Revisiting The Stations of the Cross
The Street is a powerful exploration of Christ’s crucifixion via fourteen compositions for solo harp and soul-stirring narration. This evocative, multilayered work brings together composer, Nico Muhly, librettist Alice Goodman with harpist Parker Ramsay who is joined by soprano Jennifer Ellis Kampaniis. The piece will be narrated by noted stage and screen actress Mia Barron.
Each movement may be accompanied by plainchant to enhance or contrast with the Good Friday narrative. Nico Muhly’s compositions harmoniously blend with Alice Goodman’s captivating texts, showcasing a seamless convergence of musical realms in a piece that exposes the harsh reality of an unjustly condemned man's anguish as he encounters friends, strangers, and executioners on a street in Jerusalem.
“The Street is of great personal importance to me,” explains harpist Parker Ramsay “Collaborating with Nico and Alice on this work has been a fantastic project in symbiosis of sorts, as Nico and Alice are at once fluent in sacred music of yore while living artistic lives in the realms of new and contemporary music.”
Nico Muhly is an American composer known for his diverse compositions spanning orchestral, chamber and sacred music. His work extends beyond classical music, with notable film scores and site-specific pieces. Librettist Alice Goodman is renowned for her collaborations with artists such as Peter Sellars and John Adams. Goodman is best known for her librettos for operas, including Nixon in China and The Death of Klinghoffer. Parker Ramsay defies easy classification with a versatile career spanning modern and period harps. Known for championing new and overlooked works, he has performed worldwide and received acclaim for recordings such as Bach's Goldberg Variations.
Join us on February 29 at The Nimoy for this unique and intimate collaboration as Muhly, Goodman, Ramsay and their ensemble breathe new life into the story of Christ's crucifixion, inviting listeners on a journey of introspection and contemplation that speaks to the human experience across generations.