At the height of the Gilded Age, during Chicago's finest moment of international glory, a man known as H.H. Holmes quietly and secretively carried out one of the most horrifically perverse and murderous crime sprees in American history. Against the ornate backdrop of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, Holmes built an elaborate chamber of horrors in which he staged the methodical and grisly murders of up to 200 people, becoming America's first known serial killer.
This macabre subject matter provides the basis for an exploration into the darkest corners of the human psyche. The adventurous Florestan Recital Project announces the release of its world premiere recording of renowned composer Libby Larsen's The Peculiar Case of Dr. H.H. Holmes. The work explores the unfathomable impulses that drove Holmes to commit his crimes. Scored for baritone and piano, Larsen's song cycle interweaves passages of period parlour music with texts from Holmes' own confessions. The result is a work that is both haunting and engaging--a perfect platform for Florestan's "deeply felt, and impeccably prepared" performances (The Boston Globe).
Holmes (re)Animated: Composer Libby Larsen meets artist Rick Geary!
WATCH Florestan's newly-released animated video of Larsen's The Peculiar Case of Dr. H.H. Holmes, featuring illustrations from artist Rick Geary's acclaimed graphic novel, The Beast of Chicago (NBM/ComicsLit).
Download Composer's Notes and Libretto
