“Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,
The day what belongs to the day—at night the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,
Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.”
Excerpt from Walt Whitman’s “I Hear America Singing”
Join us for a night of “strong melodious songs,” as we explore how music and song intersect with American history. The highlight of the evening will be our premiere of two new short operas, with words by Jerre Dye and music by Rene Orth and Kamala Sankaram.
A.E. Reverie
Kamala Sankaram, music
Jerre Dye, words
A.E. Reverie unfolds the night after Amelia Earhart has gracefully landed her plane as part of a 1929 tour. After witnessing Amelia’s empowering lecture, a young woman stares at the night sky, dreaming of taking her own life to new heights.
Love, Loss, and the Century Upon Us
Rene Orth, music
Jerre Dye, words
In Love, Loss and the Century Upon Us, we find young lovers from different worlds, on a blind date only one of them is looking forward to, strolling beside a lake in 1899. The Athenaeum Hotel, ablaze with the brilliance of electricity for the very first time, is the backdrop for their courtship and reflections on the impact of this historic transformation.
Also featuring:
ROSSINI: Selections from The Barber of Seville
MOZART: Selections from The Marriage of Figaro
COSWAY: Songs and Duet Ft. Frances Cobb Kenney, harp
BONDS: Three Dream Portraits
BERLIN: Selections from White Christmas, Annie Get Your Gun, and others
A.E. Reverie and Love, Loss and the Century Upon Us were co-commissioned by Chautauqua Opera Company and Opera Memphis, with the generous support of Jeanie Mercer, Breen Bland, and the Chautauqua Opera Guild.