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US Premiere of Kurt Weill's The Road of Promise at Carnegie Hall

May. 05, 2015

US Premiere of Kurt Weill's <em>The Road of Promise</em> at Carnegie Hall

The Collegiate Chorale presents the US premiere of The Road of Promise, a new concert adaptation of Kurt Weill and Franz Werfel’s 1937 epic musical spectacle, The Eternal Road, at Carnegie Hall on May 6-7. Conductor/director Ted Sperling leads the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, a 200-voice chorus, and a cast that features Anthony Dean Griffey, Mark Delavan, Philip Cutlip, Ron Rifkin, AJ Glueckert, Eli Tokash and Lotte Lenya Competition Winners Lauren Michelle, Megan Marino, and Justin Hopkins. Video projections are by Broadway designer Wendall Harrington.

Adapted by Ed Harsh from the original stage work, The Road of Promise combines a story about a synagogue under threat of persecution with defining stories from the Old Testament. As the congregation awaits their fate, a 13-year old boy appears who knows nothing of his Jewish heritage or faith. The Rabbi enlightens the boy and gives the community strength by recounting the stories of Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Miriam, Moses, Ruth, Isaiah, and more, all of which come alive through Weill's score. The young boy listens to the stories unfold and emerges as the new hope for his people.

In a special pre-concert talk on May 7 at 6 pm, presented in partnership with the Museum of Jewish Heritage, Collegiate Chorale Artistic Director Ted Sperling talks with Ed Harsh about the background, historical context, and score of The Road of Promise.

The performances of The Road of Promise will be recorded live at Carnegie Hall for release on the Navona Records label, distributed by Naxos Records.

Details on the performance can be found at collegiatechorale.org and carnegiehall.org.

For more information on Kurt Weill, visit kwf.org.

Kurt Weill
The Road of Promise (Die Verheißung) (2012)
Oratorio adapted from The Eternal Road, by Ed Harsh
Original German text by Franz Werfel; English lyrics by Ludwig Lewisohn, William A. Drake, 
and Charles Alan
2(2pic).1.3.2-4.3.3.1-timp.perc-hp.pno.synth.gtr-str
105'

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