The Fall Of The House Of Usher (opera)
Encyclopedia
The Fall of the House of Usher is an opera by Peter Hammill
(music) and Chris Judge Smith
(libretto). It is based on the short story
of the same name
by Edgar Allan Poe
.
Hammill and Smith, two of the co-founders of Van der Graaf Generator
, worked sporadically on the opera from 1973 until its first recording was released on Some Bizzare Records
(the only instance of Hammill's work appearing on the label) in November 1991. The album was available on CD, cassette and a limited edition of 500 double vinyl LPs. The cast of singers was:
Smith's libretto takes certain liberties with Poe's source text. The House itself becomes a vocal part, to be sung by the same performer who sings the role of Roderick Usher. The narrator, unnamed in the story, is given the name Montresor (the name of the narrator of another tale by Poe, "The Cask of Amontillado
"), and a romantic attachment between Montresor and Madeline Usher is hinted at.
In 1999, Hammill regained the rights to the music from Some Bizzare and set about revising the piece. He re-recorded some of his own vocals, although the parts of the other singers were untouched. He also removed the percussion, added more electric guitar and remixed the entire recording. The results were released as The Fall Of The House Of Usher (Deconstructed & Rebuilt) on Hammill's own Fie! label in November 1999. Hammill regards this version as the definitive recorded version of the opera.
The opera has never been performed live in its entirety. In the 1980s Hammill performed "The Sleeper" a capella at a Poetry reading festival in Amsterdam, October 1983 and in New York, July 1986. At live concerts in 1991 and 1992 Hammill frequently sang a suite of songs from the opera, officially released on the video/DVD In The Passionskirche.
Peter Hammill
Peter Joseph Andrew Hammill is an English singer-songwriter, and a founding member of the progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator. Most noted for his vocal abilities, his main instruments are guitar and piano...
(music) and Chris Judge Smith
Judge Smith
Christopher John Judge Smith , is a songwriter, composer and performer, and a founder member of progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator. Initially working under the name Chris Judge Smith, he has been known simply as Judge Smith since 1994.- Early years :In 1967, with Peter Hammill, Judge...
(libretto). It is based on the short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
of the same name
The Fall of the House of Usher
"The Fall of the House of Usher" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in September 1839 in Burton's Gentleman's Magazine. It was slightly revised in 1840 for the collection Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque...
by Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
.
Hammill and Smith, two of the co-founders of Van der Graaf Generator
Van der Graaf Generator
Van der Graaf Generator are an English progressive rock band, formed in 1967 in Manchester. They were the first act signed to Charisma Records. The band achieved considerable success in Italy during the 1970s...
, worked sporadically on the opera from 1973 until its first recording was released on Some Bizzare Records
Some Bizzare Records
Some Bizzare Records is a British independent record label owned by Stevo Pearce. The label was founded in 1981, with the release of Some Bizzare Album, a compilation of unsigned bands including Depeche Mode, Soft Cell, The The, Neu Electrikk and Blancmange.-1981-1989:One of the first bands that...
(the only instance of Hammill's work appearing on the label) in November 1991. The album was available on CD, cassette and a limited edition of 500 double vinyl LPs. The cast of singers was:
- Hammill himself, playing Roderick Usher and the House
- Lene LovichLene LovichLene Lovich is an American singer based in England, who first gained attention as part of the New Wave music scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Her most popular hit single was "Lucky Number", first released in 1979.-Early years:...
, playing Madeline Usher - Andy BellAndy Bell (singer)Andrew Ivan "Andy" Bell is the lead singer of the English synthpop duo Erasure. He also has a solo career, with the albums Non-Stop and Electric Blue.-Early life:Andy Bell originates from the Dogsthorpe area in Peterborough...
, playing Montresor - Sarah Jane MorrisSarah Jane Morris (singer)Sarah Jane Morris , is a pop music, jazz, rock and R&B singer and songwriter.In 1982, Morris joined The Republic as lead singer. A London-based Afro-Caribbean-Latin band with leftish tendencies, they received enormous publicity from the music press including cover stories with NME and City Limits...
, playing the Chorus - Herbert GrönemeyerHerbert GrönemeyerHerbert Grönemeyer is a German musician and actor, popular in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. He starred as war correspondent Lieutenant Werner in Wolfgang Petersen's movie Das Boot, but later concentrated on his musical career...
, playing the Herbalist
Smith's libretto takes certain liberties with Poe's source text. The House itself becomes a vocal part, to be sung by the same performer who sings the role of Roderick Usher. The narrator, unnamed in the story, is given the name Montresor (the name of the narrator of another tale by Poe, "The Cask of Amontillado
The Cask of Amontillado
"The Cask of Amontillado" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in the November 1846 issue of Godey's Lady's Book....
"), and a romantic attachment between Montresor and Madeline Usher is hinted at.
In 1999, Hammill regained the rights to the music from Some Bizzare and set about revising the piece. He re-recorded some of his own vocals, although the parts of the other singers were untouched. He also removed the percussion, added more electric guitar and remixed the entire recording. The results were released as The Fall Of The House Of Usher (Deconstructed & Rebuilt) on Hammill's own Fie! label in November 1999. Hammill regards this version as the definitive recorded version of the opera.
The opera has never been performed live in its entirety. In the 1980s Hammill performed "The Sleeper" a capella at a Poetry reading festival in Amsterdam, October 1983 and in New York, July 1986. At live concerts in 1991 and 1992 Hammill frequently sang a suite of songs from the opera, officially released on the video/DVD In The Passionskirche.
Track listing
- "An Unenviable Role"
- "That Must Be The House"
- "Architecture"
- "Sleeper"
- "One Thing At A Time"
- "I Shun The Light"
- "Leave This House"
- "Dreaming"
- "Chronic Catalepsy"
- "Herbalist"
- "Evil That Is Done"
- "Five Years Ago"
- "It's Over Now"
- "Influence"
- "No Rot"
- "She Is Dead"
- "Beating Of The Heart"
- "Haunted Palace"
- "I Dared Not Speak"
- "She Comes Towards The Door/The Fall"
Personnel
- Peter Hammill – vocals, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, percussion - Stuart Gordon - violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
(1999 recording only) - various singers - see listing above