Facing Goya: Difference between revisions

Facing Goya
Facing Goya
	Album cover of 2002 recording, conducted by the composer.
Studio album by Michael Nyman
Released	26 November 2002
Recorded	June 2001, March 2002, May 2002 (Abbey Road Studios); May 2002 (Snake Ranch)
Genre	Opera, Contemporary classical music, minimalism
Length	Disc 1: 71'56"; Disc 2: 61'54"
Language	English
Label	Warner Classics
Producer	Michael Nyman; Austin Ince
Michael Nyman chronology

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Facing Goya (2000) is an opera in four acts by Michael Nyman on a libretto by Victoria Hardie. It is an expansion of their one-act opera called Vital Statistics from 1987, dealing with such subjects as physiognomy, eugenics, and its practitioners, and also incorporates a musical motif from Nyman's art song, "The Kiss", inspired by a Paul Richards painting. Nyman also considers the work thematically tied to his other works, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, The Ogre, and Gattaca, though he does not quote any of these musically, save a very brief passage of the latter. It was premièred at the Auditorio de Galicia, Santiago de Compostela, Spain on 3 August 2000. The revision with the cast heard on the album premiered at the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, Germany, on October 19, 2002. Vital Statistics has been withdrawn. The Santiago version included more material from Vital Statistics.^[1] The opera was most recently performed at the 2014 Spoleto Festival USA, located in Charleston, South Carolina.

The expanded opera deals with the elitism and prejudice of various movements in pseudosciences and art criticism, wrapped around a thread of a desire to make a clone of Francisco Goya through use of his long-lost skull, which he hid from the likes of Paul Broca, and which the Art Banker finds under a floorboard in a "degenerate art" gallery in Act II. This skull is the object of numerous fights in the second and third acts, often with one character snatching it from another. The opera is non-realistic in its presentation, with only one through-character, the Art Banker. Indeed, when Goya does appear, it is not the result of cloning, but a purely fantastical device. Four other performers play different roles in each section who are thematically connected. In addition, two actors are called for in non-speaking roles. The Art Banker also speaks narration into a dictaphone, but this was omitted from the studio recording, though the lines are reprinted in the booklet.

Roles

Art Banker, a widow (contralto), loves Goya, but is corrupted by money. She foolishly wants to patent Goya's talent gene. Despite this, she is the most charismatic and sympathetic figure of the satire. She is a time tripper. An art banker is a person who deals in exchange of famous artworks among museums. This character is currently a specialist in the work of Goya.
Soprano 1 (coloratura), obsessed with science, she lives in her head, and is the one who ultimately cracks the human genome. (Craniometrist 1, Eugenicist/Art Critic 1, Microbiologist). At one point she nearly chokes herself with a tape measure, but continues to sing.
Soprano 2 (lyric), unhappy individualist who sees the dangers of racism in gene control. She is opposed to cloning and State ownership of genetic readouts. She does not believe that recreating a person recreates that person's talent. (Craniometery Assistant 2, Art Critic 2, Genetic Research Doctor)
Tenor, a shallow opportunist who believes eugenic theories are reflected in art. His greed leads him to want to make the first laboratory cloned human. A product of genetic engineering himself, he expresses his arrogance in the arietta, "I am an oil painting". (Craniometry Assistant 1, Eugenicist/Art Critic 3, Chief Executive of a Bio-Tech Company)
Baritone, he doesn't agree with anyone, and they don't like him. He is humorous and self-deprecating, fatalistic, and thinks little of the uniqueness in humankind. (Craniometrist 2, Art Critic 4, Genetic Academic, Francisco Goya)

Soldiers, apparition of Goya, craniometry interns, porters, lab technicians.

Setting

The play moves through three times and places (act 3 and 4 are the same location weeks apart, and all but the baritone remain the same character). The libretto calls for "a Goyaesque landscape of bare branches with bloody clothes hanging off them, and stones jutting out of the earth like gravestones, in the manner of a charcoal drawing." Projections of art and diagrams are used throughout the production.

Costumes

The Genetic Research Doctor (Soprano 2) "wears jeans and a sparkly T-shirt".

