''The Sound of a Voice'' is a 2003 operatic adaptation of the play ''
The Sound of a Voice
''The Sound of a Voice'' is a 1983 play by American playwright David Henry Hwang. Hwang's fifth play, it is an original ghost story inspired by Japanese folk stories, films, and Noh theater. The play was first produced as part of the production ''S ...
'' by American
playwright
A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays.
Etymology
The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...
David Henry Hwang
David Henry Hwang (born August 11, 1957) is an American playwright, librettist, screenwriter, and theater professor at Columbia University in New York City. He has won three Obie Awards for his plays '' FOB'', '' Golden Child'', and '' Yellow ...
. The music is written by American composer
Philip Glass
Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up fr ...
and the libretto is written by Hwang. The opera is made up of two short operas: ''The Sound of a Voice'' and ''Hotel of Dreams''. The opera is notable for being specifically written for the theatre and not an opera house. It had its premiere on May 24, 2003, at the
American Repertory Theater. It was directed by
Robert Woodruff and featured Eugene Perry.
The opera received its UK premiere at Hackney House, directed by
Andrea Ferran
Andrea is a given name which is common worldwide for both males and females, cognate to Andreas, Andrey, Andrej and Andrew.
Origin of the name
The name derives from the Greek language, Greek word ἀνήρ (''anēr''), genitive ἀνδρός ...
, as part of the
2012 Cultural Olympiad
The 2012 Cultural Olympiad was a programme of cultural events across the United Kingdom that accompanied the 2012 Summer Olympics and 2012 Summer Paralympics.
The Olympic Charter, the set of rules and guidelines for the organization of the Olympi ...
. The production later transferred to the
Arcola Theatre
Arcola Theatre is an Off West End theatre in the London Borough of Hackney. It presents plays, operas and musicals featuring established and emerging artists.
The theatre building, in the former Colourworks paint factory on Ashwin Street, Dalst ...
and
Southbank Centre
Southbank Centre is a complex of artistic venues in London, England, on the South Bank of the River Thames (between Hungerford Bridge and Waterloo Bridge).
It comprises three main performance venues (the Royal Festival Hall including the Nat ...
.
References
Sources
''The Sound of a Voice''on the official web site of Philip Glass
''The Sound of a Voice'' featurefrom the American Repertory Theater
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sound of a Voice, The
Operas by Philip Glass
Operas
Minimalist operas
English-language operas
2003 operas
Operas based on plays