Movie Description
Letter to Peter, on Saint François d'Assise by Olivier Messiaen
(1992)Overview
In 1992, Olivier Messiaen's epic opera "Saint François d'Assise" was brought to the Salzburg Festival in a staging by Peter Sellars. The distinct visual appearance that Sellars lent to the opera, where video monitors with powerful images are used as a sort of high-tech metaphor for a cathedral's stained glass, drew critical acclaim and is still talked about as a watershed moment in opera to this day. This film here is a 75-minute documentary on the 1992 staging. Jean-Pierre Gorin filmed Sellars, baritone José van Dam (St. Francis) soprano Dawn Upshaw (The Angel), and the LA Philharmonic and conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen as they rehearsed for the big day. There are interviews with these artists, though Sellars gets most of the screen time. The documentary is very much about Sellars' vision for Messiaen's theatrical drama. Very little is said about Messiaen's music.
Featured Crew
- Director : Jean-Pierre Gorin
- Producer : Manfred Frei
- Cast : Esa-Pekka Salonen,Dawn Upshaw,José van Dam,Urban Malmberg,John Aler,Tom Krause,Ronald Hamilton
Cast
Self - Conductor
Self - Soprano
Self - Bass-Baritone
Self - Baritone
Self - Tenor
Self - Baritone
Self - Tenor
Facts
Original TitleLetter to Peter, on Saint François d'Assise by Olivier Messiaen
Status Released
Release Information
-
1992-01-01
Original Language
Runtime 01h 22m
Genres
- Music
- Documentary