NEW YORK STORIES (2003-2008)

Three one act operas

60 minutes (3 x 20)

Cover Art for the first edition of the vocal score by Chris Lyons Illustration.

Music Text
Libretto by Barbara Grecki and Daron Hagen (E)

Scoring
2-6 high and low voices; fl.ob.cl.bn.hn.tpt.vibr.3vlns.va.vlc.cb (or) piano

Publisher / Licensing

World Premiere
With Piano: spring 2010
Daron Hagen, director
Conductor: Joseph Mechavich
Company: Kentucky Opera

With Orchestra: spring 2020
Jeffrey Buchman, director
Conductor: Andrew Bisantz
Company: Florida Grand Opera

European Premiere
With Piano: 7 September 2024
Cláudia Anjos & Carlos Flores Baltazar, directors
Conductor: Margarida Andrade
Company: Operà Deriva Companhia Sem Rumo; Lisbon, Portugal

Roles
(May be doubled or tripled.)
Pamela (high voice)
Babs (high voice)
Mama (high voice)
Antonio (low voice)
Chip (low voice)
Papa (low voice)

Time and Place
Three apartments in Manhattan at the turn of the 21st century. The first is on the Upper West Side (West 70th Street); the second is on the Upper East Side (East 92nd Street); and the third is in Hamilton Heights (Broadway at 148th Street).

Synopsis
These three intimate stories are based on the experiences of real people. The music and libretto weaves all of their lives together. Conceived as a trilogy for performance both together and seperately, the first skit is piquant and romantic, the second is dark and funny by turns, the third is warmly domestic and ends with a delightful twist. The trilogy is intended for young artist training programs at universities and professional opera companies. Chamber orchestra accompaniments are available, but piano accompaniment is preferred. Staging in a traditional theater is not preferable to site-specific stagings in private homes or public spaces.

  • Broken Pieces
    Pamela, a thirty-something divorcee, lives alone in a one bedroom apartment on the Upper West Side. She's been waiting for months for the tile man to come and fix the broken tiles in her bathroom. Antonio, a middle-aged Italian immigrant, arrives to do the work.
  • Just for the Night
    Babs, a single socialite of a certain age and wealth living in a luxurious penthouse on the Upper East Side, receives an unexpected visit from her brother Chip on Christmas Eve, and, out of self-preservation, turns him away.
  • Cradle Song
    Mama and Papa, a young composer couple living in a tiny studio apartment in Hamilton Heights, arrive home after an evening out and begin the extended pas de deux of getting their infant child down for the night.
Production Stills
Here

Links
Wikipedia

Other Notable Performances
USC Opera - Los Angeles, CA, 3/8/05 - BP; Brooklyn Conservatory - Brooklyn, NY, 5/20/05 - BP; Music on the Edge - Pittsburgh, PA, 2/19/07 - BP; Boston Opera Underground - Boston, MA, 2/13/08 - BP; Prism Ensemble - New York, NY, 4/7/08 - JFTN; UO Opera & Eugene Opera - Symphony Space, NYC 5/4/08 - BP; UO Opera & Eugene Opera - Eugene, OR, 5/30/08 - BP; University of Puget Sound - Tacoma, WA, 10/21/08 - CS; Seasons Music Festival - Yakima, WA, 10/26/08 - CS*; Long Leaf Opera - Chapel Hill, NC, 6/17/09 - NYS; Kentucky Opera - Louisville, KY, 10/30/10 - NYS; Chicago Opera Theater - Chicago, IL, 11/1/11 - NYS; Chicago College of Perf. Arts - Chicago, IL, 11/11-12/11 - NYS; Butler Opera Center - Austin, TX, 2/24-26 & 3/2-4/12 - NYS, numerous others.

Selected Press
“Daron Hagen’s three Gotham slice-of-life tales (Broken Pieces, Just for the Night, and Cradle Song) sing out in an unpretentious tonal American style, yet mask a plethora of musical complexity and sophistication. In this February production, Jeffrey Buchman’s staging captured the stories’ pathos and wit. Under Andrew Bisantz’s subtle yet lively musical direction, Amanda Sheriff and Stephanie Douche, FGO Studio Artists, stood out for their vibrant singing and dramatic projection.” — South Florida Classical Review, Top Ten Performances of 2021