NEW WORKS | Jreynolds

ghost knight

An Immersive Opera Thriller, Based on the Cornelia Funke’s novel

Ghost Knight (Geisterritter-German) offers a kaleidoscope of scenic possibilities for the opera, the theater and the audience. The concept is that of contemporary, family orientated Music Theater using orchestra, on- stage musicians, choir and sound effects. The horror and more Gothic aspects of the story are made accessible, and, family friendly in that they are presented as caricatures of evil personalities as in the style of films such as Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, or The Addams Family. Also with the, chief bad guy, Lord Stourton cast as a countertenor, not only do we break an established opera cliché, the very nature of the countertenor adds a droll aspect.

Comic relief is provided in the form of a frog choir, with their rap interludes, slapstick mischief making, posing as heroes and generally getting in the way.

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19.6.19- 23.6.19

Oper am Rhein: Duisberg | Oper Haus | Duisberg, Germany

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REVIEWS:

This production is vibrant through and through on all levels ... the optics brilliantly match the sensually eclectic music of James Reynolds, whose Broadway experience is just as audible as his familiarity with electro- or synthpop and naturally classical compositional technique.

-Die Deutsche Bühne

If "hearing with the eyes" is worth it, then listening with the ears is especially worth it. To be experienced are all the nuances from garish to intimate, all sorts of percussion, glockenspiel, electronic music of the spheres, movie music, big-band sound, rap, chamber music, borrowing from musicals, even perfectly fashioned arias.... This top-notch spine-chiller certainly has what it takes to become a repertoire opera for the whole family.

-O-Ton

Enough material to make tricks through to the happy end. This succeeds impressively. Reynolds understands how to atmospherically use entirely different musical influences. Not only that seven percussionists in the orchestra pit were anything but underemployed, he also works with neat thriller effects in the violins, for example, that brings to mind Bernard Herrmann’s music to Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho.

-Bonner General-Anzeiger

In the staging by Erik Petersen, the piece offers tempo, action, groovy music, and an exciting story. Here one is greatly entertained for nearly two hours, and indeed at the highest level.... For there is one thing that you cannot skimp on – as rather convincingly shown by the Bonn production of Ghost Knight– if you want to make opera accessible to new audiences: quality.... The powerful orchestra is the fitting medium for Reynold’s colorful and effective music.... Ghost Knights in Bonn is fun and the trip is worth it – for the whole family.