Anthony Davis (CRF 2009) was recently interviewed in the New York Times about his operatic adaptation of Edith Wharton’s 1912 novel The Reef. Davis discusses his departure from the text, the parts he held closely, and his overall approach to adapting literature for the stage.
“Adapted from Edith Wharton’s 1912 novel of the same name, The Reef, with a libretto by Joan Ross Sorkin, has been in development, in fits and starts, since 2014. (Since then, Davis premiered “The Central Park Five” and revised the score of “X,” ahead of its traveling revival.)…
So far, the modernist score is recognizably Davis’s: full of post-Second Viennese harmony, but also memorable motifs that, when reprised, take on fresh new shades of meaning. As usual, he offers a constantly shifting bed of rhythm and the occasional embrace of popular song styles.”
Read the full interview by Seth Colter Walls here.
Image: George Etheredge for The New York Times.