Adams: International Tour of The Gospel According to the Other Mary
LA Phil takes John Adams’s new work to cities worldwide for the premiere of a new staged production
The world stage premiere of John Adams’s The Gospel According to the Other Mary will take place at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles Thursday, March 7 with additional performances March 8 and 10. These concerts come at the beginning of the LA Phil’s worldwide tour of this work which includes stops in London, Lucerne, Paris, and New York. The unstaged concert version of The Gospel According to the Other Mary was first performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic in May and June 2012 under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel who also will be conducting these upcoming concerts.
The Gospel According to the Other Mary tells the story of Mary Magdalene, and places the Biblical story in contemporary times, using elements of recent history and contemporary verse, similar to the use of materials the composer pioneered so successfully in El Niño (1999–2000). The libretto, compiled by Peter Sellars, is based on the New Testament stories of Lazarus and Jesus' Passion, and is combined with contemporary poems and texts by Dorothy Day, Louise Erdrich, Primo Levi, Rosario Castellanos, June Jordan, Hildegard von Bingen, and Rubén Darío. Three countertenors narrate the story, joining a cast featuring a mezzo-soprano, contralto, and tenor, in addition to the orchestra and full chorus. Similar to the nativity oratorio El Niño, The Gospel According to the Other Mary is intended to co-exist as a work for the concert hall and stage. Sellars, Adams's longtime collaborator, directs this new staged production.
The Gospel According to the Other Mary features mezzo-sopranos Kelley O’Connor (in the lead role as Mary Magdalene) and Tamara Mumford (as Martha), tenor Russell Thomas (as Lazarus), countertenors Daniel Bubeck, Brian Cummings, and Nathan Medley, as well as the Los Angeles Master Chorale. The work was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association; Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts; the Barbican, London; the Lucerne Festival; Cité de la musique – Salle Pleyel; and the NTR ZaterdagMatinee.
> Click here to watch John Adams and Peter Sellars discuss The Gospel According to the Other Mary.
> View the online score to The Gospel According to the Other Mary.
Thursday, March 7 at 7:30 PM
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Los Angeles, CA
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Friday, March 8 at 7:30 PM
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Los Angeles, CA
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Sunday, March 10 at 2:00 PM
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Los Angeles, CA
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Saturday, March 16 at 7:30 PM
Barbican
London, United Kingdom
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Wednesday, March 20 at 7:30 PM
KKL
Lucerne, Switzerland
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Saturday, March 23 at 8:00 PM
Salle Pleyel
Paris, France
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Wednesday, March 27 at 7:30 PM
Avery Fisher Hall
New York, NY
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> Further information on Work: The Gospel According to the Other Mary
Photo: Margaretta Mitchell