The Genetic Academic (Baritone) "wears bicycle clips and a helmet".

The Microbiologist (Soprano 1) "wears a thigh length zip top, leather miniskirt, and stud earrings."

Orchestration

This is the first opera Nyman has scored with his band in mind. The studio recording includes five violins, two violas, one cello, two double basses, two each soprano and alto saxes (doubled), baritone sax, flute, alto flute, piccolo, trumpet and flugelhorn (doubled), French horn, bass trombone (doubled), tuba (doubled), euphonium (doubled), and electric guitar.

Recording

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
MusicWeb International	(mostly favorable) [1]

A recording was released in 2002. It is Michael Nyman's 44th album. Alexander Balanescu left the band during the recording of this album, and his concertmaster seat awarded to Gabrielle Lester, who previously recorded with the band on La Sept (1989). Nyman's own label, MN Music, reissued the opera with a cover featuring his own photograph of a mass of dolls wrapped in plastic, in 2011. That edition contains a third disc with excerpts of Man and Boy: Dada and Love Counts.

Personnel

Cast

Hilary Summers as the Art Banker
Winnie Böwe as Soprano 1
Marie Angel as Soprano 2
Harry Niccoll as Tenor
Omar Ebrahim as Baritone

The Michael Nyman Band

Alexander Balanescu, violin (leader, Acts 1-3)
Gabrielle Lester, violin (leader, act 4)
Catherine Thompson, violin
Gillian Findlay, violin
Katherine Shave, violin
Catherine Musker, viola
Bruce White, viola
Tony Hinnigan, cello
Roger Linley, double bass
Steven Williams, double bass
Martin Elliott, bass guitar
David Roach, soprano, alto sax
Simon Haram, soprano, alto sax
Andrew Findon, baritone sax, flute, alto flute, piccolo
Steve Sidwell, trumpet, flugelhorn
Nigel Gomm, trumpet, flugelhorn
David Lee, French horn
Nigel Barr, bass trombone, tuba, euphonium
Andrew Fawbert, bass trombone, tuba, euphonium
James Woodrow, electric guitar
Conducted by Michael Nyman

Crew

Produced by Michael Nyman and Austin Ince
Engineer: Austin Ince
Assistant Engineers: Andrew Dudman, Roland Heap, Ryu Kawashima, Andrew Nicholls, Paul Richardson, Alex Scannell
Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, June 2001, March 2002 and May 2002
Snake Ranch, May 2002
Mixed at Sony Music Studios London, London, June and July 2002
Mastered by Bob Whitney at Sony Studios, London, August 2002
A&R: Dirk Lange
Executive Producer: Elizabeth Lloyd
Production coordinator: Sarah Morley
Assistant Coordinator: Miranda Westcott
Composer's Assistant: Robert Worby
Special thanks: Vivienne Guiness, Nicholas Hare, Michael Hastings, Jude Kelly, Graham Sheffield, Harry Lyth, James Mackay, Julio Marti, Jonathan Moore, Michael Neve, Karen Price, James Rushton, Neil Wallace
Published by Chester Music Limited/Michael Nyman Limited 2002
Project Manager: Lee Woollard
Editorial Assistant: Christian Müller
Translations: French, Olivier Laruaz-Gaillard - German, Almut Lenz-Konrad - Spanish, Ángel Seoane
Art direction and cover illustrations: Thierry Cohen, Paris
Cover illustrations contain a detail of Petrus Camper, drawing, and portrait of Francisco Goya
Special thanks to Max for the x-ray of his skull.

