Where does the play Doctor Atomic take place?
In Doctor Atomic, the action takes place in the Los Alamos Laboratory in New Mexico In Doctor Atomic, the librettist drew on texts from the scientists involved, government documents, poetry from John Donne, Bauedelaire and sacred Hindu scripture Composers of historical operas strive for documentary-style accuracy.
What is the opera Doctor Atomic about?
Doctor Atomic. Doctor Atomic is an opera by the contemporary American composer John Adams, with libretto by Peter Sellars. It premiered at the San Francisco Opera on October 1, 2005. The work focuses on the great stress and anxiety experienced by those at Los Alamos while the test of the first atomic bomb (the "Trinity" test) was being prepared.
What is Doctor Atomic?
Doctor Atomic is an opera by the contemporary American composer John Adams, with libretto by Peter Sellars.
When did Doctor Atomic by John Adams come out?
Doctor Atomic. Doctor Atomic is an opera by the contemporary American composer John Adams, with libretto by Peter Sellars. It premiered at the San Francisco Opera on October 1, 2005.
What is the storyline of Doctor Atomic?
Since the surrender of Germany, many of the scientists have begun to question the necessity of using the bomb against Japan. Edward Teller and Robert Wilson are especially troubled by the moral and social implications and try to convince the others to sign a petition to President Truman.
What kind of opera is Doctor Atomic?
Doctor Atomic is an opera by the contemporary American composer John Adams, with libretto by Peter Sellars. It premiered at the San Francisco Opera on October 1, 2005....Roles.RoleVoice typePremiere cast, October 1, 2005 Conductor: Donald RunniclesPasqualitamezzo-soprano or contraltoBeth Clayton7 more rows
What year does Dr atomic take place?
1945Synopsis. The opera begins in June of 1945, a few weeks before the Trinity Test. Since Germany's surrender in May, a group of scientists working on the bomb have begun to harbor misgivings about the planned use of the bomb against Japan.
Which of the following was a source for the libretto of Doctor Atomic?
The libretto of Doctor Atomic was created by Peter Sellars, drawing on original source material, including personal memoirs, recorded interviews, technical manuals of nuclear physics, declassified government documents, and the poetry of Muriel Rukeyser, an American poet and contemporary of Oppenheimer.
What are the 3 types of operas?
A Beginner's Guide to Opera GenresLike other forms of art and entertainment, opera has many different genres. We've rounded up some of the most common opera genres and the famous composers behind them.Opera Seria. If you ask someone to describe 'opera', usually the words drama and tragedy come to mind.Opera Verismo.
What are the 4 genres of opera?
Bel Canto. This Italian phrase means “beautiful singing”. ... Opera Buffa. Comic opera, always sung in Italian. ... Opera Seria. Serious opera. ... Grand Opera. Spectacular opera. ... Music Drama. A style of opera that is created by a single artist who writes both the text and the music to advance the drama.
Where did the atomic age take place?
Alamogordo, New MexicoThe first atomic bomb exploded on July 16, 1945, near Alamogordo, New Mexico, heralding the start of the Atomic Age. 75 years ago, the U.S. exploded its first atomic bomb, in the New Mexico desert. It was the culmination of 5 years of hurried development.
Where was the atomic bomb set?
Alamogordo Bombing RangeThe world's first nuclear explosion occurred on July 16, 1945, when a plutonium implosion device was tested at a site located 210 miles south of Los Alamos, New Mexico, on the plains of the Alamogordo Bombing Range, known as the Jornada del Muerto. The code name for the test was "Trinity."
When did the atomic bomb get set?
The United States detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August 1945, respectively. The two bombings killed between 129,000 and 226,000 people, most of whom were civilians, and remain the only use of nuclear weapons in armed conflict.
What city was home to a phenomenon described as downtown?
History. The scene the term describes began in 1960, when Yoko Ono, one of the early Fluxus artists, opened her loft at 112 Chambers Street, in a part of Lower Manhattan later named Tribeca, to be used as a performance space for a series curated by La Monte Young and Richard Maxfield.
Which instrument family is featured in understanding from Inura?
"Understanding," from Tania León's Inura includes a five-person percussion ensemble, only one of whom reads pitch-notated music.
Who wrote the text for the aria Batter my heart from Doctor Atomic?
The text is by John Donne. This is the first statement of the A section. Listen to each excerpt from "Batter My Heart" from Doctor Atomic.
What type of opera is in comic style?
opera buffa, (Italian: “comic opera”) genre of comic opera originating in Naples in the mid-18th century. It developed from the intermezzi, or interludes, performed between the acts of serious operas.
What type of opera is comic?
Comic opera is a genre of opera developed in the 17th century. The operas within the genre usually feature humorous plots, comedic characters and happy endings. However, they do not always have to follow such a happy theme. If the opera contains spoken dialogue it could also be classed as a type of comic opera.
What is the difference between comic opera and serious opera?
Opera seria is characterized by serious, historical dramas, a high vocal male lead, and a noble audience. Opera buffa, on the other hand, are comedic operas with a low vocal male lead that feature subjects of daily life.
What is German comic opera called?
singspiel, 18th-century opera in the German language, containing spoken dialogue and usually comic in tone. The earliest singspiels were light plays whose dialogue was interspersed with popular songs.
Where was Doctor Atomic first performed?
