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Stewart Wallace
Kabbalah
| Subtitle | dance opera in seven movements |
|---|---|
| Text information | libretto by Michael Korie |
| Year(s) composed | 1989 |
| Publisher | Schott Music |
| Instrumentation | Reed I:fl.afl.bcl.ssax-Reed II:fl.ob.ca.cl.bcl-1perc(wdbl, b.d, mar, dulcimer, tabla, talking drum, timb, cong)-pno(hpd)-vc.db |
| Duration | 90' |
| Movements | I. Sha'ar Yetzirah - II. Sha'ar HaBrit - III. Sha'ar Shemot - IV. Sha'ar Tikkon - V. Sha'ar Hechalot - VI. Sha'ar Sitra Ahra - VII. Sha'ar HaShabbat (Sh'ma) |
| Premiere | November 1989; New York, NY; Brooklyn Academy of Music's Next Wave Festival 1989; Conductor: Joshua Rosenblum · Staging: Ann Carlson · Choreography: Ann Carlson |
| Language | Hebrew - Aramaic - Medieval Spanish - German - English |
| Roles | Tiferet · soprano - Malchut · soprano - Binah · mezzo-soprano - Hod · alto / mezzo - Gevurah · contralto - Chochmah · tenor - Netzach · baritone - Yesod · baritone - Chesed · bass-baritone - Keter · bass |
| Composer note | Kabbalah is an abstract dance opera in seven movements that traces the development of Jewish mystical thought. It presents an unbroken string of rituals intoned by ten singers, and is predominantly performed in languages of exile: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Medieval Spanish and German. The text of its middle movement is extracted from conversations between the opera’s collaborators and a rabbi of Jerusalem’s Western Wall. A profoundly meditative experience, Kabbalah thoughtfully represents the repressed history of Jewish mysticism. Wallace’s score blends Middle Eastern tonalities with quasi-minimalist structures, contemporary techniques, and shades of jazz. The accompanying ensemble consists of five performers who employ a stunning variety of instruments, including the harpsichord, tabla, talking drum, and hammer dulcimer. |