References

Libretto by Victoria Hardie. Essays by Michael Nyman, Robert Worby, and Dr. Michael Neve in the booklet of the album, Warner Classics 0927-45342-2

^ Pwyll ap Siôn. The Music of Michael Nyman: Text, Context and Intertext. Aldershot, Hants: Ashgate Publishing, 2007. p. 197

External links

Official Site

[1] Pwyll ap Siôn. The Music of Michael Nyman: Text, Context and Intertext. Aldershot, Hants: Ashgate Publishing, 2007. p. 197

[1]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
-{{Nyman operas}}
-'''''Facing Goya''''' ([[2000 in music|2000]]) is an [[opera]] in four acts by [[Michael Nyman]] on a [[libretto]] by [[Victoria Hardie]].  It is an expansion of their one-act opera called '''''Vital Statistics''''' from [[1987]], dealing with such subjects as [[physiognomy]] and its practitioners, and also incorporates a musical motif from Nyman's [[art song]], "[[The Kiss and Other Movements#The Kiss|The Kiss]]", inspired by a [[Paul Richards]] [[painting]].  Nyman also considers the work thematically tied to his other works, ''[[The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (opera)|The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat]]'', ''[[The Ogre (film)|The Ogre]]'', and ''[[Gattaca]]'', though he does not quote any of these musically, save a very brief passage of the latter.  It was premièred at the [[Auditorio de Galicia]], [[Santiago de Compostela, Spain]] on August 3, 2000.  The revision with the cast heard on the album premirered at the [[Badisches Straatstheater]] in [[Karlsruhe]], [[Germany]], on October 19, 2002.  ''Vital Statistics'' has been withdrawn.  The Santiago version included more material from ''Vital Statistics''.<ref>Pwyll ap Siôn.  ''The Music of Michael Nyman:  Text, Context and Intertext''.  [[Aldershot]], [[Hampshire|Hants]]:  [[Ashgate Publishing]], 2007.  p. 197</ref>
+'''''Facing Goya''''' ([[2000 in music|2000]]) is an [[opera]] in four acts by [[Michael Nyman]] on a [[libretto]] by [[Victoria Hardie]].  It is an expansion of their one-act opera called '''''Vital Statistics''''' from 1987, dealing with such subjects as [[physiognomy]], [[eugenics]], and its practitioners, and also incorporates a musical motif from Nyman's [[art song]], "[[The Kiss and Other Movements#The Kiss|The Kiss]]", inspired by a [[Paul Richards (artist)|Paul Richards]] [[painting]].  Nyman also considers the work thematically tied to his other works, ''[[The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (opera)|The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat]]'', ''[[The Ogre (1996 film)|The Ogre]]'', and ''[[Gattaca]]'', though he does not quote any of these musically, save a very brief passage of the latter.  It was premièred at the [[Auditorio de Galicia]], [[Santiago de Compostela, Spain]] on 3 August 2000.  The revision with the cast heard on the album premiered at the [[Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe]], [[Germany]], on October 19, 2002.  ''Vital Statistics'' has been withdrawn.  The Santiago version included more material from ''Vital Statistics''.<ref>Pwyll ap Siôn.  ''The Music of Michael Nyman:  Text, Context and Intertext''.  [[Aldershot]], [[Hampshire|Hants]]:  [[Ashgate Publishing]], 2007.  p. 197</ref> The opera was most recently performed at the 2014 Spoleto Festival USA, located in Charleston, South Carolina.
