Copious Notes: University of Kentucky planning Lincoln Opera

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Raised by opera-loving parents in a rock ’n’ roll world, Rich Copley has parlayed his broad interests into his career writing about arts and entertainment. Since 1998, he has covered performing arts, film and faith-based popular culture for the Lexington Herald-Leader, the daily newspaper in Lexington, Ky. It’s a pretty broad beat, but Rich delights in finding influences of the past in the present and showing fine arts fans the value of pop culture, and vice versa. ~ Copious Notes is a blog covering that broad spectrum. If you want to read about specific areas of interest, such as theater or opera, click on one of the categories to the right and you will be whisked away to all posts in that category. Also, look around the blog for links; multimedia items such as photo albums, videos, and interviews with artists; and other nuggets. Have fun, and thanks for dropping in. The header for this blog was designed by Danny Kelly and the illustration was drawn by Camille Weber.

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« Thinking about classical music and faith | Main | Judd's 'Bug' on DVD »

September 25, 2007

University of Kentucky planning Lincoln Opera

Joseph Baber in his home studio in 2003. Copyrighted Herald-Leader/Kentucky.com photo by Mark Cornelison.

The University of Kentucky Opera Theatre is planning a new opera about President Abraham Lincoln's life in his native Kentucky. The opera is currently being composed by UK music professor Joseph Baber and the libretto is being written by former UK theater professor James W. Rodgers. Opera Theatre director Everett McCorvey says the show is currently penciled in for the Spring of 2009, when it would coincide with celebrations of the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth.

Baber's last big work was American Requiem, a piece for orchestra, chorus and soloists that set Civil War writings -- from authors such as Herman Melville to letters from foot soldiers -- to music. It was presented by the Lexington Singers in 1999 and the Singers and the Lexington Philharmonic in 2003. Baber has also penned operas such as Frankenstein.

The Civil War is somewhat in vogue in opera lately, with the San Francisco Opera readying the world premier of Philip Glass' Appomattox next month.

Meanwhile the UK Opera is preparing for its half of the "multi-city world premier" with the San Francisco Opera of Thomas Pasatieri's Hotel Casablanca, Oct. 12, 13, 19 and 20 at the Lexington Opera House. Pasatieri will be in town for the premier as well as for a master class Oct. 13, a recital of his songs Oct. 15 and a talk and barbecue, to match the Texas theme of the opera, Oct. 16. The opera had its first performance in San Francisco in August.

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