"American composer Philip Glass has conceived a dynamic, visceral interpretation of Edgar Allan Poe's haunting story with the opera The Fall of the House of Usher," said director and digital scenographer Troy Hourie. "I have envisioned an immersive, intimate and ethereal experience in Stiefel Hall at the Mannes School of Music. This will be an amazing opportunity for the talented music and voice students at Mannes to perform this rarely produced experimental piece for audiences. Each performance will showcase different singers in the three core roles of William, Roderick and Madeline." As Hourie noted, "While showcasing the gifts of the students, the presentation will also be a 'performative art installation', where the voice, music and technology all merge to create a sophisticated visual and aural experience for the spectator. Reaching for the liminal, performers will interact with live feed and recorded video to create live pictures that allow them to embody their characters and tell the esoteric narrative of the opera. The spectator will be challenged to discern what is real, what is not real and engage in a new form of perception. And don't be too surprised if you end up sitting next to Poe himself!"

"The Fall of the House of Usher is the sort of groundbreaking work that signals the direction in which the field of opera is headed", said Richard Kessler, Dean of Mannes and Executive Dean for the College of Performing Arts at The New School. "More and more, composers are writing chamber operas and works conceived for intimate spaces that weave together demanding vocal writing with both electronics and acoustic instruments. At the same time, professional opera companies are exploring different kinds of venues and different ways to present their work. We have attempted to incorporate these directions into this production of Usher in a way that prepares students for the evolving field, and in a way that will be sure to make you think again about the possibilities of contemporary opera."

The Fall of the House of Usher is being presented at Stiefel Hall at The New School's College of Performing Arts (4th floor of 55 West 13th Street, New York, NY 10011) on:

Thursday, February 1, 8pm; Friday, February 2, 8pm; Saturday, February 3, 3pm and 8pm.

Tickets will be available at www.ticketcentral.com

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