 The expanded opera deals with the [[elitism]] and [[prejudice]] of various movements in [[pseudosciences]] and [[art criticism]], wrapped around a thread of a desire to make a [[Clone (genetics)|clone]] of [[Francisco Goya]] through use of his long-lost [[Human skull|skull]], which he hid from the likes of [[Paul Broca]], and which the Art Banker finds under a floorboard in a "[[degenerate art]]" gallery in Act II.    This skull is the object of numerous fights in the second and third acts, often with one character snatching it from another.  The opera is non-realistic in its presentation, with only one through-character, the Art Banker.  Indeed, when Goya does appear, it is not the result of cloning, but a purely fantastical device.  Four other performers play different roles in each section who are thematically connected.  In addition, two [[actor]]s are called for in non-speaking roles.  The Art Banker also speaks narration into a [[dictaphone]], but this was omitted from the studio recording, though the lines are reprinted in the booklet.
@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 *[[Art Banker]], a [[widow]] ([[contralto]]), loves Goya, but is corrupted by money.  She foolishly wants to patent Goya's talent gene.  Despite this, she is the most charismatic and sympathetic figure of the [[satire]].  She is a time tripper.  An art banker is a person who deals in exchange of famous artworks among museums.  This character is currently a specialist in the work of Goya.
 *[[Soprano]] 1 ([[coloratura]]), obsessed with science, she lives in her head, and is the one who ultimately cracks the human genome.  ([[Craniometry|Craniometrist]] 1, [[Eugenicist]]/Art Critic 1, [[Microbiologist]]).  At one point she nearly chokes herself with a tape measure, but continues to sing.
-*Soprano 2 ([[soprano|lyric]]), unhappy indvidualist who sees the dangers of [[racism]] in gene control.  She is opposed to cloning and State ownership of genetic readouts.  She does not believe that recreating a person recreates that person's talent. (Craniometery Assistant 2, Art Critic 2, [[Genetics|Genetic]] [[Research]] [[Physician|Doctor]])
+*Soprano 2 ([[soprano|lyric]]), unhappy individualist who sees the dangers of [[racism]] in gene control.  She is opposed to cloning and State ownership of genetic readouts.  She does not believe that recreating a person recreates that person's talent. (Craniometery Assistant 2, Art Critic 2, [[Genetics|Genetic]] [[Research]] [[Physician|Doctor]])
-*[[Tenor]], a shallow opportunist who believes eugenic theories are reflected in art.  His greed leads him to want to make the first laboratory cloned human.  A product of genetic engineering himself, he expresses his arrogance in the [[arietta]], "I am an oil painting".  (Craniometry Assistant 1, Eugenicist/Art Critic 3, [[Chief Executive]] of a [[Biotechnology|Bio-Tech]] Company)
+*[[Tenor]], a shallow opportunist who believes eugenic theories are reflected in art.  His greed leads him to want to make the first laboratory cloned human.  A product of genetic engineering himself, he expresses his arrogance in the [[aria|arietta]], "I am an oil painting".  (Craniometry Assistant 1, Eugenicist/Art Critic 3, [[Chief Executive]] of a [[Biotechnology|Bio-Tech]] Company)
 *[[Baritone]], he doesn't agree with anyone, and they don't like him.  He is humorous and self-deprecating, fatalistic, and thinks little of the uniqueness in humankind. (Craniometrist 2, Art Critic 4, Genetic [[Academic]], Francisco Goya)
-Soldiers, apparition of Goya, craniometry interns, porters, lab technicians.
+Soldiers, apparition of [[Francisco Goya|Goya]], craniometry interns, porters, lab technicians.
 ==Setting==
-The play moves through three times and places (act 3 and 4 are the same location weeks apart, and all but the baritone remain the same character).  The libretto calls for "a Goyaesque landscape of bare [[branches]] with [[bloody]] [[clothes]] hanging off them, and [[Rock (geology)|stones]] jutting out of the [[earth]] like [[gravestones]], in the manner of a [[charcoal]] [[drawing]]."  [[Slide projector|Projection]]s of art and [[diagrams]] are used throughout the production.
