''Kepler'' is an opera by

Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up fr ...

set to a

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

in German and Latin by Martina Winkel. It premiered on 20 September 2009 at the Landestheater in the Austrian city of

Linz Linz (Pronunciation: , ; ) is the capital of Upper Austria and List of cities and towns in Austria, third-largest city in Austria. Located on the river Danube, the city is in the far north of Austria, south of the border with the Czech Repub ...

with

Dennis Russell Davies Dennis Russell Davies (born April 16, 1944, in Toledo, Ohio) is an American conductor and pianist. He is chief conductor of the Brno Philharmonic and of the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra. Biography Davies studied piano and conducting at ...

conducting the Bruckner Orchestra. Its libretto is based on the life and work of

Johannes Kepler Johannes Kepler (27 December 1571 – 15 November 1630) was a German astronomer, mathematician, astrologer, Natural philosophy, natural philosopher and writer on music. He is a key figure in the 17th-century Scientific Revolution, best know ...

, the 16th and 17th century

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, mathematical structure, structure, space, Mathematica ...

and

astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. Astronomers observe astronomical objects, such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, galax ...

. The work was commissioned by the Linz Landestheater and Linz09 (a programme celebrating the city's designation as a

European Capital of Culture A European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union (EU) for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong pan-European dimension. Being a European Capital of Culture can ...

). The opera was performed in the USA for the first time in May 2012 at the

Spoleto Festival USA Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina, is one of America's major performing arts festivals. It was founded in 1977 by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Gian Carlo Menotti, who sought to establish a counterpart to the Festival dei Due ...

; it was conducted by

John Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...

and directed by Sam Helfrich, featuring an English translation by Saskia M. Wesnigk-Wood. This is the third opera by Glass to be inspired by a physicist, after ''

Einstein on the Beach ''Einstein on the Beach'' is an opera in four acts composed by Philip Glass with libretto in collaboration with Robert Wilson (director), Robert Wilson, who also designed and directed early productions. The opera eschews traditional narrative in ...

'' (1976) and ''Galileo Galilei'' (2002).

Synopsis

"Fragments from the life and ideas of the scientist Johannes Kepler are contrasted with segments from the story of creation and poems by

Andreas Gryphius Andreas Gryphius (; 2 October 161616 July 1664) was a German poet and playwright. With his eloquent sonnets, which contains "The Suffering, Frailty of Life and the World", he is considered one of the most important Baroque poets of the Germanos ...

, which portray Europe during the

Thirty Years War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine, or disease, whil ...

Act 1

* Prologue * I. Questions 1 * II. Polyeder * III. Genesis * IV. Gryphius —Auf die Nacht (Upon the Night) * V. Physica Coelestis * VI. Gryphius 2 * VII. Questions 2 * VIII. Gryphius 3—Eyes. Optical Paradox

Act 2

* I. On Astrology * II. Gryphius 4—To the Stars * III. Hypotheses * IV. Gryphius 5:—Tears of the Fatherland * V. Ephemerides * Epilogue

References

Sources

* * * * * 2009 operas German-language operas

Opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

Operas in Latin Minimalist operas Operas Operas set in the 17th century Operas based on real people Operas set in Germany Operas by Philip Glass {{German-opera-stub