Composer Philip Glass has received a 15-minute standing ovation at the world premiere of his new opera, Waiting for the Barbarians, in Germany.
The US composer earned the appreciation of the audience in Erfurt, as did his librettist Christopher Hampton.

Based on the novel of the same name by South African writer JM Coetzee, it was Glass' 21st work for the stage.

British baritone Richard Salter was praised for his lead role in the opera dealing with civil rights.

Examining state-sponsored torture and repression, the opera explores the way in which modern-day white society is coming to terms with its legacy of centuries of repression of indigenous black cultures. The "Barbarians" of the title are nomadic people deemed by the "civilised" whites to be socially and racially inferior.

Glass previously said he saw the opera as a critique of President Bush's administration and its war against Iraq.

However its sets and costumes remain timeless, underlining the universality of Glass' themes. Its music contains all the characteristics of the "minimalist" style that made him famous.

Glass' 27-year career includes an Oscar nomination for his work on Martin Scorsese's film Kundun in 1998.

Waiting for the Barbarians is due to be performed six times at Erfurt Theatre before moving to Amsterdam next spring then to Austin, Texas, in January 2007.

El Sr Glass



una imagen del estreno y otra

Si es de Philip Glass seguro que estará bien.

¿No es un cita de Kavafis en plan Julián Marías?

Opino como Annio, si es de Phillip Glass estará muy bien.. me gusta mucho la música de este hombre. Además el libreto es de Christopher Hampton, oscarizado guionista de por ejemplo "Las Amistades Peligrosas", libretista del musical "Sunset Boulevard", etc...

Y para corregir un dato que aparece en el artículo... Philip Glass has sido nominado dos veces al oscar. Una por "Kundun" como bien dice el artículo, y la otra por su estupenda partitura de "Las Horas"

América tiene una dificultad con estas cosas. Será interesante ver qué se dice en Texas en 2007.

Me pregunto porqué él cambió su pensamiento. . .
Gracias, Fantine!
Saludos

la ENO esgtrena una ópera sobre el libro de Fassbinder "las amargas lágrimas de Petra von Kant"
http://www.eno.org/whats-on/whats-on.php?id=30

