Paradises Lost
 opera in two acts (in progress)

based on the novella by Ursula K. Le Guin
from the story collection The Birthday of the World

music by Stephen Andrew Taylor
libretto by Marcia Johnson

Excerpts from an early version of Paradises Lost were performed at the New York City Opera's festival VOX: Showcasing American Composers, May 6-7, 2006, conducted by Steven Jarvi. Workshops have also taken place with American Opera Projects in New York City, and Tapestry New Opera Works in Toronto. Instrumental excerpts have been performed in Amsterdam, Belgrade, New York City, Montreal, Mexico City, and the Bali Art Festival.

Plot Synopsis

Paradises Lost, a 2002 science fiction novella by Ursula K. Le Guin, tells the story of the starship Discovery: a “generation ship” in the midst of a 200-year voyage of exploration and colonization to a planet known as New Earth, or Shindychew. Hsing and Luis, members of the fifth generation born during the voyage, expect to spend their entire lives in transit. But they must confront the followers of “Bliss,” a new religion that has arisen en route. Bliss teaches that the voyagers’ destiny is to travel in space—literally, in heaven—for eternity. Plots arise on both sides: those who want to land on the planet and those who want to travel through heaven forever, in Bliss, and conflict eventually overwhelms the ship.

Cast of characters

Hsing, a young woman mezzo-soprano
   
Luis, a young man baritone
   
Rosa, Hsing's classmate coloratura soprano
   
Patel, archangel in Bliss
Tan, head librarian
Bingdi, Tan's son		 tenor (double-cast)
 
Canaval, ship's navigator bass
   
Uma, chair of Managerial Council
Aki, Hsing's classmate 		alto (double-cast)
   
The crew of Discovery mixed chorus (optional; can also consist only of the above cast)

Chamber orchestra (16 players) with laptop computer

2 audio excerpts:
"What is the sadness in you" (mp3, 1:49)
"Alive in the world are human beings, plants, and bacteria" (mp3, 2:20)

midi versions (very rough) of the current work in progress:
Prologue (1:14)
Scene 1 (3:01)
Scene 2 (6:26)
Scene 3 (7:53)
Scene 4 prelude (1:38)
Scene 4 (3:47)
Scene 5 (2:57)
Scene 6 (5:05)

An early version of this work was funded in part by the Composer Assistance Program of the American Music Center.


Last updated January 4, 2010 by Stephen Andrew Taylor, staylor7@uiuc.edu