{"product_id":"seeing-through-a-chronicle-of-sex-drugs-and-opera-hardcover","title":"Seeing Through: A Chronicle of Sex, Drugs, and Opera - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eRicky Ian Gordon\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe true confessions of a working opera composer: an exhilarating story of \"a life that comes out of chaos.\"\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAt eight years old, Ricky Ian Gordon pulled \u003ci\u003eThe Victor Book of Opera\u003c\/i\u003e off his piano teacher's bookshelf, and his world shifted on its axis. Though scandal, sadness, and confusion would shake that world over the next few decades, its polestar remained constant. Music has been the guiding force of Gordon's life; through it, he has been able not only to survive great sorrow but also to capture the depths of his emotion in song. It is this strength, this technical and visceral genius, that has made him one of our generation's greatest composers. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eSeeing Through\u003c\/i\u003e, Gordon writes with humor, insight, and incredible candor about his life and work: a tumultuous youth on Long Island, his artistic collaborations and obsessions, the creation of his compositions (including \u003ci\u003eThe Grapes of Wrath\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e27\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eOrpheus and Euridice\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eIntimate Apparel\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eEllen West\u003c\/i\u003e, and more), his addictions and the abuses he endured, and the loss of his partner to AIDS and the devastation of the HIV\/AIDS epidemic. As Gordon writes of that period: \"We were, thousands of us, Lazarus. We had to rise from the ashes. We didn't have to rebuild our lives, we had to build new ones.\" \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eGordon has succeeded in building a remarkable life, as well as a body of work that bears witness to all he survived in the process--one that will endure as a pivotal chapter in America's songbook.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRicky Ian Gordon\u003c\/b\u003e was born in Oceanside, New York, and was raised on Long Island. After studying piano, composition, and acting at Carnegie Mellon University, he settled in New York City, where he quickly emerged as a leading writer of vocal music that spans art song, opera, and musical theater. His songs have been performed and recorded by Renée Fleming, Dawn Upshaw, Nathan Gunn, Judy Collins, Kelli O'Hara, Audra McDonald, Kristin Chenoweth, and many others. His works include \u003ci\u003eOrpheus and Euridice\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eMorning Star\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Grapes of Wrath\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e27\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eGreen Sneakers for Baritone\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eString Quartet\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e Empty Chair and Piano\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Garden of the Finzi-Continis\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eEllen West\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eIntimate Apparel\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 480\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.5 x 9.25 x 6.32 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e July 23, 2024\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51750642123040,"sku":"9780374605728","price":32.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/f991a7a2b77743246228a5dfcbafbdda.webp?v=1779955458","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/seeing-through-a-chronicle-of-sex-drugs-and-opera-hardcover","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}