9/17/2015

DanielCatnLongBiographyMusicSalesClassical

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Daniel Catn
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Daniel Catn
Born: 1949
Died: 2011
Nationality: Mexican
Publisher: AMP
Photo Elizabeth Beristain

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DanielCatn,whosesuddendeathinApril2011shockedtheoperaworld,composedin
alyrical,romanticstylelendsitselfparticularlywelltothehumanvoice,whichfeatures
prominentlyinthemajorityofhisworks.Catn'sproficiencycaneasilybeheardinhis
operaFlorenciaenelAmazonasthefirstSpanishlanguageoperacommissionedbya
majorAmericancompany.Catndescribedhisobjectivefortheopera:Isetouttowrite
beautifulmusicforastoryofthejourneytotranscendentloveitconcernsallofuswho
havelivedlovewithallitsintricacies,subtleties,wretchedness,andglorioushappiness.
Catnsintentionswerenobleandbold.Intheeyesofboththepublicandthecritics
wholaudedtheworkshonesty,beauty,andsheerdevastatingdramaticeffecthe
accomplishedhisgoals.Hisinfluencesbeliehisnativeland:hehasbeencomparedto
Debussy,RichardStrauss,andPucciniwithawispofJapaneseinfluence.Catn
attestedgladlytohiswidespectrumofinfluences.Ihaveinheritedaveryrichoperatic
tradition,hesaid.Inmywork,Iamproudtosay,onecandetecttheenormousdebtIowe
tocomposersfromMonteverditoAlbanBerg.Butperhapsthegreatestofmydebtsis
havinglearntthattheoriginalityofanoperaneednotinvolvetherejectionofourtradition
(whichwouldbelikeblindlyembracingtheconditionofanorphan),butratherthe
profoundassimilationofit,soastoachievetheclosestunionbetweenatextandits
music.
ThoughCatnwasborninMexico,hewasaproductofbothBritishandAmerican
schooling,receivingdegreesfromtheUniversityofSussex(inphilosophy),UniversityofSouthampton,andPrinceton
UniversitywherehestudiedwithMiltonBabbittbeforereturningtoMexicototakeupthepostofmusicadministratorat
MexicoCitysPalaceofFineArts.There,apartfromestablishinghimselfasanessayistwritingaboutmusic,hecametolove
opera.In1994,theSanDiegoOperapremieredhissymbolistopera,LaHijadeRappacini(RappaccinisDaughter),awork
writtenincollaborationwithlibrettistJuanTovar.ThesuccessofLaHijadeRappaciniledtoCatnsnextopera,Florenciaen
elAmazonasacollaborationbetweenCatn,ColombianauthorGabrielGarcaMrquez,andGarcaMrquez'sprotge,
MarcelaFuentesBerain.TheoperaislooselybasedonGarcaMarquez'snovelLoveintheTimeofCholera.Florenciaenel
AmazonastapsdeeplyintoGarcaMrquezsworldofmagicalrealism.Itis,saidCatn,thestoryofthereturnjourneythat
weallundertakeatacertainpointinourlives:themomentwhenwelookbackatwhatweoncedreamedofbecoming,and
thenconfrontwhatwehavenowbecome.Sinceitspremierein1996,Florenciahasbeenperformedbyanumberofmajor
AmericanoperacompaniestheEuropeanpremieretookplacein2006inHeidelberg,Germany.Incelebrationofits50th
anniversary,theHoustonGrandOperacommissionedCatnsthirdoperaSalsipuedes,ATaleofLove,War,andAnchovies
adarkcomedywhichtakesplaceonthefictitiousislandofSalsipuedesandpremieredin2004.TheEuropeanpremiere
wasseeninHagen,Germany,in2008inaGermansingingtranslation.Catnsfourthopera,I
Postino,basedontheOscarwinningfilm,andcommissionedbyLosAngelesOpera,debutedin2010inLosAngeleswith
PlcidoDomingoandCharlesCastronovointheleadingrolesinaproductiondirectedbyRonDaniels.Intheshorttimesince
itspremiere,IlPostinohasbeenbroadcastnationallyonPBSandproducedinfivedifferentcountries.TheEuropean
premierefollowedatViennasTheateranderWien(December2010),withsubsequentperformancesatThtreduChtelet
inParis(June2011),PalaciodeBellesArtesandFestivalCervantinoinMexicoCity(October2011),TeatroMunicipalin
Santiago,Chile(June2012),andtheUniversityofHouston(April2011).MadridsTeatroRealpresentstheSpanishpremiere
inJune2013withDomingoandCastronovoreprisingtheirleadingroles.SonyClassicalreleasestheDVDofLAsaward
winningpremiereproductioninautumn2012.InMay2012,CenterCityOperainPhiladelphiapremieredareduced
orchestrationofIlPostino.
Atthetimeofhisdeath,Catnwasatworkonhisnextopera,MeetJohnDoe.TheUniversityofTexasatAustin,
whichcommissionedtheopera,alsopremieredthechamberversionofLaHijadeRappacciniinFebruary2011.
Catnsnonoperaticoutputisfullofequallypowerfulworks:CaribbeanAirsfororchestrawithafeaturedroleforthe
percussionsection(2007)EnunDoblezdelTiempo(AFoldinTime),andanorchestralsuitefromFlorenciaMariposa
Obsidiana,forsoprano,chorusandorchestraandthesmallbutcharmingEncantimiento,fortwoflutes.Hismusicis
publishedexclusivelybyAssociatedMusicPublishers.
September2012
Forspecificinquiriesaboutthiscomposer,pleasecontactPeggy.Monastra@schirmer.comor(212)2542100.

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