MUSIC

Opera Under the Stars at Bayou Bend! Opera Vista presents A Night of Edgar Allan Poe, Saturday, September 24, 2011. Gates open 7:15 pm, central hall of house open for touring until 7:45 pm, concert begins 8 pm.

Opera Vista invites you to the first production of its 2011-2012 5th Anniversary season: Philip Glass's setting of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of the Usher." The gorgeous Diana Garden is the magical backdrop for Bayou Bend’s annual fall tradition of opera under the stars. This year, American literary genius Edgar Allan Poe, best known for his spooky tales of mystery and the macabre, is the inspiration for a captivating evening of music and song.

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was one of America's greatest writers, and a master of gothic romanticism. "The Fall of the House of Usher" tells the story of William who is invited by his childhood friend, Roderick Usher, to visit him at his family's manor. When he arrives at Roderick's gloomy house, he finds himself helplessly drawn into the strange happenings of his psychologically disturbed friend and Madeline, Roderick's beloved, dying sister.

Philip Glass's dark and intensely brooding music perfectly compliments this mysterious tale where the line between reality and delusion is blurred.

You might not want to come alone—the gothic plotlines suggest frightening moments and dastardly deeds aplenty!