“A mourning hymn “There’s a city of light ’mid the stars,” set with jarringly dissonant intervals, was followed by a hypnotic choral echo of “White linens,” an aria sung by Esther’s mother, as the women washed and laid out the body. The resolution of the story seemed almost beside the point, and the clock—which Johan stopped when he first left the house after breakfast—was started again, implying that life goes on.”
–The Wall Street Journal
“Silent Light fascinates with slow, unique rhythms all its own… Prestini builds on Reygadas’ work to ask another intriguing question: what is opera when the voice is no longer the most important instrument but only one within a larger landscape of sounds?”
-Observer
“In a way, Silent Light could almost have been about National Sawdust: its dimensions, its versatility, its history of experimental work. It’s as if Prestini was paying tribute to the venue she has led for the past decade”
-Musical America
“A richly ambiguous, provocative, and heady experience”
-Night After Night
“Throughout the 90-minute opera, Prestini utilizes the small orchestra with precision to support the libretto … the writing for the chorus is spectacular, borrowing the note-against-note harmonizing of the Mennonite hymn-singing tradition, but flavored with emotional tinges of dissonance ...”
-Classical Voice North America
“Prestini has created a vivid sound universe that harnesses the musical ambiance of the world around us, occasionally references cultural musical roots, and embraces modern technology to translate the austere, contemplative film to the musical stage”
-Cadenza NYC
“[Paola’s] use of the human voice as an interpreter of the ethereal is perfectly showcased in ‘Silent Light’. One could tell she collaborated with the singers in this opera and worked from that point to compose what felt right for each voice in the moment.”
-Opera Wire
“... The music was at every point dramatically compelling, without seeming cheap or manipulative.”
-Parterre Box
“Each shift in Prestini’s score was arresting.”
-Opera Canada
“A mourning hymn “There’s a city of light ’mid the stars,” set with jarringly dissonant intervals, was followed by a hypnotic choral echo of “White linens,” an aria sung by Esther’s mother, as the women washed and laid out the body. The resolution of the story seemed almost beside the point, and the clock—which Johan stopped when he first left the house after breakfast—was started again, implying that life goes on.”
–The Wall Street Journal
“Silent Light fascinates with slow, unique rhythms all its own… Prestini builds on Reygadas’ work to ask another intriguing question: what is opera when the voice is no longer the most important instrument but only one within a larger landscape of sounds?”
-Observer
“In a way, Silent Light could almost have been about National Sawdust: its dimensions, its versatility, its history of experimental work. It’s as if Prestini was paying tribute to the venue she has led for the past decade”
-Musical America
“A richly ambiguous, provocative, and heady experience”
-Night After Night
“Throughout the 90-minute opera, Prestini utilizes the small orchestra with precision to support the libretto … the writing for the chorus is spectacular, borrowing the note-against-note harmonizing of the Mennonite hymn-singing tradition, but flavored with emotional tinges of dissonance ...”
-Classical Voice North America
“Prestini has created a vivid sound universe that harnesses the musical ambiance of the world around us, occasionally references cultural musical roots, and embraces modern technology to translate the austere, contemplative film to the musical stage”
-Cadenza NYC
“[Paola’s] use of the human voice as an interpreter of the ethereal is perfectly showcased in ‘Silent Light’. One could tell she collaborated with the singers in this opera and worked from that point to compose what felt right for each voice in the moment.”
-Opera Wire
“... The music was at every point dramatically compelling, without seeming cheap or manipulative.”
-Parterre Box
“Each shift in Prestini’s score was arresting.”
-Opera Canada
“A mourning hymn “There’s a city of light ’mid the stars,” set with jarringly dissonant intervals, was followed by a hypnotic choral echo of “White linens,” an aria sung by Esther’s mother, as the women washed and laid out the body. The resolution of the story seemed almost beside the point, and the clock—which Johan stopped when he first left the house after breakfast—was started again, implying that life goes on.”
–The Wall Street Journal
“Silent Light fascinates with slow, unique rhythms all its own… Prestini builds on Reygadas’ work to ask another intriguing question: what is opera when the voice is no longer the most important instrument but only one within a larger landscape of sounds?”
-Observer
“In a way, Silent Light could almost have been about National Sawdust: its dimensions, its versatility, its history of experimental work. It’s as if Prestini was paying tribute to the venue she has led for the past decade”
-Musical America
“A richly ambiguous, provocative, and heady experience”
-Night After Night
“Throughout the 90-minute opera, Prestini utilizes the small orchestra with precision to support the libretto … the writing for the chorus is spectacular, borrowing the note-against-note harmonizing of the Mennonite hymn-singing tradition, but flavored with emotional tinges of dissonance ...”
-Classical Voice North America
“Prestini has created a vivid sound universe that harnesses the musical ambiance of the world around us, occasionally references cultural musical roots, and embraces modern technology to translate the austere, contemplative film to the musical stage”
-Cadenza NYC
“[Paola’s] use of the human voice as an interpreter of the ethereal is perfectly showcased in ‘Silent Light’. One could tell she collaborated with the singers in this opera and worked from that point to compose what felt right for each voice in the moment.”
-Opera Wire
“... The music was at every point dramatically compelling, without seeming cheap or manipulative.”
-Parterre Box
“Each shift in Prestini’s score was arresting.”
-Opera Canada
