S P Somtow

DasJati - Halfway to Heaven S P Somtow

It's a daring adventure, a breathtaking leap of ambition, an amazing "gift to the world" from a small country that may seem to some to be far from the world's operatic center. It's a new way to bring to news audiences the most iconic stories of Theravada Buddhism, told and retold for thousands of years, in the language of music, singing, drama, and dance, a language that belongs to every culture in the world - yet the particular dialect of this language is equal parts Asia and Europe. Halfway through this journey, let's take a moment to look at all that has already been achieved. Five linked works of music drama - from the oratorio-like Mahajanaka to the intimate chamber opera The Silent Prince, from the childlike simplicity of The Faithful Son to the convoluted machinations of The Dragon Lord, to the cosmic allegory of Chariot of Heaven. There has been a hiatus for almost two years, but now it's time for final five music dramas to emerge, and 2019 will see premieres of two of them: the short ballet Chandakumar and the magically complex Architect of Dreams. This is a colorful book of photographs from the first five works, including from productions in Bangkok, Houston, Rangsit, Brno, Bayreuth, and Prague.