Four Saints in Three Acts

E237761

Four Saints in Three Acts is an avant-garde opera with a libretto by Gertrude Stein and music by Virgil Thomson, renowned for its experimental language, non-linear structure, and groundbreaking all-Black cast in its original 1934 production.

All labels observed (3)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf avant-garde opera ⓘ
opera ⓘ
associatedMovement American modernism ⓘ
experimental theatre ⓘ
literary modernism ⓘ
character Commère ⓘ
Compère ⓘ
Saint Ignatius of Loyola ⓘ
linked to: Ignatius of Loyola

Saint Teresa of Ávila ⓘ
linked to: Teresa of Ávila
composer Virgil Thomson ⓘ
countryOfOrigin United States ⓘ
firstMajorRunCity New York City ⓘ
firstMajorRunLocation Broadway ⓘ
firstMajorRunYear 1934 ⓘ
firstPerformanceDate 1934-02-07 ⓘ
genre experimental music theatre ⓘ
modernist music ⓘ
opera ⓘ
hasLibretto Four Saints in Three Acts (libretto) ⓘ
hasMusic Four Saints in Three Acts (score) ⓘ
historicalSignificance landmark of American modernist opera ⓘ
one of the first operas with an all-Black cast presented to a major white audience in the United States ⓘ
language English ⓘ
librettist Gertrude Stein ⓘ
librettoStyle Gertrude Stein’s stream-of-consciousness writing ⓘ
musicalStyle American vernacular influences ⓘ
neoclassical elements ⓘ
notableFor collaboration between Gertrude Stein and Virgil Thomson ⓘ
notableProductionFeature all-Black cast in original 1934 production ⓘ
numberOfActs 4 ⓘ
originalChoreographer Frederick Ashton ⓘ
originalDirector John Houseman ⓘ
originalProductionDesigner Florine Stettheimer ⓘ
premiereLocation Hartford, Connecticut ⓘ
premiereVenue Wadsworth Atheneum ⓘ
premiereYear 1934 ⓘ
productionElement abstract sets ⓘ
minimal narrative emphasis ⓘ
stylized staging ⓘ
structure four acts ⓘ
styleCharacteristic experimental language ⓘ
fragmented narrative ⓘ
non-linear structure ⓘ
repetitive text patterns ⓘ
surreal imagery ⓘ
subjectMatter lives of saints ⓘ
theme mysticism ⓘ
playfulness with language ⓘ
spirituality ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (9)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Gertrude Stein → notableWork → Four Saints in Three Acts ⓘ
Four Saints in Three Acts → hasLibretto → Four Saints in Three Acts (libretto) ⓘ
linked to: Four Saints in Three Acts
Four Saints in Three Acts → hasMusic → Four Saints in Three Acts (score) ⓘ
linked to: Four Saints in Three Acts
Virgil Thomson → notableWork → Four Saints in Three Acts ⓘ
Compère → appearsIn → Four Saints in Three Acts ⓘ
Commère → appearsIn → Four Saints in Three Acts ⓘ
Commère → hasRoleInWork → Four Saints in Three Acts ⓘ
Commère → firstAppearanceWork → Four Saints in Three Acts ⓘ
Florine Stettheimer → designedForWork → Four Saints in Three Acts ⓘ