Vision-Into-Art
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The Colorado River has cut through canyons, cultures, and centuries. Here are nine chapters in its fast-flowing journey.
For five million years the Colorado has carved some of the most majestic landscapes on the planet. It has also become the lifeline of a vast portion of North America, providing the water that sustains nearly forty million people, half a dozen major cities, and an immense agricultural empire. Because of these demands, the river is so overused and overpromised that it no longer flows to the sea or nourishes its delta. The Colorado, set to music by today’s leading composers and narrated by the stage legend Mark Rylance, takes us on a journey in nine chapters through the prehistoric settlements of the region, the period of European exploration, the dam-building era, modern industrial agriculture and immigration, and the impact of climate change. The Grammy-winning vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth, cellist Jeffrey Zeigler (Kronos Quartet), and composer-percussionist Glenn Kotche (Wilco) perform the film’s exhilarating score
"the music — commissioned from five composers and performed by some of the most innovative soundsmiths around — is specifically tailored to the film’s passionate environmental advocacy and carries equal weight with the visual.”
THE NEW YORK TIMES
“Some is outright gorgeous. Ms. Prestini’s choral piece for the section “A Padre, a Horse, a Telescope” sets Jesuit sources — including a Hail Mary in Cochimi, an extinct Native American language — to an ethereal blend of Mexican Baroque music and otherworldly ululations.”
THE NEW YORK TIMES
“But the music…! The Colorado’s soundtrack positively radiates optimism.”
NEWSOUNDS
“A soundtrack at its most pure, this live score imparted a more resonant sensation than just film or concert alone; the whole evening brought together both sight and sound at the height of their powers.”
METLIVEARTS
Music Director
Jeffrey Zeigler
Composers
John Luther Adams, William Brittelle, Glenn Kotche,
Shara Nova, Paola Prestini
Performers
Roomful of Teeth, Brad Wells, director
Glenn Kotche, percussion
Jeffrey Zeigler, cello
