Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > All Things Brokeback: Books, Interviews and More
Brokeback Mountain - The Opera
BBM-Cat:
I believe opera will be a very interesting medium for BBM, though I am having some trouble picturing it; I agree Moremojo - portraying Ennis' character will be especially challenging. Perhaps the operatic format will offer deeper insight into what he is thinking/feeling, offered as asides. Or, his character will have some extremely short pieces! :D How will they translate all those 'hunhs' ?
And, I'm willing to bet Meryl, our resident opera-expert, just nailed your trivia question!
Penthesilea:
Jos Van Kan was the director of the Dutch play Brokeback Mountain, which we Eurobrokies (and our Eurobrokie H.C., Leslie) saw together back in March. He wanted to make an opera about BBM.
I wonder whether Jos van Kan has something to do with this, or if someone else had the same idea and this is a totally different project?
--- Quote from: BBM-Cat on September 27, 2007, 01:20:33 am ---I believe opera will be a very interesting medium for BBM, though I am having some trouble picturing it; I agree Moremojo - portraying Ennis' character will be especially challenging. Perhaps the operatic format will offer deeper insight into what he is thinking/feeling, offered as asides. Or, his character will have some extremely short pieces! :D How will they translate all those 'hunhs' ?
--- End quote ---
All those 'hunhs' of Ennis are in the movie, not in the story. My guess is that this opera will be based on the story, not the movie - just as the play was. After all, the story is the original work. The movie is one possible interpretation of it; the play was another one and an opera would provide a third one.
moremojo:
--- Quote from: Meryl on September 27, 2007, 12:56:39 am ---I'm guessing "Death in Venice" by Benjamin Britten, starring Peter Pears as Aschenbach (though I wouldn't describe him as openly gay). :)
--- End quote ---
That's a good guess, Meryl, but it is actually The Knot Garden, composed by Michael Tippett (1905-1998) to his own libretto, and which premiered at London's Covent Garden on December 2, 1970. The character is Dov, and tenor Robert Tear created the role. As Dov's lover Mel (created by Thomas Carey) is also a character in the opera, one could argue that this opera introduced two more-or-less openly gay male characters to the genre, but Dov is always the one cited in this context.
Tippett later organized some of Dov's arias into a separate work called Songs for Dov.
Incidentally, Death in Venice premiered at Snape Maltings on June 16, 1973.
mvansand76:
--- Quote from: Penthesilea on September 27, 2007, 02:00:42 am ---Jos Van Kan was the director of the Dutch play Brokeback Mountain, which we Eurobrokies (and our Eurobrokie H.C., Leslie) saw together back in March. He wanted to make an opera about BBM.
I wonder whether Jos van Kan has something to do with this, or if someone else had the same idea and this is a totally different project?
--- End quote ---
I wonder this too. It would be very exciting, but I think he wanted to do this in London, if I remember correctly. He still has the stage rights so he can do with it what he wants, at least that's what the actors said! Can't believe that was already half a year ago!!!
:D
David In Indy:
--- Quote from: Snavel del Snuit on September 27, 2007, 03:52:03 am ---I wonder this too. It would be very exciting, but I think he wanted to do this in London, if I remember correctly. He still has the stage rights so he can do with it what he wants, at least that's what the actors said! Can't believe that was already half a year ago!!!
:D
--- End quote ---
I'm STILL thinking about that washrag. :-\
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