Clarinetist

Samuel Barber is one of the most celebrated American composers of the twentieth century, and Vanessa was a hit upon arrival at the Metropolitan Opera in 1958 and won the Pulitzer. It could have remained in the canon as one of the great American operas of all time, but its unique brand of gothic creep and fiercely emotional music did not jive with the overly-academic tastes of the time, and over the following decades the piece receded into near-obscurity. Together with director R.B. Schlather, we have planned a reinvention of this classic, stripping away the gewgaws and doilies of its original imaginings, and allowing the riveting extremes of these palpable characters to break through. Heartbeat's version, adapted by Jacob Ashworth, pares the work down to five singers, trapped inside their own circumstances, with a new arrangement by Dan Schlosberg.

Vanessa 

Williamstown Theatre Festival

What do we do while we wait for the world to end? In a society at the height of decadence, where pop stars sing for despots’ birthdays, and even fools can be billionaires, it’s not only the prophets who are kept in cages. There’s one for each of us. In a decaying palace on the edge of the world, everyone is yearning for something to believe in. Sung in English to recapture the shock of Strauss’s scandalous classic, Heartbeat’s intimate new take features a fresh 10-instrument orchestration by Dan Schlosberg of one of Opera’s most extravagant scores.

Clarinetist

Louis Arques

Events

Past events

Jul 17 - Aug 3, 2025

Vanessa · Heartbeat Opera

4 - 16 Feb, 2025

Salome · Heartbeat Opera

Future and recently performed repertoire

Clarinet in Vanessa by Barber

Heartbeat Opera

About

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