King Gesar performed by the Orchestra of St. Luke's Chamber Music Resonating Light
November 20, 2010 - November 21, 2010
Daily @ 6:00 PM
Price: $45.00
Member Price: $41.50
The most thrilling horse ride you ever heard!
Music by Peter Lieberson
Libretto by Douglas Penick (who will be present at the performances)
Orchestra of St. Luke's Chamber Music
November 20 Buy Now!
November 21 Buy Now!
Composer's Statement
King Gesar is a monodrama/opera that tells the story of a legendary Tibetan warrior king, Gesar of Ling, who rose from obscurity to battle the demons that enslave humankind. The story begins with Gesar's early years, his struggle as an indecisive youth, and a significant horse race during which Gesar, with the help of his magical horse, Kyang Go Karkar, emerges as a warrior of the human heart. His final victory ushers in the era of enlightened society and peace. King Gesar was conceived as a kind of campfire opera. I visualized a situation akin to Tibetan "performances": the campfire in a pitch black night under the dome of an immense starry sky, or, a daytime community gathering in a very large tent or small town square-familiar situations in which people eat, drink, and tell stories. In these kinds of settings the many exploits of the great warrior Gesar are told.... These stories instruct in every way, as well as entertain. A single narrator would take on the roles of the many characters in the story. It was not unusual for him to get completely caught up in the telling, to go into a trance, and "receive" even more Gesar stories. There are hundreds of these stories, many of them variations on the basic themes in Gesar's life. - Peter Lieberson
Conductor – Alan Pierson
Narrator – David Adam Moore
Flute – Elizabeth Mann
Clarinet – Romie de Guise-Langlois
Horn – William Purvis
Trombone – Michael Powell
Cello – Myron Lutzke
Percussion – Maya Gunji
Keyboard – Stephen Gosling, Margaret Kampmeier
