{"id":72608,"date":"2022-12-03T00:00:57","date_gmt":"2022-12-03T05:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/operawire.com\/?p=72608"},"modified":"2022-12-01T10:40:57","modified_gmt":"2022-12-01T15:40:57","slug":"opera-profile-alice-in-wonderland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/operawire.com\/opera-profile-alice-in-wonderland\/","title":{"rendered":"Opera Profile: Alice in Wonderland"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Alice in Wonderland<\/span><\/a>” is a eight-scene, contemporary opera by Korean composer <\/span>Unsuk Chin<\/span><\/a> (1961-) with the libretto co-written by Chin and eminent Chinese-American writer <\/span>David Henry Hwang<\/span><\/a>, the librettist for other composers such as Huang Ro, Osvaldo Golijov, and Phillip Glass. <\/span><\/p>\n

The opera was composed between 2004 and 2007 and based upon the novels Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871) by 19th century English author Lewis Carroll. Musically, Chin drew from an eclectic range of compositional influences including Ravel, Handel, Elgar, Stravinsky and Puccini, while also utilizing unconventional instruments like musical saws and an accordion as a homage to Gershwin\u2019s playful orchestrations. <\/span><\/p>\n

Chin also pulled from her experiences studying under Gy\u00f6rgy Ligeti, as described by New Yorker critic <\/span>Alex Ross<\/span><\/a>. The opera was a commissioned piece by third-generation Japanese-American conductor <\/span>Kent Nagano<\/span><\/a> and premiered on June 30th 2007 at The Bavarian State Opera, directed by Brecht-taught producer <\/span>Achim Freyer<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

However, the first official recording of the opera took place three days prior during the Munich Opera Festival. The work was deemed a success and later, the work\u2019s premiere was deemed \u201cThe World Premiere of the Year\u201d by the German opera magazine Opernwelt. The costumes, created by\u00a0 Nina Weitzner, featured giant heads on top of dancers dressed in dramatized clothing who acted as body doubles for the unseen singers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Plot<\/h3>\n

The opera\u2019s plot revolves around Alice\u2019s attempt at finding her identity, revolving between obscure depictions of sensitivity to unsettling depictions of brutality and absurdity. Audiences first observe Alice meeting the white rabbit who then leads down a hole to Wonderland where her ideas about reality, truth, and love are all flipped upside down until she finds her way back to her reality, changed by her experiences. <\/span><\/p>\n

Following Alice\u2019s descent into Wonderland (Scene one), Scene two shows Alice in \u201cThe Pool of Tears,\u201d an allegory for Alice\u2019s guilt at indulging her emotions as Wonderland causes her to become internally confused at her loss of self-identity. <\/span><\/p>\n

Scene three takes in the house of the White Rabbit, the abode of her rapidly escaping childhood innocence to which her identity was so heavily placed. After Alice\u2019s confusing talk with a caterpillar, <\/span><\/p>\n

Scene four is Alice\u2019s realization of Wonderland\u2019s madness and the paradigm shift necessary to understand its seemingly chaotic organization. The climax of the scene is the moment when the Duchess\u2019 baby turns into a pig, and its savage treatment is seen as standard practice. Alice comes to embrace the uprooting of convention and tradition, but does not yet realize Wonderland is her externalized imagination. <\/span><\/p>\n

Scene five and six depicts the Mad Hatter\u2019s tea party and the Red Queen\u2019s infamous croquet party respectively. <\/span><\/p>\n

The final two scenes force Alice to confront the inherent absurdity of Wonderland, disguised within a facade of order and familiarity. As Alice stands on what looks like a typical trial, the judge cannot find any verdict as unimportant details are valued over heavier points. Entirely wasteful, Carrol (through Alice) points to the pointlessness of the legal system\u2019s ability to solve issues and reach stable conclusions. The final scene is when Alice returns to the real world having had her entire worldview overturned and reformed thanks to her dream.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Listen<\/h3>\n