When we look at the night sky, these are the stars we see. The same stars that shine down upon Russia each night.
—Charles Eames, Glimpses of the USA. Dir. Charles and Ray Eames. The Eames Office, (1959)
An opera, exploring the complexity of this main character – my native land – with its layers of invasions and empire building; the nexus of emigration and immigration; in constant flux and transformation as it remains a three-sided port of call, has become a metaphor for a today’s global struggle with issues of borders and immigration, and how it collides with one woman’s search for her internal geography.
—Paola Prestini, composer’s description of Oceanic Verses. (2012)
Building a hall is one thing; creating an institution is another, and for that Dolan turned to the young composer Paola Prestini, who had already developed a reputation as a formidable impresario even before she graduated from Juilliard.
—Justin Davidson, "Can This Start-up With Cellos Shake Up Classical Music's Business-As-Usual?". Vulture. (2016)
Oceanic Verses (2012)
A folk operatic tableau
Duration: 35′ version and 65′ version
Instrumentation:
Orchestral version for four soloists, full orchestra and choir. Text by Donna Di Novelli.
Operatic Tableau. Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clnts, 1 bass clarinet, 2 bassoon, 1 contra bassoon, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in B flat, 3 trombones, 1 tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, piano, strings and electronics.
It’s a challenge to come up with a creative adjective to describe the productivity of Paola Prestini. It’s not that she is remarkably prolific as a composer. It’s that she has consistently found a way to not only have her work performed but has also built companies that continue to support the creation and performance of so many other people’s work as well. The title “Impresario” seems not only slightly derogative (her methods of mentorship and production realization appear to be incredibly positive) but also wholly lacking in dimension.
Prestini also defies the stereotype of the lone composer/artist, singular in her vision and isolation. Her world is one of intense collaboration, whereby she “believe(s) certain artistic experiences can only be unlocked with multiple minds working in tandem to realize a larger goal,” as she writes in her Artist Statement. Her works, especially her vocal projects, reflect that collaborative method combining the creative output of scientists, poets, environmental conservationists, film directors, and even puppeteers! Her ability to work with so many other traditionally ego-centric visionaries and personalities to produce cohesive and inspirational works of art is not only unique in my experience but also indicative of who she is on a fundamental, philosophical level.
Prestini has composed works based on such interconnected subjects as the effect of death’s uncertainty on how we live our lives (Epiphany), anatomy and how living beings inhabit their bodies (Body Maps), the Hubble Space Telescope (The Hubble Cantata), a collaborative eco-documentary on the Colorado River Basin (The Colorado Project), and a fictional story about an aging clockmaker (Aging Magician). The work I am drawn to, however, is Oceanic Verses (Amazon Prime Video/Full Version. Audio only is below). It is, perhaps, her most personal project (see program notes above).