MartinJohnsonNewsday

Conspiracy opera is a Hause specialty

Martin Johnson
June 4, 2004
Copyright © 2004, Newsday, Inc.

About two years ago, I was discussing music with vocalist Nathan Metz. After we had traded thoughts about shared favorites like Cesaria Evora, Miles Davis and Jimi Hendrix, Metz asked me if I'd heard of Evan Hause.

"No, what's he play?" I asked.

"He writes operas," Metz replied.

That stopped me in my tracks. Nathan chortled at my silence. He was accustomed to that kind of reaction. After ascertaining that I wasn't in the least averse to opera, and in fact, that I was once a huge fan of contemporary classical music, Nate brought me a CD of one of Hause's operas, "The Birth and Theft of Television," and invited me to a performance of his latest, "Nightingale: The Last Days of James Forrestal." The music was right up my alley: a mix of electronic, pop and experimental influences. Hause dotes on contemporary subject matter, and he's a big fan of conspiracy theories. Forrestal, who had just retired as defense secretary when he jumped from a window, was the highest-ranking U.S. official ever to commit suicide, and the opera suggests that he was driven to his fate. "Birth and Theft" deals with the suicide of Philo T. Farnsworth, the inventor of the TV, whose work was co-opted by RCA, which may have driven him to take his life [CORRECTION: The opera "The Birth and Theft of Television" deals with the theft of Philo T. Farnsworth's invention, the TV, and the suicide of Edward Armstrong, the inventor of FM radio. A description of the opera was incorrect in Friday's NYC Nights column in Part 2 Weekend. pg. A08 C 6/5/04]. Hause worked with librettist Gary Heidt on these compositions - part of what they call The Defenestration Trilogy. A work about Frank Olson, a chemist and pioneer in America's biological weapons programs, is next. If Oliver Stone ever hears of Hause and Heidt, they'll get rich scoring his movies.

This month, Hause is presenting his other, mostly instrumental, work each Wednesday at Galapagos, 70 N. Sixth St. in Williamsburg. This Wednesday is his big band night. Hause's small combo, The Heard, will play on the 16th; the 23rd will be devoted to his chamber works, and the final Wednesday, June 30, will feature more intimate pieces. Showtime is at 8; tickets are $8. For more information, call 718-782-5188

Also around town: Arlene's Grocery's 3 Farms Festival is presenting two roots-music shows headlined by local talent. The first show is Saturday at 1 p.m., and features David Johansen, who will be performing New York Dolls tunes in preparation for a reunion, and Laura Cantrell, the former Wall Streeter turned country-music belle. Cantrell hosts the "Radio Thrift Shop" on WFMU-FM/91.1. The second show is June 19 and will feature Clem Snide and Martha Wainwright. The shows are from 1-8 p.m. at the East River Park Amphitheatre, along the FDR at Grand Street. For more information, visit www.arlene-grocery.com. With top releases from Town & Country and Sticks & Stones, it's been a good year for instrumental music, but one of the best CDs in that vein is Jenny Scheinman's "Shalagaster" (Tzadik). On it, Scheinman, the violinist on the first Norah Jones disc, leads a stellar group through 11 lush cinematic tunes. Sunday night at 8 at Tonic, 107 Norfolk St., that group will celebrate the CD's release with a long set. Tickets are $10; for information call 212-358-7501.

E-mail Martin Johnson at martinvjohnson@yahoo.com.