UCLA Opera Presents the Debut Performance of Cinematic Horror Opera, Cesare, offspring of the Night
In an exciting fusion of film and opera, the Herb Alpert School of Music is set to present the world premiere of Jonathan Beard's "Cesare, Child of Night," a cinematic horror opera that promises to redefine the boundaries of traditional opera.
The opera, directed by Emmy-nominated director and editor, Stewart Schill, is based on the 1920 German silent horror film, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Composer Jonathan Beard, known for his cross-disciplinary operatic works, has spent six years crafting this unique piece that merges operatic storytelling with cinematic techniques.
Beard's "Cesare, Child of Night" infuses various forms of musical expression into an adventurous orchestration that percolates within the long and rich operatic tradition. The music incorporates elements from early 20th-century modernism and cabaret, contemporary sound design, and asymmetrical electronic grooves.
The opera features an acoustic ensemble that includes several UCLA professors, such as Movses Pogossian, a professor of violin, and Michael Dean, a professor of voice performance. Antonio Lysy, the area head of strings, is also part of the ensemble.
The original silent film, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, has been re-edited to accompany the revised narrative in Cesare, Child of Night. The opera also includes fifteen original paintings by artist Sufia Sadaf that depict each of the opera's tableaus.
Mike Shapiro, a lecturer at the music industry at the Herb Alpert School of Music, will be moderating a special panel for Cesare, Child of Night. The panel includes Beard, Schill, Dean, Joanna Lynn-Jacobs, and Sadaf.
If you're a fan of horror opera or simply looking for a unique and immersive audio-visual experience, don't miss the world premiere of Cesare, Child of Night. The live stream will be available on Halloween night, Oct. 31, at 8 PM.
Join us for this thrilling journey into the world of cinematic horror opera and witness the fusion of film and opera like never before.
This live stream event on Halloween night will offer an entertaining blend of opera and music, as the world premiere of Cesare, Child of Night merges operatic storytelling with cinematic techniques, providing a unique and immersive audio-visual experience for viewers. The musical ensemble for this horror opera includes several UCLA professors and features diverse elements ranging from modernism and cabaret to contemporary sound design and electronic grooves.
