Gilgamesh: my opera filming at the University of Notre Dame
I was lucky enough to attend the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana over a recent weekend to be a part of the filming for my adaptation of Gilgamesh, an operatic song cycle I wrote with composer J. Scott Brubacher. The libretto, which was written ages ago and published in my first collection Everyone is CO2 has been magically sung by baritone Stephen Lancaster for a couple of years, but now it’s a film directed by Evan Chapman & Kevin Eikenberg of Four/Ten Media!
Enkidu in the wild! Kyle Marshall (kmchoreo.com) (photo: Four/Ten Media)
From Composer J. Scott Brucbacher’s wesbite:
The song cycle is inspired by the ancient Sumerian legend The Epic of Gilgamesh, which tells the story of the demigod Gilgamesh, King of Uruk, and his adventures with the wild man-beast Enkidu. Together they slay monsters and go on adventures. When Enkidu is stricken with disease and dies, as a punishment from the gods, Gilgamesh is left desolate and fearful of his own mortality.
The poetry consists of 11 Tablets, with one text being reprised. The story begins in the middle, Tablet 9: Deep, with Gilgamesh racing against the sun and reflecting on his journey to this point.
Here’s a cool recording of Tablet 2: Savage, with Stephen and the brilliant piano of Susan McDaniel from a 2022 performance at the University of Notre Dame’s LaBar Performance Hall.
And a few sneak peaks from the set of Gilgamesh:
Dancer Kyle Marshall as Enkidu (photo: Four/Ten Media)
Hail to the Kings (photo: Four/Ten Media)
“Love me now, Friend” - Gilgamesh and Enkidu (photo: Four/Ten Media)
Gilgamesh: a film
Coming in 2025
J. Scott Brubacher, composer
David James Brock, librettist
Stephen Lancaster, Gilgamesh (baritone)
Kyle Marshall, Enkidu (dancer)
Susan McDaniel, pianist
Evan Chapman, Videographer
Kevin Eikenberg, Videographer
Berthold Hoeckner, Commentator
Bill Maylone, Audio Engineer
Daniel Stein, producer
Edo Tastic, makeup artist
Norman Vesprini, Piano Technician
Kevin Wangler, Notre Dame music admin