Today : world premiere of Joby Talbot's 'Everest' in Dallas (TX)

Today, the Dallas Opera (Winspear Opera House) will present the world première performance of Joby Talbot's first opera Everest, as second part of a double bill evening starting with the 4th act of Alfredo Catalani's La Wally.

 

The libretto has been written by Gene Scheer, who has already written texts for Tobias Picker, Jake Heggie and Jennifer Higdon.

On the slopes of Mount Everest, luck and the weather can turn with equal ferocity and swiftness, and dreams die even for the most valiant of men. The opera confronts the tragic events surrounding an ill-fated Everest expedition. (Reproduced from the Dallas Opera website)

The cast includes tenor Andrew Bidlack (Rob Hall), mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke (Jan Arnold), bass Kevin Burdette (Beck Weathers), baritone Craig Verm (Doug Hansen), soprano Julia Rose Arduino (Meg), baritone John Boehr (Guy) and bass-baritone Mark McCrory (Mike). Nicole Paiement conducts and Leonard Foglia directs.

It is interesting to notice that this operas has been rated PG-13 by the Dallas Opera for 'adult themes, intense drama, language, onstage death'.