Composer/keyboardist/producer Elodie Lauten creates operas, music for dance and theatre, orchestral, chamber and instrumental music. Not a household name, she is however widely recognized by historians as a leading figure of post-minimalism and a force on the new music scene, with 20 releases on a number of labels.
Her opera Waking in New York, Portrait of Allen Ginsberg was presented by the New York City Opera (2004 VOX and Friends) in May 2004, after being released on 4Tay, following three well-received productions. OrfReo, a new opera for Baroque ensemble was premiered at Merkin Hall by the Queen's Chamber Band, whose New Music Alive CD (released on Capstone in 2004) includes Lauten's The Architect. The Orfreo CD was released in December 2004 on Studio 21. In September 2004 Lauten was composer-in-residence at Hope College, MI. Lauten's Symphony 2001, was premiered in February 2003 by the SEM Orchestra in New York. In 1999, Lauten's Deus ex Machina Cycle for voices and Baroque ensemble (4Tay) received strong critical acclaim in the US and Europe. Lauten's Variations On The Orange Cycle (Lovely Music, 1998) was included in Chamber Music America's list of 100 best works of the 20th century.
Born in Paris, France, she was classically trained as a pianist since age 7. She received a Master's in composition from New York University where she studied Western composition with Dinu Ghezzo and Indian classical music with Ahkmal Parwez. Daughter of jazz pianist/drummer Errol Parker, she is also a fluent improviser. She became an American citizen in 1984 and has lived in New York since the early seventies
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Friday, July 07, 2006
Hollywood dominates the new opera scene
Do Hollywood-acclaimed, money-making composers still crave the prestige of Lincoln Center? Is having an opera premiere at Lincoln Center a match for an Oscar? Possibly, judging by three recent or upcoming productions: Rachel Portman, who sports no less than 73 film and TV scores, had The Little Prince premiered at the New York City Opera this winter; Tan Dun, who won an Academy Award for his score Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon is having a premiere at the Met this winter, The First Emperor; and now Elliot Goldenthal’s Grendel will be premiered on July 11 through 16 at the New York State Theater at Lincoln Center(212-870-5500.)
Goldenthal received an impressive number of Oscar and Grammy nominations, and the L.A. Film Critics Award for The Butcher Boy. He did the soundtrack for Julie Taymor's film Titus, starring Anthony Hopkins, and apparently that was the start of a fruitful collaboration since Julie Taymor (whose most successful achievement was The Lion King) directed Grendel. The piece is based on the John Gardner's 1971 novella of the same name, and a piece of ancient epic literature entitled Beowulf, something about heroes, monsters and dragons, kings and queens, dating back from before the 10th Century A.D - and actually the oldest, miraculously preserved piece of British literature.
posted by Elodie Lauten
5:48 PM
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