''Castor and Patience'' is an
opera
Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
composed by
Gregory Spears to a
libretto
A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...
by
Tracy K. Smith, commissioned by
Cincinnati Opera
Cincinnati Opera is an American opera company based in Cincinnati, Ohio and the second-oldest opera company in the United States (after the New York Metropolitan Opera). Beginning with its first season in 1920, Cincinnati Opera has produced opera ...
for its 100th anniversary season and received its world premiere there in July 2022. The opera was developed by
Opera Fusion: New Works, a collaboration between
Cincinnati Opera
Cincinnati Opera is an American opera company based in Cincinnati, Ohio and the second-oldest opera company in the United States (after the New York Metropolitan Opera). Beginning with its first season in 1920, Cincinnati Opera has produced opera ...
and the
University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music
The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) is a performing and media arts college of the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio. Initially established as the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music in 1867, CCM is one of the ...
which focuses on the creation of new American operas. The world premiere production was directed by Kevin Newbury and conducted by Kazem Abdullah.
Roles
Synopsis
Critical reception
''Castor and Patience'' was named one of the Best Classical Music Performances of 2022 by ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' and was on the shortlist for the Best World Premiere in the
International Opera Awards
The International Opera Awards is an annual awards ceremony honouring excellence in opera around the world.
Origins
The International Opera Awards was founded in 2013 by Harry Hyman, a UK businessman, philanthropist and supporter of opera, and ...
in 2022.
In his review for ''The New York Times'',
Zachary Woolfe
Zachary Woolfe is an American music critic who specializes in classical music. Since 2022 he has been chief classical music critic for ''The New York Times''.
Education and career
As a teenager in the 1990s, Woolfe discovered the online oper ...
named the performance a "Critic's Pick" and described the work as "passionate, but also clear, focused and humble" and praised the music as "so fervent, the melodies so sweet, that you can find yourself moved nearly to tears by more or less random lines."
References
External links
*
*
Cincinnati Opera show page on ''Castor and Patience''
Operas
English-language operas
2022 operas
Operas by Gregory Spears
Operas set in the 21st century
Operas set in the United States
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