A striking work based on true events will be performed near Carson soon.
“The Lighthouse” is a chamber opera by Peter Maxwell Davies, who wrote both the music and the libretto. The production was inspired by the work of Craig Mair, who wrote about an incident that occurred in December of 1900.
At that time, a ship sailed from Stromness to the Flannan Isles light, located on the Outer Hebrides, on a routine supply mission. When the ship arrived, the crew found the lighthouse deserted. The table was set and a chair had toppled over, but the three men were missing. They have never been found.
In the opera, which has a cast of three (bass, baritone, and tenor), the singers portray both the crew of the rescue ship, and the lighthouse keepers themselves. The first part focuses on the crewmen, who become increasingly nervous as they are questioned, and in the second part, they are transformed into the keepers, who are tense and agitated because their relief is long overdue.
The opera does not attempt to answer the mystery, but uses music to suggest what might have happened on an isolated rock during a terrible storm.
“The Lighthouse” will be performed at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, a short distance from Carson. The shows are scheduled for May 15 and May 22, at 7.30 pm both days. Poster printing is often used effectively as advertising for events like this.
