Paradises Lost

Paradises Lost
opera in two acts

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

music by Stephen Andrew Taylor
libretto by Marcia Johnson

What happens when you spend your whole life—entire generations—traveling toward a goal until the endpoint becomes otherworldly and unattainable? As voyagers on the starship Discovery are born and live their lives on a trip to colonize a distant planet, their metal-encased world becomes more tangible to them than Earth, which they have never seen. Hsing and Luis know that the ship's ultimate destination lies in the hands of future generations, but the followers of Bliss—a religion emerging from their cocoon in space—believe that the travelers are angels who should remain inside that spaceship heaven for eternity. In this world premiere, a star-faring adventure transforms into an inward journey of conflict and turmoil.

Paradises Lost, a 2002 science fiction novella by Ursula K. Le Guin, tells the story of the Discovery, on a 200-year voyage to explore and colonize a planet known as New Earth, or Shindychew. The ship is almost perfectly self-contained and self-sustaining, and life aboard is lively and comfortable. Hsing and Luis, members of the fifth generation, born during the voyage, know no other life, no other world. They see their purpose as keeping things going till the ship lands, many years from now. They confront the followers of Bliss, and plots arise on both sides: those who want to land on the planet and those who want to travel through heaven forever, in Bliss. When the voyage is unexpectedly shortened, conflict becomes crisis.

Excerpts from an early version of Paradises Lost were performed at the New York City Opera's VOX: Contemporary American Opera Lab, May 6-7, 2006. Since then, workshops have taken place with American Opera Projects and operamission in New York City, and Tapestry New Opera Works in Toronto. Instrumental excerpts have been performed in Amsterdam, Belgrade, New York City, Montréal, Mexico City, the Bali Art Festival, and Spoleto USA. On January 20, 2012, Third Angle of Portland, Oregon presented a 40-minute chamber version; a full production will take place at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Urbana, Illinois from April 26-29, 2012.

Major roles: Hsing, a young woman	soprano

Luis, a young man	baritone

Rosa, Hsing's classmate	coloratura soprano

Patel, archangel in Bliss	tenor

Canaval, ship's navigator	bass

Secondary roles: Uma, chair of Plenary Council Aki, Hsing's classmate Tirza, Hsing's friend	mezzo-soprano

Tan, head librarian Bingdi, Tan's son Ramdas, Luis's friend	tenor

The crew of Discovery	mixed chorus (optional; can also consist only of the above cast)

Note: The cast may consist of seven with double casting (possibly six if the tenor roles are combined), plus an optional ensemble.

January 20, 2012 - Third Angle, Portland, Oregon; Kaul Auditorium, Reed College
Part One Act 1, Scenes 1-5 (mp3, 32:08)
Part Two Act 2, Scenes 11, 14, 15 (mp3, 14:10)
Third Angle Ensemble with Marcia Johnson, narrator; Stephen Taylor conducting; JooYoung Bang, Hsing; Yaritza Zayas, Rosa; Joe Arko, Luis; Lee Steiner, Patel/Tan.
Georgeanne Ries, flute/piccolo; Mark Dubac, clarinet/bass clarinet; Chris Whyte, Gordon Rencher, percussion; Susan Smith, piano/celesta; Ron Blessinger, violin; Hamilton Cheifetz, cello

3 audio excerpts from 2006 early version, for the New York City Opera VOX festival (white noise added as copy protection)
Alive in the world are human beings, plants, and bacteria," Ensemble (mp3, 2:20)
"What is the sadness in you," Hsing and Luis (mp3, 1:49)
"That's what Zero Generation thought," Hsing and Rosa (mp3, 3:52)
New York City Opera, Steven Jarvi conducting; Misoon Ghim, Hsing; Caroline Worra, Rosa; Michael Chioldi, Luis.

Agoraphobia - instrumental excerpts from Act II, arranged for flute, harp and electronics

midi versions (Sibelius 7 orchestra mock-ups - for rehearsal only):
Act 1:
Scene 1 (4:17)
Scene 2 (6:36)
Scene 3 (8:36)
Scene 4 (5:59)
Scene 5 (3:11)
Scene 6 (4:57)
Scene 7 (5:42)
Scene 8 (4:20)
Scene 9 (4:00)
Scene 10 (2:30)
Scene 11 (3:30)
Scene 12 (6:50)
Scene 13 (4:30)
Scene 14 (2:30)
Scene 15 (4:50)

Act 2:
Scene 1 (4:00)
Scene 2 (5:14)
Scene 3 (2:40)
Scene 4 (4:01)
Scene 5 (5:02)
Scene 6 (6:43)
Scene 7 (5:37)
Scene 8 (4:10)
Epilogue (4:50)