828C1238-33B0-475D-B0B4-4A9A49B42C61
| ID | 828C1238-33B0-475D-B0B4-4A9A49B42C61 |
|---|---|
| Titlecode | R00115 |
| Title Name | A Place to Call Home |
| Marketing Copy | (not set) |
| Instrumentation | Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor, Baritone Soli SATB Chorus, Piano, Electric Keyboard, 2 Percussion(both multiple) |
| Commission | Commissioned by Los Angeles Music Center Opera, 1992 |
| Dedication | (not set) |
| Program Notes | My original idea for A Place to Call Home was to create an updated version of an ancient Aztec legend, replacing the obstacles faced by a young man on his mythic journey with those faced by young people immigrating to modern-day Los Angeles. In researching the opera, I spoke with Guatamalean and Salvadoran refugees at the Central American Refugee Center near downtown L.A., with Chinese, Mexican, Nicaraguan, and Korean students at Belmont High School, and witht he people of my neighborhood -- the Cambodian woman who runs the donut shop on Sunset near my house; the Iranian man who repairs bicycles on Fountain Avenue; and the Vietnamese man who cuts my hair. As I listened to their stories, one thing became apparent: While all of thes people shared certain factors in their immigration and /or refugee experiences, they had each made very different choices and changes in their lives as a result of their journeys. I decided to throw out the Aztec myth and instead write a contemporary ensemble show with a lot of stories and different points of view -- one that would reflect the tapestry of life I'd discovered in the immigrant community. The first version of A Place to Call Home was a forty-minute work designed to introduce high school students to opera. At each of fifteen different schools, a different group of high school students -- untrained in the performing arts -- performed as the chorus alongside professional opera singers. Before each performance, those of us involved in that first L.A. Opera production last March would wait nervously as hundreds of screaming teenagers filled the auditoriums for a fourth-period assembly. Rival gang members were separated to minimize tensions; principals demanded silence. The lights went down; the music started. Would we survive? Much to our surprise, we did. And...the audience liked it. With these performances, A Place to Call Home continues on its travels. From Aztec myth to urban high school auditoriums, we've now arrived at the outdoor John Anson Ford Amphitheatre in a brand new production. I spent part of my summer reworking and expanding A Place to Call Home to include roles for students at the L.A. County High School for the aRts, and adapting the work to make use of the large outdoor space. Faced with a whole new set of challenges, I took actions similar to those taken by the characters in the show: I made some choices, took some chances, and set the changes in motion. Finding "home" for A Place to Call Home has been an unusual journey. But, as the lyric in the show says, "Home isn't where you're from but where you've made it to." -- Edward Barnes |
| Title Brand | 2 |
| Year Composed | 1992 |
| Copyright Number | (not set) |
| Copyright Year | (not set) |
| Duration | 60 |
| Ensemble Size | 12 |
| Date Created | 2008-10-31 20:33:21.000000 |
| Date Updated | 2025-09-30 20:33:21 |
| Inhouse Note | (not set) |
| Bsc Code | (not set) |
| Text Author | Libretto by Edward Barnes. |
| Premier Performance Memo | -University of Texas-El Paso/ Victor Chacon. 06, 07, 08, 09 Apr 95. -Los Angeles Music Center Opera. 09 - 13 Oct 93. -Los Angeles Music Center Opera. 28 Feb - 20 Mar 92. California Tour. |
| Recording Credits | (not set) |
| Review | "This piece will serve as an excellent introduction for young people to the world of opera. The music is enjoyable for children, popular enough for teenagers, and sophisticated enough for adults. In addition, with its pertinent themes, it will give plenty to talk about when they get home." --Llewellyn Crain<BR><BR> "Barnes' music...was fun and fast-paced and proved eminently singable and danceable..." <BR>--John Farrell, Pasadena Star-Tribune<BR><BR> "I call it new music theater. I don't call it an opera because people think of 'La Traviata' and Wagner. And if I say it's a musical, they think 'Oklahoma.' It is sung beginning to end and sung by opera singers, but there are lots of pop styles influencing what's going on, and it's a rapid-paced theatrical thing...I either work with opera or music theater and my work fits somewhere in between." <BR>-- Edward Barnes |
| Awards | (not set) |
| Title Category | 6 |
| Title Movements | (not set) |
| Title Grade | (not set) |
| Set Series ID | (not set) |
| Title Instrument Category Text | Children's Opera |
| Title Sub Category Text | (not set) |
| Title Sub Category | 40 |
| Title Instrument Header | 40 |
| Title Grade Text | (not set) |
| Clean Url | a-place-to-call-home-r00115 |