JUL 14-17 | PHILIP GLASS
Jul 14 - Jul 17, 2022
Miner Auditorium
PLEASE NOTE:
This page is an archive of a past production
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Original show description below.
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For their latest collaboration and cultural happening co-presented with SFJAZZ, the Bay Area’s Opera Parallèle and an ensemble of world class musicians perform composer Philip Glass’s innovative 1994 chamber opera La Belle et la Bête in a theatrical production with sets and costumes.
A uniquely cinematic blend of live music and film, the opera is synchronized to a screening of director and poet Jean Cocteau’s classic 1946 film version of Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve’s 18th century fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, replacing the soundtrack with Glass’ original score. For this production, Glass’ entrancing music is performed by a quartet of vocalists backed by three keyboardists and the Bay Area’s phenomenal MANA saxophone quartet.
The libretto, adapted by the composer from the film’s screenplay, is timed precisely and sung to match the characters’ spoken dialog, creating a seamless and modern expression of Villeneuve’s timeless fable of love and loss that gives new dimension to Cocteau’s unforgettable visuals. Called “one of the most magical of all films” by critic Roger Ebert, Cocteau’s film features singular performances by Josette Day as Belle and Jean Marais as the Beast.
With this production Opera Parallèle will become the first company to present performances of all three operas Glass wrote in homage to Cocteau, having performed Orphée in 2011 and Les Enfants Terribles in 2017.
SFJAZZ and Opera Parallèle co-present a new theatrical production of Philip Glass’s innovative 1994 chamber opera La Belle et la Bête (Beauty And The Beast), featuring costumes and a fully-immersive multi-media set design.
Decades after its creation, Philip Glass' La Belle et la Bête (Beauty and the Beast) retains its power to amaze and enchant an audience
San Francisco Chronicle
Decades after its creation, Philip Glass' La Belle et la Bête (Beauty and the Beast) retains its power to amaze and enchant an audience
San Francisco Chronicle
Personnel
Vanessa Becerra 'La Belle' soprano
Hadleigh Adams 'La Bête / Le Prince / Avenant' baritone
Eugene Brancoveanu 'Le Pére / L'Usurier' baritone
Sophie Delphis 'Felicíe / Adelaïde' soprano
Thomas Giles flute (pic./sop. sax)
Jonah Cabral sop. sax (flute)
Michael Hernandez alto sax (sop. sax)
Kjell Nordeson percussionist
Keisuke Nakagoshi keyboards
Kevin Korth keyboards
Taylor Chan keyboards
Nicole Paiement conductor
Brian Staufenbiel director
Jacques Desjardins assistant conductor
Erin Neff assistant director
David Murakami projection designer & director of photography
Natalie Barshow costume designer
Mextly Couzin lighting designer
Y. Sharon Peng wigs & make up designer
Jay Cruz sound designer & programmer
Sam Clevenger VFX Artist
Patricia Kristof Moy French diction coach
This genre-spanning adaptation of the classic Jean Cocteau film is yet more evidence of Glass' ability to spin beauty in rare and unexpected ways
San Francisco Chronicle
Personnel
Vanessa Becerra 'La Belle' soprano
Hadleigh Adams 'La Bête / Le Prince / Avenant' baritone
Eugene Brancoveanu 'Le Pére / L'Usurier' baritone
Sophie Delphis 'Felicíe / Adelaïde' soprano
Thomas Giles flute (pic./sop. sax)
Jonah Cabral sop. sax (flute)
Michael Hernandez alto sax (sop. sax)
Kjell Nordeson percussionist
Keisuke Nakagoshi keyboards
Kevin Korth keyboards
Taylor Chan keyboards
Nicole Paiement conductor
Brian Staufenbiel director
Jacques Desjardins assistant conductor
Erin Neff assistant director
David Murakami projection designer & director of photography
Natalie Barshow costume designer
Mextly Couzin lighting designer
Y. Sharon Peng wigs & make up designer
Jay Cruz sound designer & programmer
Sam Clevenger VFX Artist
Patricia Kristof Moy French diction coach
This genre-spanning adaptation of the classic Jean Cocteau film is yet more evidence of Glass' ability to spin beauty in rare and unexpected ways
San Francisco Chronicle
Watch & Listen
Philip Glass
Ouverture
Philip Glass
Le Dîner
Philip Glass
Ouverture
Philip Glass
Le Dîner