In addition to the original production at the San Francisco Opera in 2005, other notable productions of Doctor Atomic have been mounted at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 2007, Die Nederlandse Opera in Amsterdam in 2007, the Metropolitan Opera in New York City in 2008, the Curtis Opera Theatre in Philadelphia in 2017, Barbican Hall in London in 2017, and the Santa Fe Opera in 2018.
When was the Doctor Atomic opera premiered?
Date: Wednesday, June 20, 2018. Doctor Atomic is an opera composed by John Adams with a libretto by Peter Sellars. The opera, which premiered in 2005, takes place in the weeks leading up to the Trinity Test, the first-ever detonation of a nuclear weapon. J.
Who said we're watching opera move from being a decorative element for the wealthy to a socially engaged,?
A 1995 New York Times article quotes Peter Sellars , director of the original productions of both of these works, as saying that “we’re watching opera move from being a decorative element for the wealthy to a socially engaged, active participant in the question of the founding of our society.”.
Who is the director of Los Alamos Laboratory?
Robert Oppenheimer, director of the Los Alamos Laboratory, is the central character of the opera. Other historical figures involved in the Manhattan Project, including General Leslie Groves, Edward Teller, Robert R. Wilson, and Kitty Oppenheimer, are also represented.
Who is the composer of Doctor Atomic?
This wave of American innovation in the opera has continued up through today. The works of John Adams exemplify this trend. Even before Doctor Atomic, Adams had established himself as a prominent composer of contemporary American opera and classical music.
Is Oppenheimer a real person?
It is important to remember that the Oppenheimer of Doctor Atomic is not the man himself, but Oppenheimer as interpreted by and mediated through Adams and Sellars. This is true of all of the real-life historical figures portrayed in Doctor Atomic . Even when speaking—or singing—their own archivally recorded words, the characters of the opera should not be considered exact replicas of their historical counterparts in a given moment.
Storyline
The first act takes place about a month before the bomb is to be tested, and the second act is set in the early morning of July 16, 1945. During the second act, time frequently slows down for the characters and then snaps back into reality. — Ulf Kjell Gür
Did you know
I have not been acquainted with Doctor Atomic very long, in fact my first hearing of it was only a couple of weeks ago. It is very fascinating particularly in the story, though John Adams's music is every bit as good if not more so as Nixon in China.
Who is the doctor Atomic?
In the case of “Doctor Atomic” himself, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Sellars draws primarily from three vastly different sources, all known to have been familiar to the physicist: the 19th-century French poet Charles Baudelaire, the 17th-century English poet John Donne, and the Hindu sacred text called the Bhagavad Gita.
Who is the father of the atomic bomb?
The head of the Manhattan Project’s Los Alamos Laboratory, physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer is widely known as the “father of the atomic bomb.” His early work on bomb physics and his gifts as an orga- nizer led to his appointment as the Lab’s first director. Although he was at the center of the development of a fearsome weapon, Oppenheimer was also a highly cultivated intellectual who found nourishment in the Bhagavad Gita and the poetry of John Donne and Baudelaire. The complexity of the character made him a fascinating subject for John Adams and his collaborator Peter Sellars. (Photos: at left, © Halsman Estate; at right, courtesy Emilio Segrè Visual Archives)
What did Oppenheimer say about the bomb?
As Oppenheimer himself later stated of the bomb, “We knew the world would not be the same.”. In fact, the scientist would eventually speak out against President Truman’s decision to use the bomb, earning the wrath of the government and triggering a dramatic fall from grace.
What time does Groves get his test shot?
With the rain still coming down, Groves decides to take a chance on the storm’s passing, and Oppenheimer orders everybody to prepare for the test shot at 5:30 a.m. While Groves is plagued by fears of sabotage, Oppenheimer is in a state of extreme nervous exhaustion.
Who led the development of the atomic bomb?
New Mexico. June, 1945. Physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and Project Commander General Leslie Groves lead the development of the first atomic bomb, which nears completion. Since the surrender of Germany, many of the scientists have begun to question the necessity of using the bomb against Japan. Young physicists Edward Teller and Robert Wilson are especially troubled by the moral and social implications and try to convince the others to sign a petition to President Truman. Oppenheimer admonishes them. He has just returned from Washington and describes the decision to bomb Japanese cities, focusing on civilian targets.
What page is Oppenheimer's Voices on?
Oppenheimer’s Voices (page 17) and the Post-Show Discussion on page 36.
Where was the Trinity test site?
The “Trinity” test site near Alamogordo, New Mexico. July 15, 1945. It is the night of the test of the first atomic bomb. A massive electrical storm is lashing the test site, and the bomb, partially armed and hoisted on a high tower, is in danger of being struck by lightning.
Where does Doctor Atomic take place?
In Doctor Atomic, the action takes place. in the Los Alamos Laboratory in New Mexico. In Doctor Atomic, the librettist drew on texts from the scientists involved, government documents, poetry from John Donne, Bauedelaire and. sacred Hindu scripture.
What did the librettists draw on in Doctor Atomic?
In Doctor Atomic, the librettist drew on texts from the scientists involved, government documents, poetry from John Donne, Bauedelaire and
What are John Adams' operas?
John Adams's operas, Doctor Atomic, Nixon in China, and The Death of Klinghoffer, are all
