Overview
PATRON SPONSORS: LIZ AND GREG LUTZ, PATRICK MCCABE |
Hailed as one of the supreme artistic achievements of the 20th century, Einstein on the Beach is recognized as director/designer Robert Wilson's and composer Philip Glass's greatest masterpiece. First-time viewers and an entirely new generation now have the rare opportunity to experience this seminal work live when it arrives at Zellerbach Hall as part of a major international tour, commissioned, in part, by Cal Performances—the first fully staged performances west of the Hudson River.
Einstein on the Beach breaks all of the rules of conventional opera. Instead of writing for traditional orchestral instrumentation, composer Philip Glass chose to compose the work for the synthesizers, woodwinds, and voices of the Philip Glass Ensemble. Non-narrative in form, the work uses a series of powerful recurrent images as its main storytelling device, shown in juxtaposition with abstract dance sequences created by American choreographer Lucinda Childs.
The 2012 production of Einstein on the Beach, An Opera in Four Acts was commissioned by: Cal Performances University of California, Berkeley; BAM; the Barbican, London; Luminato, Toronto Festival of Arts and Creativity; De Nederlandse Opera/The Amsterdam Music Theatre; Opéra et Orchestre National de Montpellier Languedoc-Rousillon; University Musical Society of the University of Michigan
Produced by Pomegranate Arts, Inc.
Please note: Single tickets for this event are on sale now. Tickets went on sale December 2011; premium and some section 1 seating is currently sold out.
Related Events
Artist talk
Sun, Oct 28, 1 pm
Einstein on the Beach artists, director Robert Wilson, composer Phillip Glass and choreographer Lucinda Childs
Program Notes
Program notes are available approximately one week before the performance.
Multimedia
Artists Robert Wilson, Philip Glass and Lucinda Childs talk about the making of Einstein on the Beach, An Opera in Four Acts, which will have its West Coast premiere at Cal Performances October 26-218, 2012.
Official Trailer
Director's Notes
January 20, 2012
"There is an accumulation to the senses that we experience when we listen to a work of great depth, impact and length. In its 4 1/2 hours, Einstein draws you deeper and deeper into its musical, choreographic, dramatic, theatrical and visual world. By the final chord you are left wondering where this journey is going to go next, and, like at the beginning, when the doors open after the work has begun, it feels like the work has not ended even after the rapturous applause of the audience concluded.
As the three creative giants acknowledged the applause at the end I was left reflecting on the incredible contributions that Lucinda Childs, Philip Glass and Robert Wilson have made to the dance, music, and theater of our time. In recreating Einstein on the Beach, almost 40 years after its premiere, we can appreciate not only their individual contributions to each of their fields, but also, how together, like with every great ensemble, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
All credit and congratulations to Executive Producer Linda Brumbach for bringing this restaging to life, to our fellow co-commissioners Ken Fisher and Michael Kondziolka at the University Musical Society at Ann Arbor for staging these previews and for hosting the rehearsal period in this remarkable environment.
This was an evening not to be forgotten. It seems almost too long to have to wait until October for the Berkeley performances, but, as I said before, I await with great excitement and anticipation our performances at Zellerbach Hall. They will be historic — the first ever fully staged performances of Einstein on the Beach outside of New York.
Every good performance deserves a stunning cast party and tonight was no exception. A room full of everyone who helped bring this performance to the stage celebrated with a fitting cake, pictured here!
I'm in a car back to a hotel before an early flight back to the West Coast in time for the Eco Ensemble's performance in Hertz Hall tomorrow evening — another not to be missed event."
— Matís Tarnopolsky, Director of Cal Performances
(regarding the opening night preview performance of Einstein on the Beach at the University Musical Society)
6 pm
(House open at 5:30)
5 pm
(House open at 4:30)
3 pm
(House open at 2:30)
Venue: Zellerbach Hall
Price: Prices start at $35
Please note: Tickets for Einstein on the Beach will be mailed Summer 2012, so the normal 5-7 delivery time does not apply with this event.
Please note that this Exclusive Engagement is part of Cal Performances' 2012/13 Season. Single ticket and Subscriber discounts do not apply and the event will not be available as part of any Series or Choose-Your-Own Subscription. Prices subject to change
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