articles / NYC

Take a Walk on the High Line….with 1,000 singers

Rehearsal for “The Mile-Long Opera” | Photo by Liz Ligon

At 7 pm for five evenings in October (10/3 – 7), hundreds of hikers will walk the scenic stretch of NY City’s High Line, ambling through 1,000 singers grouped along the mile and a half span. They’ll be performing composer David Lang’s ambitious new choral work, “The Mile-Long Opera: a biography of 7 o’clock”. The project, six years in the making, explores the concept of the meaning of 7:00 pm – the transition from day to night – in the ever-changing landscape of NY City. The libretto comes from the personal stories of surviving in the city from New Yorkers from every borough and walk of life.

David Lang is a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and a co-founder of the Bang on a Can music collective – dedicated to bringing innovative new music to nontraditional audiences. He says he is committed to music that resists categorizations.

You can learn more about this ambitious project – including exploring a 360° tour – at milelongopera.com.

NYC Guide to Opera Pop Culture

Written by:

Robin Pressman

Published on 04.01.2019

MORE LIKE THIS

A One-Measure Movement on the Shortest Day

Explore the unique, brief Adagio movement in Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, its role in balancing the piece, and how various orchestras interpret and embellish it.

03/27/2019

Lizards Take the A.C.T. Stage in ‘Seascape’

Pam MacKinnon directs Edward Albee's Pulitzer-winning play, Seascape, at A.C.T. The play, about evolution and relationships, features an older couple meeting a younger, amphibian couple.

03/27/2019

A Concerto with the Beethoven Stamp

British pianist Paul Lewis performs Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto with the San Francisco Symphony, highlighting its pivotal role in Beethoven's career.

05/11/2018

Starting the Count with Opus 1

This article explores the tradition of composers designating works as "Opus 1", often not their first piece, but a significant one, with examples from Bach to Debussy.

09/19/2017

Cocktails with the Coloratura?

San Francisco Opera tests a new policy allowing drinks in the hall, using compostable cups. This move, common in England, sparks debate on opera etiquette and culture.

06/21/2017

Celebrating 50 Years of the Hewlett Foundation with a Twist

The Hewlett Foundation marks its 50th anniversary with an $8M project, the Hewlett 50 Arts Commissions, funding 10 performing arts works annually for five years in the Bay Area.

03/27/2017