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The Tibetan Book of the Dead (opera)

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The Tibetan Book of the Dead: A Liberation Through Hearing is the first opera by American composer Ricky Ian Gordon. The libretto is from Jean-Claude van Itallie's theatrical adaptation of Buddhist teachings,Tibetan Book of the Dead or How Not to Do It Again.[1]

The creation of the opera was initiated by the then-General Director of Houston Grand Opera (HGO), David Gockley. It was commissioned by Houston Grand Opera and The American Music Theater Festival in 1995.

The work is dedicated to Gordon's partner, Jeffrey Michael Grossi, who died in 1996.

The Tibetan Book of the Dead: A Liberation Through Hearing was published in 2015 by the Theodore Presser Company[2]

Performance history

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The premiere production of The Tibetan Book of the Dead was performed by members of the Houston Grand Opera Studio on May 31, 1996, at the Wortham Theater at Rice University.[3] The conductor was Charles Prince, and the stage director was Marcus Stern. The opera received critical acclaim and secured Gordon's place in the operatic genre. Despite its success and subsequent academic productions, most notably in 2018 by Eastman Opera Theater at Eastman School of Music,[4] the opera had not received a professional staging for nearly 28 years until it was produced by Opera Grand Rapids in 2024.[5]

Roles

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Roles, voice types, premiere cast
Role Voice type Premiere cast, May 31, 1996
Conductor: Charles Prince
Director: Marcus Stern
Revival cast, February 9, 2024
Conductor: Tyson Deaton
Director: Julia Mintzer
Reader baritone Frank Hernandez Nathan Gunn
The Dying/The Dead soprano Jonita Lattimore Indira Mahajan
Soprano 1 soprano Nicole Heaston Jennifer Zetlan
Mezzo 1 mezzo-soprano Beth Clayton Lisa Chavez
Mezzo 2 mezzo-soprano Jill Grove Allison Gish
Tenor 1 tenor John McVeigh John Kun Park
Tenor 2 tenor Gabriel Gonzalez Michael Boley
Bass bass/baritone Eric Owens Suchan Kim

Synopsis

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From the introductory page of the score: "Based on some of the most sacred and revered texts ever written, The Tibetan Book of the Dead depicts the epic journey of a dying soul through a series of spiritual and emotional planes along the road of rebirth."[2]

  1. The Dying
  2. The Moment of Death
  3. Clear White Light
  4. The Peaceful Energies
  5. Rainbow Dance
  6. Dream-like Realms
  7. The Angry Energies
  8. Mahakala
  9. Lord of Death
  10. Wandering Prayer
  11. Realizing I Am Dead
  12. Pursued by Demons
  13. Hungry ghost
  14. Love Making
  15. Refusing to See
  16. Choosing a Home
  17. Entering Again

Instrumentation

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The opera is orchestrated for:[2]

Broadcast recording

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A performance of The Tibetan Book of the Dead was audio recorded and later broadcast on September 28, 1996, on KUHF-FM Radio in Houston, Texas.[6]

References

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  1. ^ "The Tibetan Book of the Dead". rickyiangordon.com. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  2. ^ a b c Ricky Ian Gordon (n.d.). The Tibetan Book of the Dead (piano-vocal score). Theodore Presser Company. ISBN 978-1-59806-910-5. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  3. ^ "The Tibetan Book of the Dead". Opening Night! – Spotlight at Stanford. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  4. ^ "The Tibetan Book of the Dead – Fall 2018". Eastman School of Music. 2024-02-12. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  5. ^ "The Tibetan Book of the Dead". Opera Grand Rapids. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  6. ^ Tibetan Book of the Dead, Houston Grand Opera, KUHF-FM Radio, retrieved 2024-02-12