Discuss “Robert Ashley receives acclaim for Celestial Excursions”

Too many people?s experiences with opera involve a phantom, an Andrew Lloyd Webber score, or an image of a robust group of women with horned hats screeching piercingly high notes. In short, a modern composer with an intelligently designed opera of soft-spoken voices is a breath of fresh air.

This year, Celestial Excursions by Robert Ashley received its first release on compact disc, and for any fan of well-constructed and deeply affecting art, it presents a gem worthy of discovery. Focused on the human condition of old age and the accumulation of experiences that burden man as he progresses through time, Excursions uses five distinct voices to represent a character that has many stories to tell and feelings to share. Ashley says that all the...