The comic one-act opera Gentleman's Island (1958) by Joseph Horovitz launches Utah Opera’s 2020-21 season, exploring the timely themes of isolation and need for human connection.
Starting October 9 and with ten performances billed - two on each Saturday - from 9-18 October at Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre, Salt Lake City, UT.
The libretto by Gordon Snell, based on Etiquette, a Bab Ballad by W.S.Gilbert (1836-1911), tells of two Victorian gentlemen, a tea taster and indigo importer, who are sole survivors of a shipwreck stranded on the same deserted island, but are unable to speak to each other because they had not been properly introduced before their ship went down.
With just two onstage performers (tenor and baritone) and small offstage small chamber ensemble or piano accompaniment, Horovitz’s Gentleman’s Island is perfect for the current need for socially distanced performance.
Composed in 1958, it was taken into the repertoire of the Intimate Opera Company and often toured across many countries. Other performances included the Cheltenham Festival, Tanglewood USA and on Belgian TV. In recent years it has been staged in Holland, Germany, Australia and Singapore.
As opera companies explore new content for online venues and alternative spaces, Wise Music Classical is pleased to share a collection of dynamic dramatic works for small forces. Each piece calls for a small instrumental ensemble and one to six (or more) singers, omitting any works that require chorus.
Explore 25 highlights from this collection of 60 operas here.
Utah Opera performances of Gentleman’s Island by Joseph Horovitz
6th October 2020
