Lost Highway (opera)

Lost Highway is a 2003 opera adaptation of the 1997 David Lynch film of the same name, by Austrian composer Olga Neuwirth with the libretto by 2004 Nobel Prize-winner Elfriede Jelinek.

Lost Highway
Opera by Olga Neuwirth
LibrettistElfriede Jelinek
LanguageEnglish
Based onDavid Lynch's 1997 film Lost Highway
Premiere
2003 (2003)
Graz

The opera was premiered in Graz in 2003 at the Steirischer Herbst Festival of New Music with the live-electronics and sound design realized at the Institute of Electronic Music and Acoustics (IEM) using the open source software Pure Data,[1][2] conducted by Johannes Kalitzke.[3]

It made its American premiere at Finney Chapel in Oberlin, Ohio, and at the Miller Theater in New York City in February 2007, in a production performed by students from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. It was directed by Jonathon Field, with sound design by Tom Lopez, produced by Lewis Nielson, and set design by Scott Dane Knowles. Barry Bryan portrayed Fred Madison.[4]

It premiered in the UK in an ENO production at the Young Vic in April 2008. This production was directed by Diane Paulus, with set and costume design by Riccardo Hernandez, video design by Philip Bussmann, lighting design by Mimi Jordan Sherin and sound design by Markus Noisternig. The cast included Mark Bonnar as Fred Madison, Quirijn de Lang as Pete Dayton, Valérie MacCarthy as Renne/Alice, Christopher Robson as The Mystery Man and David Moss as Mr Eddy/Dick Laurent.[5]

The German premiere was staged at the Bockenheimer Depot in Frankfurt by Yuval Sharon, with David Moss, among others.[6][7]

Roles
Role Voice type Premiere cast, 2003
Conductor: Johannes Kalitzke[3][8]
Petehigh baritoneGeorg Nigl
FredactorVincent Crowley
Alice / ReneesopranoConstance Hauman
Mr. Eddy / Dick Laurentsinger / actor / improvising musicianDavid Moss
Mystery MancountertenorAndrew Watts
Andycountertenor
Pete's motheractress, also singing
Pete's fatheractor, also singing
Guard / Detective Louactor, also singing
Doctor / The Man / Detective Hankactor, also singing
Director of prison / Arnieactor, also singing

Reception

In 2019, writers of The Guardian ranked Lost Highway the 13th greatest work of art music since 2000.[9]

References
  1. "Lost Highway" (in German). Kunst Uni Graz. 2003. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  2. Nicodemus, Katja (6 November 2003). "Im Hirn des anderen / Oper sucht Film – Olga Neuwirths Vertonung von David Lynchs "Lost Highway" wurde beim Steirischen Herbst in Graz uraufgeführt". Die Zeit (in German). Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  3. "Lost Highway". Boosey & Hawkes. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  4. Janas, Marci (October 2006). "The Conservatory to Present U.S. Premiere of Olga Neuwirth's 'Lost Highway'". Oberlin Online Backstage Pass. Retrieved 9 January 2010.
  5. Hewett, Ivan (2008-03-25). "Lost Highway: into the dark heart of David Lynch". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2008-03-25. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
  6. Adler, Susanne (14 September 2018). "Deutsche Erstaufführung von "Lost Highway": Oper nach dem David-Lynch-Film in Frankfurt". Echo-Online (in German). Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  7. Jungheinrich, Hans-Klaus (14 September 2018). "Bockenheimer Depot Bilder und Töne von morgen / Eine perfekte Produktion: Die Oper Frankfurt präsentiert Olga Neuwirths Musiktheater "Lost Highway" nach David Lynch". Frankfurter Rundschau (in German). Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  8. Schwind, Elisabeth (24 May 2004). "Gescheitert auf hohem Niveau". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  9. Clements, Andrew; Maddocks, Fiona; Lewis, John; Molleson, Kate; Service, Tom; Jeal, Erica; Ashley, Tim (2019-09-12). "The best classical music works of the 21st century". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
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