+The play moves through three times and places (act 3 and 4 are the same location weeks apart, and all but the baritone remain the same character).  The libretto calls for "a [[Francisco Goya|Goya]]esque landscape of bare [[branches]] with [[bloody]] [[clothes]] hanging off them, and [[Rock (geology)|stones]] jutting out of the [[earth]] like [[gravestones]], in the manner of a [[charcoal]] [[drawing]]."  [[Slide projector|Projection]]s of art and [[diagrams]] are used throughout the production.
 ==Costumes==
@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 ==Recording==
+{{Infobox album
-{{Infobox Album <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Albums -->
-| Name        = Facing Goya
+| name         = Facing Goya
-| Type        = studio
+| type         = studio
-| Longtype    =
+| artist       = [[Michael Nyman]]
-| Artist      = [[Michael Nyman]]
+| cover        = FacingGoya.jpg
+| caption      = Album cover of 2002 recording, [[conducting|conducted]] by the composer.
-| Cover       = FacingGoya.jpg
+| released     = 26 November 2002
-| Cover size  = 200
-| Caption     = Album cover of 2002 recording, [[conducting|conducted]] by the composer.
+| recorded     = June 2001, March 2002, May 2002 ([[Abbey Road Studios]])<br />May 2002 ([[Snake Ranch]])
-| Released    = November 26, 2002
+| venue        =
+| studio       =
-| Recorded    = June 2001, March 2002, May 2002 ([[Abbey Road Studios]])<br/>May 2002 ([[Snake Ranch]])
-| Genre       = [[Opera]], [[Contemporary classical music]], [[Minimalist music|minimalism]]
+| genre        = [[Opera]], [[Contemporary classical music]], [[Minimalist music|minimalism]]
-| Length      = Disc 1: 71'56"<br>Disc 2: 61'54"
+| length       = Disc 1: 71'56"<br />Disc 2: 61'54"
-| Language    = English
+| language     = English
-| Label       = [[Warner Music|Warner Classics]]
+| label        = [[Warner Music|Warner Classics]]
+| producer     = Michael Nyman<br />[[Austin Ince]]
-| Director    =
+| prev_title   = [[String Quartets 2, 3 & 4/If & Why]]
-| Producer    = Michael Nyman<br>[[Austin Ince]]
+| prev_year        = 2002
-| Reviews     = [[MusicWeb International]] (mostly favorable) [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2003/Mar03/Nyman_goya.htm]
-| Compiler    =
+| year         = 2002
+| next_title   = [[24 Hours in the Life of a Woman (2002 film)|24 Heures de la vie d'une femme]]
-| Chronology  =
+| next_year        = 2003
-| Last album  = [[String Quartets 2, 3 & 4/If & Why]]<br>2002
+}}{{Album ratings
-| This album  = Facing Goya<br>2002
+| rev1      =[[MusicWeb International]]
-| Next album  = [[24 Heures de la vie d'une femme]]<br>2003
+| rev1Score = (mostly favorable) [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2003/Mar03/Nyman_goya.htm]}}
-| Misc        =
-}}
 A recording was released in [[2002 in music|2002]].  It is Michael Nyman's 44th album.  [[Alexander Balanescu]] left the band during the recording of this album, and his [[concertmaster]] seat awarded to [[Gabrielle Lester]], who previously recorded with the band on ''[[La Sept]]'' (1989).  Nyman's own label, [[MN Music]], reissued the opera with a cover featuring his own photograph of a mass of dolls wrapped in plastic, in 2011.  That edition contains a third disc with excerpts of ''[[Man and Boy: Dada]]'' and ''[[Love Counts]]''.
 ===Personnel===
 ====Cast====
 *[[Hilary Summers]] as the Art Banker
 *[[Winnie Böwe]] as Soprano 1
-*[[Marie Angel]] as Soprano 2
+*[[Marie Angel (singer)|Marie Angel]] as Soprano 2
 *[[Harry Niccoll]] as Tenor
 *[[Omar Ebrahim]] as Baritone
@@ Line 64: / Line 64: @@
 *[[Alexander Balanescu]], violin (leader, Acts 1-3)
 *[[Gabrielle Lester]], violin (leader, act 4)
 *[[Catherine Thompson]], violin
 *[[Gillian Findlay (musician)|Gillian Findlay]], violin
