Usher House

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Usher House: Opera in One Act

  • Prologue: “During the whole of a dull, dark and soundless day”
  • Scene One: “Can it be five years my friend?”
  • Scene One: “Where is my lady, o where is she gone?”
  • Scene One: “She was my model in writing”
  • Scene Two: “Lady Heliane Usher”
  • Scene Three: “And now it is time to bid our silent farewells”
  • Scene Four: “We are particularly honored to receive our guest”
  • Scene Five: “Roderick, I must speak”

Credits

  • Libretto by Gordon Getty after Edgar Allan Poe
  • Christian Elsner, tenor
  • Etienne Dupuis, baritone
  • Phillip Ens, bass
  • Lisa Delan, soprano
  • With special guest Benedict Cumberbatch
  • Orquestra Gulbenkian
  • Lawrence Foster, conductor
  • Gordon Getty, composer
  • PENTATONE / Release date: 2013

Information

An opera in one act, Usher House is based on Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher.

“Poe’s inter-grown house and family of Usher are artworks of morbidity and malaise worthy of the spectacular climax he devised for them. He has preferred to make mood everything, saving almost all dialogue and explicit action for the closing scene.”  – Gordon Getty

Listen to or purchase the album

Watch behind the scenes interviews from the recording session.