Commissions, Performances

Dante project

Commenced in late 2024, after the 700th anniversity of Dante’s death, this ambitious project aims to create a 20 minute song cycle followed by a one hour one act opera on the meeting of Dante and Beatrice in the Terrestrial Paradise. Dante placed the Terrestrial Paradise at the top of Mt Purgatory in the Southern Hemisphere.  The project adapts the text of the translation into English from the Florentine original of La Commedia by Sir Samuel Griffith, Australia’s First Chief Justice.  The personnel involved in this project:

Dante experts who are advisors:

Dr Diana Glenn (expert in the women of the Comedy)

Dr Katherine Firth (librettist whose PHD was on the creation of libretto

Dr Mary Dwyer (Dante scholar at both the University of Melbourne and New England)

Dr Simon West (poet and Dante scholar)

Part 1 Song Cycle for piano and four voices (completed)

Artistic director and pianist: Coady Green - www.coadygreen.com 

Length: 20 minutes

Story adaptation: Margot Costanzo

Composer: Gordon Kerry - gordonkerry@wordpress.com | https://soundcloud.com/gordon-kerry

Librettists: Margot Costanzo and Gordon Kerry

Songs:

I fear for Dante Beatrice (soprano) and Virgil (baritone)

Are you Ghost or Mortal Man?  Virgil and Dante (tenor)

You came through the Purple Air Francesca da Rimini (mezzo soprano) and Dante

You may not go beyond this wall of fire Virgil and Dante

Part 2 World Premiere Performance

Planned for the second evening of the Fortyfive Downstairs Fourth Chamber Music Festival 21, 2026 (TBC).

Festival Program:

Dante and Beatrice: Song Cycle 20 minutes

Listzt :  Dante Sonata Apres une lecture de Dante opus 109 18 minutes

Songs from the Many Faces of Francesca da Rimini, including a new commission by Gulliver Poole, called Jazz Francesca.

Part 3 Possible video of the Song Cycle (more later)

Part 4 Opera for piano, quartet, percussion and five voices (2027)

We plan to use a Song Cycle recording, and, if possible, the film of the Song Cycle, to raise interest and financial support for the completion of the opera.

Composer Gordon Kerry

Pianist Coady Green

Composer Gulliver Poole