Letter to Peter, on Saint François d'Assise by Olivier Messiaen (1992)
1h 22m
Running Time
January 1, 1992Release Date
Letter to Peter, on Saint François d'Assise by Olivier Messiaen (1992)
1h 22m
Running Time
January 1, 1992Release Date
Plot.
In 1992, Olivier Messiaen's epic opera "Saint François d'Assise" was brought to the Salzburg Festival in a staging by Peter Sellars. The distinct visual appearance that Sellars lent to the opera, where video monitors with powerful images are used as a sort of high-tech metaphor for a cathedral's stained glass, drew critical acclaim and is still talked about as a watershed moment in opera to this day. This film here is a 75-minute documentary on the 1992 staging. Jean-Pierre Gorin filmed Sellars, baritone José van Dam (St. Francis) soprano Dawn Upshaw (The Angel), and the LA Philharmonic and conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen as they rehearsed for the big day. There are interviews with these artists, though Sellars gets most of the screen time. The documentary is very much about Sellars' vision for Messiaen's theatrical drama. Very little is said about Messiaen's music.
Where to Watch.
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Cast & Crew.

Esa-Pekka Salonen
Self - Conductor

Dawn Upshaw
Self - Soprano

José van Dam
Self - Bass-Baritone

Urban Malmberg
Self - Baritone

John Aler
Self - Tenor

Tom Krause
Self - Baritone

Ronald Hamilton
Self - Tenor

Manfred Frei
Producer

Wolfgang Koch
Cinematography

Rainer Mockert
Executive Producer

Felix Kränkl
Camera Operator

Jean-Pierre Gorin
Director

Walter Rektorik
Camera Operator

Brooks Riley
Assistant Director

Peter Sellars
Stage Director