Synopsis of The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant
Act 1Marlene draws the curtains loudly. Petra wakes and reprimands her for being noisy. She telephones her mother, Valerie, and enthuses about Valerie's upcoming holiday in Miami. She orders Marlene to start work, quarrels with her mother, reluctantly agrees to give her some money, lists her expenses. She hangs up and dictates a letter to Marlene. She puts on a record and dances. Marlene brings the mail which includes an offer from the department store Karstadt to design a collection. Very excited, she phones Karstadt. She hangs up and remembers how she had to grovel in the past, but that now their tone was gorgeously submissive. The doorbell rings and her friend Sidonie arrives. They discuss their looks and Petra's breakup with her husband. She broods over what might have been, recounts the tension, fear, ecstasy, his jealousy of her success. Marlene serves coffee and Petra reassures Sidonie that it's fine to speak in front of Marlene, that Marlene hears, sees, knows everything. She mocks Sidonie's use of womens' wiles in managing men, saying that with her husband she wanted an ideal, equal partnership of independance and freedom, and describes the decline into hatred and violence, her revulsion at his habits: the way he ate, slurped, smelt, forced her in bed. All nauseated her. The doorbell rings and Karin, a friend of Sidonie's enters. Marlene serves cognac. Petra is attracted to Karin and invites her for the following evening. Sidonie and Karin leave. Petra inspects Marlene's drawing. Act 2 It is evening. Petra runs across the stage like a scared chicken, dressing herself. Marlene helps her while intermittently typing. The doorbell rings. Petra exits. Karin enters and has a long look at herself in the mirror. Petra enters, they greet one another and Petra calls Marlene to bring food. They talk about Karin's return to Germany, her dreams for the future, her separation from her husband, her laziness. Petra outlines her theory of humility before her work and the money it provides. Karin is bemused/amused by this. Marlene enters with the food. Petra suggests Karin become a model and Karin accepts. Petra offers her financial support and describes the delights of the world of fashion: foreign capitals at night, music, art, theatre, good films. Karin says she likes tearjerkers. Petra says they can study together. Karin talks of her father (a machine worker), her childhood in a small apartment, the constant shouting. Petra recalls her love of school, of discipline, what a charge algebra gave her. Karin recalls her love of gym and track, her hatred of pressure, her memory of Sunday family bike trips followed by quarrels. Her father killed her mother and hanged himself. Petra is horrified. Karin describes the murder. Marlene brings champagne and Petra says how beautiful Karin is, that she will create a collection especially for her. She puts on a record and talks of her first husband, a glorious love affair. Karin says she is staying at Hotel Rheingold and Petra suggests she moves in with her. She says she loves her and calls Marlene to bring more champagne, saying: "I've never fallen in love with a woman. I'm crazy, Karin, crazy. But it's marvellously wonderful to be crazy like this. Act 3 It is early morning. Karin is lying in bed reading a magazine. Petra's just getting dressed. Marlene is cleaning up the breakfast things from beside the bed. Petra has a barbed exchange with Karin about her not bothering to cancel a plane reservation. Petra phones and does it herself. Marlene enters. Karin says that Marlene is nuts. Petra
says "She's not nuts. She's in love with me." Marlene brings Petra's shoes. Petra tries to persuade Karin to go back to school and Karin asks for a gin and tonic. Petra says Karin drinks like a fish, that she'll get fat, that her figure is her capital reserve. Karin says "Go fuck yourself." They drink, Petra embraces her and they quarrel about Karin not being loving enough. She asks Karin where she was last night and Karin says she was dancing with a big black man with a big black cock and thick warm lips. He was insatiable. Petra clutches her chest in distress and Karin laughs uncontrollably. Petra shouts at Marlene to bring the papers. Karin tells her not to cry, that she just uses men and that it doesn't affect their relationship. Petra says her heart is aching as if pierced by a knife. Karin replies: "Your heart don't need to hurt." Petra gives her a grammar lesson: "Doesn't need. Doesn't. I do need... you don't need.. it doesn't need. My heart doesn't need to hurt." She says I love you so and Karin again talks excitedly about the black man. Petra starts to cry again and says it makes her sick not knowing why Karin is there - whether it's money and connections, or love. Karin says it's love. Marlene enters with the newspaper which has an account of Petra's latest collection and a picture of Karin. Karin is wildly excited and tries to kiss Petra who pushes her away. The telephone rings. It's Karin's husband Freddy. In an undertone she tells him she loves him and begs Petra to get her on the next plane to Frankfurt. They quarrel and Petra calls her a miserable stinking little whore and accuses her of betrayal. Karin denies it. Petra says she is so lonely and nothing without Karin. She clutches at Karin's legs and Karin says "Get up, I'm in a hurry." Petra calls her a filthy little pig and spits in her face. Karin says "You'll pay for that", Petra tries to embrace her again, Karin asks for money for the trip, Petra says that's all she's good for, the payoff. She tells Marlene to drive Karin to the airport, that she's too drunk. Karin runs her fingers through Petra's hair and says she'll be back. She puts on a record and leaves. Petra sobs to the end of it, crying "I'm so stupid. So stupid." Act 4 Petra is alone on stage. It's her birthday. Already drunk, she trips over a carpet, dances to the music, sings along, makes herself another drink. The telephone rings. She runs and answers it, hangs up, it rings again, wrong number. Distraught, she longs for death, staggers from hatred of Karin, to contempt, to love, to revenge. The doorbell rings and her daughter Gabi enters with Marlene. Gabi tells her of the bad plane flight she's had. She asks after Karin and says how common she is. She says that she herself is terribly unhappy/incredibly happy - she's in love. Petra laughs and Gabi is hurt. They discuss Gabi's boyfriend. The telephone rings. Wrong number. Petra sobs. Gabi is frightened. Petra orders Marlene to see to the pastry and whipped cream. Marlene stays. Petra screams. Marlene exits. Gabi is upset at the treatment of Marlene. The doorbell rings and Sidonie enters. They discuss Petra's success in Milan and Petra says the whole fashion world and her work bore her to tears. She screams at Marelene for the pastry. Marlene enters with it. Sidonie and Petra discuss Karin's job with Pucci, Sidonie saying how talented Karin is, Petra saying she's not talented, just knows how to sell herself. Sidonie disagrees and tells Petra that Karin is in Cologne today and will call if she has the time. Petra is stung and resumes drinking. The doorbell rings and Petra's mother, Valerie, enters, complaining about the traffic. She senses the atmosphere, tries to calm things, Petra smashes her glass saying they are all loathsome, vile, phony little parasitic shits and Valerie a miserable filthy, rotten whore. Valerie is horrified to realise that her daughter loves another woman. Petra starts wrecking the apartment, mad with yearning for Karin. She screams for gin, attacks Sidonie, collapses and longs for death.
Act 5 Petra is sitting, Marlene is drawing at the easel. Valerie enters and says Gabi's asleep, that she's had a shock. "The panic, when it comes, always makes us vulnerable." Petra says she was afraid Valerie would hate her because of Karin. Valerie speaks of visiting her husband's grave, going to church again, that without God we are so lonely. Petra says there's no comfort in that, what we need is to love, that it wasn't love she felt for Karin, she wanted to posses her. Only now is she experiencing love. The telephone rings. It's Karin. Petra arranges to meet her the following day. She tells Valerie she can go, that she's at peace again. She puts on a record and remains standing while listening to it. She says she wishes to atone to Marlene for all she's done to her and promises that in the days to come they'll work together, really together. She says "Tell me about your life."

Muchas gracias, Fantine, gracias por esta traducción. Está muy. . . moderno. . . y soy muy pasado de moda (old-fashioned) en algunas cosas. Tendré que pensar más para ver el simbolismo
Pero muchas gracias!
Besos

Asombroso, estoy corrigiendo las pruebas de un libro colectivo sobre inmigración y uno de los capítulos empieza con una cita del libro de Coetzee en el que se basa el libreto...