FIVE ARIAS FROM HE WHO GETS SLAPPED (2022)
For Five Soloists (Soprano, Mezzo-soprano, Tenor, Baritone, Bass) with Piano
Duration ca. 18:00
PROGRAM NOTES
HE’s Aria (Act I, Scene ii)
Mancini’s Aria (Act II, Scene i)
Consuelo’s Aria (Act II, Scene i)
Jackson’s Aria (Act II, Entr’acte)
Zinida’s Aria (Act II, Scene ii)
HE Who Gets Slapped is the title of my opera-in-development with librettist Daniel Neer. The piece is adapted from Leonid Andreyev’s 1914 play of the same name. Andreyev’s play has stood the test of time (and inspired multiple film adaptations) primarily on the strength of its characterizations: from HE, a damaged stranger, to Consuelo, a young trick rider who yearns for a better life. These arias give glimpses into the lives of five of these evocative characters, and provide a snapshot-sized preview of the complete evening-length opera.
Premiered by studio artists from Opera Orlando at Steinmetz Hall, Orlando, FL (April 2023).
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