Roger Doyle

Hans-Dieter Grünefeld of HiFi & Records magazine has reviewed Rogers Doyle’s HERESY.

TRANSLATION:

“A fortuitous meeting in Dublin between Director/Producer Eric Fraad, and Irish composer Roger Doyle generated an idea for an opera that would fit into Fraad’s vision for his record label, Heresy Records. The subject agreed upon was a work based on the life, death and works of the Italian philosopher Giordano Bruno. Bruno was regarded as a notorious heretic by the Inquisition and burned at the stake.  As of this date, the church has not relinquished its position.

Fascinated by James Joyce’s novel “Finnegan’s Wake,”  particularly the correlation with Bruno’s theory of the coincidence of opposites – a theme which repeats itself throughout Joyce’s masterpiece – prompted the noted electronic music specialist Doyle to create a scenario on two sonic aesthetic levels: while the computer-generated music gives Bruno’s life a solemn aura, punctuating critical situations with threatening sounds; the contrasting bright high tessitura performed by the male and female singers generates a striking relationship with the electronic orchestration. In the vocal sense, “Heresy” depicts the real and idealized worlds using dialogue-like recitatives or melodic arias in scenes of conflict with earth and heaven. (The verdict is issued only at the trial). The psychedelic overture to Act I, a vivace dance to Act 2, and rock grooves structure the plot, whereby Bruno’s incarceration in the Cell-Hallucinations scene, composed in multi-stylistic musical genres, both references and introduces Doyle’s spiritual heir, James Joyce. A gripping operatic kaleidoscope.”

The HERESY double CD with 24 page booklet is available to buy from the Heresy Records store – BUY NOW

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Michael Quinn reviews HERESY in Opera Magazine.

“…a decidedly concentrated experience, characterized by strange, unnerving moods, dislocating effects (electronics and vocals assuming an arch theatricality in wilder moments) and altogether curious atmospheres.”

“Listened to on headphones, there’s something satisfyingly haunting, hallucinogenic even, about it all, its baleful oddness lit up by moments of dark, brittle beauty.”

The HERESY double CD with 24 page booklet is available to buy from the Heresy Records store – BUY NOW

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Winifried Dulisch reviews Roger Doyle‘s electronic opera HERESY for AUDIO Magazine.

Translation:
In no case was this opera written for traditional opera singers! Roger Doyle has composed his “electronic opera” about the philosopher and free thinker, Giordano Bruno, who was burned at the stake in 1600. The Irish electronic composer even wrote a supporting role for Caitríona O’Leary, who is well known on the early music scene as well as being a folk singer. The backing track was recorded solely with electronic instruments. Instead of merely carrying the listener into meditative realms, Heresy consistently honors the title and dramatic themes of the opera.

The HERESY double CD with 24 page booklet is available to buy from the Heresy Records store – BUY NOW

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Robert Hugill reviews HERESY on his classical music website Planet Hugill.

“Doyle’s approach to music theatre is somewhat at a tangent to much music theatre and opera today, which is no bad thing.”

“Doyle’s music is the dominant force in the piece, a seductive, highly electronic texture which veers more towards metaphysical meditation than dramatic music theatre.”

FULL REVIEW

The HERESY double CD with 24 page booklet is available to buy from the Heresy Records store – BUY NOW

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Michael Johnson of Facts & Arts reviews Roger Doyle’s electronic opera HERESY.

“It is an ethereal experience, loaded with beautiful soprano vocals and synthesized instrumentals…”

“This opera is not to be missed.”

The piece also includes an interview with Heresy Record’s founder & director Eric Fraad.

FULL REVIEW & INTERVIEW

More about Roger Doyle

The HERESY double CD with 24 page booklet is available to buy from the Heresy Records store – BUY NOW

Spotify have added a track from Roger Doyle‘s new Heresy Records release on their influential Classical New Releases playlist.

The track, A Material Universe, from Act II of the electronic opera HERESY is track 25 of 50 in the playlist. It features Caitríona O’Leary on vocals.

The HERESY double CD with 24 page booklet is available to buy from the Heresy Records store – BUY NOW

RTÉ Lyric fm – Ireland’s national broadcaster to air live performance of the opera on 3rd September

In December 2017, Heresy Records will release a new opera coincidently entitled, Heresy, by composer Roger Doyle. Heresy is based on the life and works of the martyred renaissance genius, cult hero, spy, playwright and visionary philosopher, Giordano Bruno, who was burned at the stake for heresy in the year 1600 in the Campo dei Fiori in Rome.

Performed to international critical acclaim in November 2016 at Dublin’s Project Art Centre, Heresy features 5 singers and an electronic score that oscillates between a multiplicity of styles all merging into a profound and compelling musical dramatic experience.

A live performance of the opera will be broadcast on RTÉ Lyric fm at 8:00 pm GMT on Sunday September 3rd 2017. Online listeners can go to rte.ie/lyricfm and click on ‘Listen Live’.

The studio recording of Heresy, with additional compositions not heard in the live performance, will be released on Heresy Records in December 2017 and distributed worldwide by Naxos.

rogerdoyle.com