FULL AN AMERICAN DREAM? Documentary Gothenburg 2026 Barbara Hannigan

Information on the Performance

• Work Title: AN AMERICAN DREAM?   
• Composer: various  
• Libretto: various  
• Venue & Opera Company: Gothenburg, Sweden  
• Recorded: May 2026
• Type: Other
• Singers: Barabara Hannigan
• Conductor: Barabara Hannigan  
• Orchestra: Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra  
• Stage Director:   
• Costume Designer:   

Information about the Recording

• Published by: Alpha Classics  
• TV Director: Andrew Staples  
• Date Published: 2026  
• Format: Streaming
• Quality Video: 4 Audio:4
• Subtitles: nosubs  

• ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS PERFORMANCE

  This film by Andrew Staples offers a visual counterpart to Barbara Hannigan’s acclaimed album An American Dream?. In the album, Hannigan explores the concept of The American Dream: “I grew up in awe of America, but now my feelings are mainly nostalgic. With this repertoire, I want to express my admiration for the incredible creativity and tenacity of these American composers, who shaped a musical language that was truly their own.” As she shares her insights on the repertoire recorded with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra for Alpha Classics, the film gradually opens up by slowly shifting from black-and-white to colour, echoing the evolution of American cinema from the early 20th century through the 1960s. Filmed at the Gothenburg Concert Hall, the 24-minute film weaves together rehearsal footage, performances, and Hannigan’s commentary on the music. From George Gershwin’s operatic masterpiece about love, addiction, racism, and hope, Robert Russell Bennett’s iconic arrangement Porgy and Bess: A Symphonic Picture is featured. Inspired by watching the silent film Nosferatu at the cinema in Paris in 1925, Aaron Copland composed a ballet which eventually became the vibrant Dance Symphony. The Carousel Waltz (arr. Don Walker) is the overture to the dark-themed Broadway musical Carousel by Richard Rodgers. For the grand finale, Barbara Hannigan reunites with American composer and arranger Bill Elliott in their joint creation, At the Fair. Their suite starts with Have I Stayed Too Long at the Fair? and concludes with Jule Styne’s famous hit Don’t Rain on my Parade, both sung by Hannigan. The middle section of the suite is instrumental and includes a multitude of well-known American songs and themes, battling one another for pride of place. The film concludes with an instrumental rendition of Summertime.

  THE REPERTOIRE
  George Gershwin (1898–1937)Porgy and Bess: A Symphonic Picture Arranged by Robert Russell Bennett (1894–1981)
  Aaron Copland (1900–1990)Dance Symphony
  Richard Rodgers (1902–1979)The Carousel Waltz Arranged by Don Walker (1907–1989)
  Barbara Hannigan (b. 1971) – Bill Elliott (b. 1951) At the Fair — world premiere recording (Orchestral Suite with Soprano – Arranged by Barbara Hannigan and Bill Elliott, Orchestrated by Bill Elliott)

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