 *[[Katherine Shave]], violin
 *[[Kate Musker|Catherine Musker]], viola
 *[[Bruce White (musician)|Bruce White]], viola
+*Tony Hinnigan, cello
-*[[Tony Hinnigan]], cello
 *[[Roger Linley]], double bass
 *[[Steven Williams (musician)|Steven Williams]], double bass
 *[[Martin Elliott (musician)|Martin Elliott]], bass guitar
 *[[David Roach (saxophonist)|David Roach]], soprano, alto sax
 *[[Simon Haram]], soprano, alto sax
-*[[Andrew Findon]], bartione sax, flute, alto flute, piccolo
+*[[Andrew Findon]], baritone sax, flute, alto flute, piccolo
 *[[Steve Sidwell (musician)|Steve Sidwell]], trumpet, flugelhorn
 *[[Nigel Gomm]], trumpet, flugelhorn
@@ Line 87: / Line 81: @@
 *[[Nigel Barr]], bass trombone, tuba, euphonium
 *[[Andrew Fawbert]], bass trombone, tuba, euphonium
+*[[James Woodrow (musician)|James Woodrow]], electric guitar
-*[[James Woodrow]], electric guitar
 *Conducted by [[Michael Nyman]]
@@ Line 96: / Line 88: @@
 *Engineer: Austin Ince
 *Assistant Engineers:  [[Andrew Dudman]], [[Roland Heap]], [[Ryu Kawashima]], [[Andrew Nicholls]], Paul Richardson, [[Alex Scannell]]
+*Recorded at [[Abbey Road Studios]], London, June 2001, March 2002 and May 2002<br />Snake Ranch, May 2002
-*Recorded at [[Abbey Road Studios]], London, June 2001, March 2002 and May 2002<br>Snake Ranch, May 2002
+*Mixed at [[Sony Music Studios London]], London, June and July 2002
+*Mastered by [[Bob Whitney (engineer)|Bob Whitney]] at Sony Studios, London, August 2002
-*Mixed at [[Sony Studios]], London, June and July 2002
-*Mastered by [[Bob Whitney]] at Sony Studios, London, August 2002
 *[[A&R]]:  [[Dirk Lange]]
-*Executive Producer: [[Elizabeth Lloyd]]
+*Executive Producer: Elizabeth Lloyd
 *Production coordinator: [[Sarah Morley]]
 *Assistant Coordinator: [[Miranda Westcott]]
 *Composer's Assistant: [[Robert Worby]]
+*Special thanks:  [[Vivienne Guiness]], [[Nicholas Hare]], [[Michael Hastings (playwright)|Michael Hastings]], [[Jude Kelly]], [[Graham Sheffield]], [[Harry Lyth]], James Mackay, [[Julio Marti]], [[Jonathan Moore (opera)|Jonathan Moore]], [[Michael Neve]], [[Karen Price]], [[James Rushton]], [[Neil Wallace]]
-*Special thanks:  [[Vivienne Guiness]], [[Nicholas Hare]], [[Michael Hastings (playwright)|Michael Hastings]], [[Jude Kelly]], [[Graham Sheffield]], [[Harry Lyth]], [[James Mackay]], [[Julio Marti]], [[Jonathan Moore (opera)|Jonathan Moore]], [[Michael Neve]], [[Karen Price]], [[James Rushton]], [[Neil Wallace]]
 *Published by [[Chester Music Limited]]/Michael Nyman Limited 2002
 *Project Manager: Lee Woollard
 *Editorial Assistant: Christian Müller
 *Translations:  [[French language|French]], Olivier Laruaz-Gaillard - [[German language|German]], [[Almut Lenz-Konrad]] - [[Spanish language|Spanish]], [[Ángel Seoane]]
 *Art direction and cover illustrations: Thierry Cohen, [[Paris]]
 *Cover illustrations contain a detail of [[Petrus Camper]], drawing, and portrait of [[Francisco Goya]]
@@ Line 123: / Line 107: @@
 ==References==
 Libretto by Victoria Hardie.  Essays by Michael Nyman, [[Robert Worby]], and [[Dr. Michael Neve]] in the booklet of the album, [[Warner Classics]] 0927-45342-2
+{{Reflist}}
-<references/>
 ==External links==
-[http://www.michaelnyman.com/music/recordings/show/facing-goya Official Site]
+* [https://web.archive.org/web/20101027124755/http://www.michaelnyman.com/music/recordings/show/facing-goya Official Site]
 {{Michael Nyman}}
+{{Authority control}}
 [[Category:Operas by Michael Nyman]]
@@ Line 134: / Line 119: @@
 [[Category:Minimalist operas]]
 [[Category:2000 operas]]
+[[Category:2002 classical albums]]
 [[Category:Operas]]
+[[Category:Cultural depictions of Francisco Goya]]

Authority control databases
International	VIAF
National	Germany France BnF data
Other	MusicBrainz release group