Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio

From Liverpool Oratorio — Cincinnati Opera:

PAUL MCCARTNEY’S
LIVERPOOL ORATORIO

JULY 18 & 20, 2024 | 7:30 PM
JULY 21 & 27, 2024 | 3:00 PM
MUSIC HALL • SPRINGER AUDITORIUM

Music and libretto by Paul McCartney and Carl Davis

Sung in English with projected lyrics

FOR THE WHOLE WERE WE BORN.

Memories from Paul McCartney’s life in Liverpool England inspire chapters on growing up and finding our way. Beginning with Latin which means, “not for ourselves, but for the whole were we born,” the piece explores formative moments, relationships, and the responsibilities we face. See the world premiere opera adaptation of McCartney’s acclaimed work for orchestra and voices, a powerful story full of heartfelt lyrics and effortless melodies.

[…] “Liverpool Oratorio” was far more theatrical than most oratorios. It had a narrative. It wasn’t hard to imagine the tale of a young man navigating the complications of life being developed into a stage production.

But it never happened.

“I have no idea why,” says Andrew Owens, who sings the role of Shanty – McCartney’s alter ego – in the Cincinnati Opera production. “Probably some of it has to do with image. But in recent years that has changed a bit. Certain popular composers have taken a stab at writing opera, like Rufus Wainright. It has taken some of the stigma off the idea that opera could be popular.”

Cincinnati Opera artistic director Evans Mirageas is more blunt about it.

“I think there is a bit of snobbery involved,” said Mirageas. “It’s Paul McCartney, you know, so it must just be pop tunes.”

Heaven forbid a legitimate opera company might decide to engage in a production of this sort. But in the course of the past 20-30 years, some American opera companies – Cincinnati, among them – have changed a great deal. They understood that unless they evolved along with the world around them, they were in danger of turning into museums dedicated to long-ago musical eras.

So we have seen a steady diet of new operas from Cincinnati Opera. A few have been mainstage productions. But just as many have been smaller productions, often developed in conjunction with the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music.

“Liverpool Oratorio,” though, is destined for the stage of Music Hall’s Springer Auditorium. It is sure to play to near-sellout crowds, as was 2018’s production of “Another Brick in the Wall,” based on Pink Floyd’s album of the same name.

“For people who worry that this isn’t opera, I can assure them that this is the real thing,” says Owens. “Last year, I went to Zurich and saw a friend of mine – an opera singer – perform in ‘The World of Hanz Zimmer.’ I had more fun than I can remember. It was a damned blast.

“Sometimes I sit there at these ‘serious’ events and I get frustrated. I ask myself ‘What are we doing wrong?’ Why can’t the things we do have more elements of fun? Why can’t they have more relevance to our own lives? Well, this one does. Definitely. I can’t wait for people to see it.”

From The 1990s origin story of ‘Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio’ opera (cincinnati.com), July 11, 2024

Cincinnati Music Hall, Springer Auditorium

This was the 2nd concert played at Cincinnati Music Hall, Springer Auditorium.

A total of 4 concerts have been played there • 2024 • Jul 18th • Jul 20th • Jul 21st • Jul 27th