Experiments in Opera presented seven new operas in a two night operathon at Roulette in Brooklyn on April 1 & 2, 2015. Over the course of this opera binge, listeners heard the work of seven composers, whose arrival at opera couldn’t be more roundabout. The resulting pieces, one-act shorts and excerpts in concert and staged performances told a range of absurd, abstract, historical and hilarious stories. The audience took the plunge and stuffed its ears!
Matthew Welch explores his family memoirs of wartime Philippines with his ensemble, Blarvuster in And Here We Are. The impact of cultural collisions is stressed, with text focused on the accounts of Welch’s great-uncle Edgar, an opera singer isolated by his move to Asia and internment.
Matthew Welch, composer; Daniel Neer, librettist; Based on memoirs by: Edgar Kneedler, Ethel Kneedler and Donald Kneedler
With: Matthew Welch, Blarvuster: Daniel Neer, baritone; Ben Holmes, trumpet; Joe Bergen, vibraphone; Emily Manzo, piano; Ian Riggs, bass guitar; Mike Pride, drums; Matthew Welch, alto sax and conductor
