US premiere of Heart of Darkness has sold-out run in San Francisco
On May 2, Opera Parallèle presented the US premiere of the AOP-developed opera Heart of Darkness at San Francisco's trendy industrial Z-space. The new production by Brian Staufenbiel featuring designs by artist Matt Kish and conducted by Nicole Paiement sold out each of its four performances. Composed by Grammy-nominated Tarik O'Regan, using a libretto by Tom Phillips, the opera is based on the novel by Joseph Conrad, and explores the excesses and depravities of European colonialism in the African Congo. AOP, in conjuction with OperaGenesis, started developing the opera in 2006. In 2011 critics raved for the sold-out world premiere at London’s Royal Opera House's Linbury Studio. At last it has arrived to the US and is gathering more critical acclaim:
From San Francisco Chronicle:
“the kaleidoscopic inventiveness of O’Regan’s score”
“In O’Regan’s music — dexterously conducted by Artistic Director Nicole Paiement and sung by a splendid cast — the rich feints and ambiguities of Conrad’s tale find sonorous expression. A veil of uncertainty often settles over the music, thanks to shifting instrumental textures and a harmonic palette that seems inclined to change direction at a moment’s notice, like a rising mist off the water.”
From Bachtrack:
"O’Regan’s fine music was complemented by the Opera Parallèle’s thoughtful production and a superb set of musicians under Nicole Paiement’s magical baton." [4 out of 5 stars]
From San Francisco Classical Voice:
"[Heart of Darkness's] brevity and eloquence, as well as the small forces it requires, make it a natural for adventurous opera companies everywhere. ... O'Regan creates a continuously shifting musical tapestry and many gorgeous effects. His orchestration is exceptionally beautiful [and] consistently inventive."
From San Jose Mercury News:
"[Composer Tarik O’Regan], often compared to Benjamin Britten, employs a beguiling neo-tonal palette, and this score offered plenty of evidence of his skill at writing for orchestra.”
