| The Making of the Representative for Planet 8 | |
| Composer: | Philip Glass |
| Librettist: | Doris Lessing |
| Based On: | Lessing's novel of the same name |
| Premiere Location: | Houston Grand Opera |
The Making of the Representative for Planet 8 is a full-scale opera by Philip Glass with a libretto by Doris Lessing based on her novel of the same name, first performed in 1988. Together with Glass's 1997 opera The Marriages Between Zones Three, Four and Five, it is part of a planned trilogy of operas based on Lessing's Canopus in Argos novels.[1]
The opera was co-commissioned by English National Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Het Muziektheater, Amsterdam, and Theater Kiel, and co-produced with Artpark, Lewiston, New York State.
The opera was first performed at Houston Grand Opera on 8 July 1988.[2] The British premiere was 9 November 1988 by English National Opera at the London Coliseum.[3] This production was broadcast live in the UK on BBC Radio 3 on 13 December 1988.
| Role | Voice type | Houston premiere, 8 July 1988 (conductor: John DeMain) | London premiere, 9 November 1988 (conductor: Michael Lloyd)[4] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doeg Memory-maker and Storyteller | baritone | Harlan Foss | Andrew Shore | |
| Johor Canopean agent | bass | Timothy Breese | Richard Angas | |
| Alsi a young woman | soprano | Louise Edeiken | Lesley Garrett | |
| Marl Keeper of the Herds | baritone | David Langan | Simon Masterton-Smith | |
| Bratch Guardian of Health | mezzo-soprano | Julia Parks | Tamsin Dives | |
| Pedug Teacher of the Young | baritone | Richard Sutliff | John Kitchiner | |
| Rivalin Custodian of the Lake | mezzo-soprano | Patricia Shockler | Jady Pearl | |
| Masson the Builder | tenor | Edgar Moore | Peter Bamber | |
| Klin Tender of Fruits and Plants | soprano | Edrie Means | Gloria Crane | |
| Nooni a young man | tenor | Jason Alexander | Christopher Gillett |
The people of Planet 8 are peaceful and content, until one of the Canopean Agents arrives and tells them to prepare for an impending ice age. The embattled population fights courageously in the face of certain death, and their efforts are transformed when they become the one single "representative" of the planet's people and culture.
Unlike many of Philip Glass's other operas, The Making of the Representative for Planet 8 has not been recorded for CD sale.