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Karen A Gahagan
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The Center for Creative and Performing Arts presents acclaimed guitarist and composer Aaron Larget-Caplan in a special one-night-only concert, Altered Worlds. The program includes a collaboration with director and theatre faculty Jerry Johnson for the US premiere of Heretic, a micro-opera by Richard Cameron-Wolfe.
Altered Worlds, takes place on Friday January 26 at 7:30 pm in the Callan Studio Theatre. The event includes a post-concert conversation with the creative team. Reserve tickets.
Larget-Caplan’s arrangement of J.S. Bach’s Prelude in C Major, BWV 846 partnered with Vineet Shende’s (Bowdoin College) Carnatic Prelude N. 1, After J.S. Bach a re-imagining of the prior as if Bach were from South India start the program. The monumental Legend of Hagoromo by Keigo Fujii explores mystical transformation through the 13th century myth, followed by John Cage’s serene In A Landscape, arranged by Larget-Caplan and one of the first arrangements for guitar of Cage’s music to be approved by the estate.
The evening concludes with the theatrical performance of Heretic, a micro-opera for guitarist by American composer Richard Cameron-Wolfe, who will be in attendance. Inspired by Arthur Machen’s haunting 1907 novel The Hill of Dreams, this realization is a multi-media event.
“As an artist, I try to push myself into new areas, and Heretic does that very well! Not just because I must sing, act, speak, and play a technically extremely difficult piece, but that each element is to be approached from the theatrical side as well. Collaborating with the theater director Jerry Johnson has enlivened the experience. I’m extremely excited!”
Johnson shares that “Heretic is a bold exploration of the human spirit, delving into the realms of faith, the human psyche, doubt, and the pursuit of individual truth. The micro opera tells the story of a disturbed heretic who questions the established beliefs and dogmas of society, seeking to challenge the status quo and inspire others to think beyond the boundaries of convention.”
Born in 1863, Arthur Machen became one of the most influential writers of his generation. He drew on the dark landscapes of his childhood in Wales, together with his adult life in bohemian fin-de-siécle London, to create magical and disturbing tales. His admirers include Stephen King, and H. P. Lovecraft, who described him as one of the four ‘modern masters of the horror story’.
Altered Worlds promises to be a new and wonderful adventure for music and theatre lovers!