Quarry: an opera in three movements is composed, directed and choreographed by Meredith Monk, is a mosaic of music, images, movement, dialogue, film, sound and light, and premiered at La Mama ETC in New York City in 1976. It is considered by many to be a masterwork of the 20th Century, with revivals taking place in 1985 and 2003. Monk calls the three movements of the OBIE Award-winning work “Lullaby,” “March,” and “Requiem.” “Quarry” centers on the anguished reverie of a child sick in bed (the role Monk originated), a dream that gradually mutates into a nightmare. The child’s illness is a metaphor for the darkness of the world at war. As described by Alan Kriegsman of The Washington Post in 2003, “’Quarry’ immerses us in the atmosphere and tenor of the period of World War II, the emergence of Nazism, and the Holocaust…by [evoking] feelings, imagery and sensuous characteristics that are associated with these roots through the power of Monk’s multimedia but non-literal treatment. What is most disturbing and urgent about seeing ‘Quarry’ today is that it resonates with the most fearful anxieties and perils of our time.”
Originally performed by Monk’s group, The House, and thirty additional performers, this new production will feature 12 main cast members and a chorus of 28. The music is scored for solo voice, chorus, and 2 organs.
Performance History: La Mama Annex, NYC; Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York; International Music Theater Festival, Florence, Italy; The Venice Biennale, Italy; The Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.; The Spoleto Festival, Charleston, SC.
This piece is part of Meredith Monk and Vocal Ensemble’s current repertory. For North American bookings, contact: Rena Shagan Associates.
Meredith Monk: Quarry: Introduction (Live, 1977) (video)