Today : world première of 'Elizabeth Cree' by Kevin Puts in Philadelphia

Today, the Opera Philadelphia presents the world première of Elizabeth Cree, a chamber opera composed by Kevin Puts, with a libretto by Mark Campbell based on Peter Ackroyd's novel The Trial of Elizabeth Cree.

It is the composer's third opera after Silent Night (Saint Paul, Minnesota Opera, November 12, 2011) and The Manchurian Candidate (Saint Paul, Minnesota Opera, March 7, 2015).

Set in London in the 1880s, this highly suspenseful and theatrical opera interweaves several narratives: the trial of the titular heroine for the poisoning of her husband; a series of brutal murders committed by a Jack the Ripper-style killer; the spirited world of an English music hall; and, finally, some “guest appearances” by luminaries from the Victorian Age. (reproduced from the Opera Philadelphia website)

The cast includes mezzo Daniela Mack (Elizabeth Cree), baritone Troy Cook (John Cree), tenor Joseph Gaines (Dan Leno), baritone Daniel Belcher (Inspector Kildare) and soprano Deanna Breiwick (Aveline Mortimer). Corrado Rovaris conducts and David Schweizer directs.

The performance should last about 90 minutes. The opera will also be performed at the Chicago Opera Theater in February 2018.

Today : World première of 'The Manchurian Candidate' by Kevin Puts in St. Paul (MN)

Today, the Minnesota Opera presents the world première performance of The Manchurian Candidate by Kevin Puts, with a libretto by Mark Campbell after Richard Condon's novel. Performances will take place at the Ordway Theater.

 

It is Puts' second opera after Silent Night, first performed by Minnesota Opera on November 12, 2011.

An American soldier, decorated during the Korean War, is brainwashed into becoming an unwitting assassin in a conspiracy to overthrow the U.S. government. Can a fellow POW crack the code in time to stop him ? (reproduced from the opera website)

The cast includes Matthew Worth (Sergeant Raymond Shaw), Brenda Harris (Eleanor Iselin), Daniel Sumegi (Senator Johnny Iselin), Leonardo Capalbo (Captain Ben Marco), Adriana Zabala (Rosie Chayney), among others. Michael Christie conducts and Kevin Newbury directs.

The opera should last about 2 hours and 10 minutes, including one 20-minute intermission.

New productions or revivals of recent operas (5)

During the 2014-2015 season, several recent operas will be performed, sometimes with new productions.

- John Adams : A Flowering Tree, conducted by Joana Carneiro, directed by Nicola Raab, in Göteborg, in January 2015 (Scandinavian première). The opera was first performed in Vienna in 2006, and has been staged several times, in Cincinnati and in Paris, among others ;
- John Adams : I was looking at the ceiling and then I saw the sky, in Roma in September 2015, conducted by Alexander Briger and directed by Giorgio Barberio Corsetti. This is a revival of the original production from Paris, first performed in June 2013 ;
- Daniel Catan : Florencia en el Amazonas, conducted by Carolyn Kuan, directed by Francesca Zambello, in Washington (DC), in September 2014. This is the original production from 1996 in Houston. It has been performed several times in Los Angeles, Seattle, Cincinnati, Denver and Salt Lake City ;
- André Previn : A Streetcar Named Desire, conducted by Joseph Mechavich, directed by José Maria Condemi, in Louisville, KY, in February 2015. Since the world première in San Francisco in September 1998, this opera has become a classic, with a number a productions in North America, Europe and Asia ;
- Kevin Puts : Silent Night, conducted by Joseph Mechavich and directed by David Gately, in Calgary, in November 2014. This new production will mark the Canadian première of this work already performed in several American opera houses and in Wexford. Another production will be staged in Montréal in May 2015.

New productions or revivals of recent operas (4)

During the 2014-2015, several recent operas will be performed with new productions or revived :

- Julian Anderson : Thebans, directed by Pierre Audi, Bonn, June 2015. It will be a revival of the original production first performed in London (ENO), in May 2014 ;
- Jake Heggie : Three Decembers, directed by Emma Griffin, Atlanta, May 2015. The opera was first performed in Houston in February 2008. Also performed in Berkeley and Fort Worth ;
- Hans Werner Henze : Phaedra, directed by Florian Lutz, in Halle, March 2015. The opera was first performed in Berlin in September 2007. Other performances followed in Brussels, Firenze, Copenhagen and Duisburg ;
- Toshio Hosokawa : Matsukaze, directed by Matthias von Stegmann, Kiel, May 2015. New production. The opera was first performed in Brussels in May 2011. Since then, it has also been performed in Berlin ;
- Kevin Puts : Silent Night, directed by Eric Simonson, Montréal, May 2015. Revival of the world première production in St. Paul (MN) in November 2011. Production also performed in Philadelphia (February 2013) and Cincinnati (July 2014). The second production, directed by Octavio Cardenas, already performed in Fort Worth last May will be revived in Kansas City in February 2015. A third production, directed by Tomer Zvulun, will happen in October 2014 in Wexford. It will be the European première.

New productions of recent operas (3)

Here are more performances (new productions or revivals) of recent contemporary operas scheduled in the 2014 festivals or the 2014-2015 season :

- Michel van der Aa : Sunken Garden, conducted by Etienne Siebens, directed by the composer, in Villeurbanne (as part of the Opéra de Lyon season), in March 2015. First performed in London (English National Opera) in April 2013, it is the French première (revival) ;
- Luciano Berio : Un Re in ascolto, conducted by Alexander Hannemann, directed by Paul Esterhazy, in Kassel (new production). There has been only 5 performances since the production by Rosamund Gilmore in Frankfurt (2003), in Münster in 2008 ;
- Daniel Catan : Florencia en el Amazonas, conducted by Dean Williamson, directed by John Hoomes, in Nashville (Jmaes K. Polk Theater), in January 2015 (new production) ;
- Luca Francesconi : Quartett, conducted by Franck Ollu, directed by Stefan Johansson, in Malmö, in April 2015 (new production, Scandinavian première). The opera was first performed in Milano in April 2011, and subsequently performed in Vienna, Strasbourg, Lille and London. It is the fourth production of this opera ;
- Detlev Glanert : Nijinskys Tagebuch, conducted by Darrell Ang, directed by Carolyn Sittig, in Bordeaux, January 2015 (French première, new production). The opera was first performed in Aachen in April 2008 ;
- David T. Little : Dog Days, conducted by Alan Pierson, directed by Robert Woodruff (revival). This is the first ever production of the opera, first performed at the Kasser Theater, Montclair (NJ) in September 2012 ;
- Kevin Puts : Silent Night, conducted by David Charles Abell, directed by Eric Simonson, in Cincinnati, this month (July 2014). It is the original production, designed for St. Paul in November 2011. This opera will also have a new production in Kansas City in February 2015, with the same conductor, but Octavio Cardenas directing ;
- Ludger Vollmer : Lola rennt, conducted by Martin Hoff, directed by Michael Dissmeier, in Weimar (new production, opera first performed in March 2014 in Hagen).