''John Gavanti'' is a 1980
no wave opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...
album by members of the bands
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Roman god of war. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin at ...
and
DNA. It was written and played by Mark Cunningham (of Mars), Sumner Crane (of Mars),
China Burg (of Mars),
Ikue Mori
(born 17 December 1953), also known as Ikue Ile, is a drummer, electronic musician, composer, and graphic designer. Mori was awarded a "Genius grant" from the MacArthur Foundation in 2022.
Biography
Ikue Mori was born and raised in Japan. She ...
(of DNA) and
Arto Lindsay
Arthur Morgan "Arto" Lindsay (born May 28, 1953) is an American guitarist, singer, record producer and experimental composer. He was a member of the pioneering 1970s no wave group DNA, which featured on the 1978 compilation '' No New York''. I ...
(of DNA). All were prominent members of New York City's short-lived No Wave music scene.
The opera is a loose retelling of
Mozart's 1787 opera ''
Don Giovanni'', which in turn is based on the legend of
Don Juan
Don Juan (), also known as Don Giovanni ( Italian), is a legendary, fictional Spanish libertine who devotes his life to seducing women. Famous versions of the story include a 17th-century play, ''El burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra'' ...
. The title character is a libidinous figure endowed with magical powers, and the songs of the opera follow him on a series of adventures, many of them involving the pursuit of various females, including a female lion, a young girl, and a grandmother "in the beautiful autumn of life."
Description
Cunningham wrote about the project on his personal website:
"''John Gavanti'' was, in a sense, a band, as we spent over a year developing and rehearsing the work. It consisted of Sumner Crane, the author of the libretto and songs, Don Burg, alter ego of China Burg, and myself as well as Ikue Mori from DNA. In the recording sessions we also used Arto Lindsay and his brother Duncan on garbage lid percussion for a samba takeoff. Sumner played guitar and piano, Don bass clarinet and I managed to get in trumpet, trombone, baritone horn and tuba. Ikue played the viola and cello. Neither she nor Lucy had ever touched those instruments before. Sumner called the shots generally but the arrangements were collective improvs. We recorded it in NY at Sear Sound, an all vacuum tube studio later popularized by Sonic Youth. It was released on my own label Hyrax in 1980, and sold over the years almost all the 3000 vinyl copies printed. It's now been reissued as a CD on Atavistic.
In the early eighties, some crazy Italian fans made a video of the whole opera which was really quite amazing; we figured the only way to represent it would be a big budget film, but they did it with no budget, an all male cast and lots of energy and humor. Unfortunately finding a copy is probably next to impossible."
Reviews
Glenn Kenny of
Trouser Press
''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...
wrote of ''John Gavanti'': "Some have called this the most unlistenable record ever made, and that's a fine invitation indeed."
Track listing
All tracks composed by Sumner Crane.
#"Overture"
#"I Awake"
#"Down To The Ocean"
#"On Board Ship"
#"Gavanti Samba"
#"Lo! La!"
#"O Ancient Ocean"
#"New York Blues"
#"Higher And Higher"
#"Africa"
#"Mirror Mirror"
#"Venice/ Locus Solus"
#"Gavanti's Lament"
#"Homeward Bound"
References
External links
Cunningham quote sourceTrouser Press entry
{{Authority control
No wave albums
Concept albums
Rock operas
1980 albums
Works based on Don Giovanni