''Cold Sassy Tree'' 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

Carlisle Floyd Carlisle Sessions Floyd (June 11, 1926September 30, 2021) was an American composer primarily known for his operas. These stage works, for which he wrote not only the music but also the librettos, typically engage with themes from the American So ...

, based on the 1984 novel by Olive Ann Burns. ''Cold Sassy Tree'' was Floyd's tenth opera. It had its world premiere on April 14, 2000, at the

Houston Grand Opera Houston Grand Opera (HGO) is an American opera company located in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1955 by German-born impresario Walter Herbert and three local Houstonians,Giesberg, Robert I., Carl Cunningham, and Alan Rich. ''Houston Grand Opera at ...

, with a production staged by Australian filmmaker

Bruce Beresford Bruce Beresford (; born 16 August 1940) is an Australian film director, opera director, screenwriter, and producer. He began his career during the Australian New Wave, and has made more than 30 feature films over a 50-year career, both locally ...

and conducted by

Patrick Summers Patrick Summers (born August 14, 1963) is an American conductor best known for his work with Houston Grand Opera (HGO), where he has been the artistic and music director since 2011, and with San Francisco Opera, where he served as principal g ...

. The original cast included Dean Peterson,

Patricia Racette Patricia Lynn Racette (born in 1965) is an American operatic soprano. A winner of the Richard Tucker Award in 1998, she has been a regular presence at major opera houses internationally. Racette has enjoyed long-term partnerships with the San Fra ...

, Diane Alexander,

Beth Clayton Laura Beth Clayton is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer, and a native of Malvern, Arkansas. Education and early career Clayton's father was a Methodist minister. She sang in church and then in musical productions in church camp and in high s ...

, Margaret Lloyd and John McVeigh. The production was the Houston Grand Opera's 25th new opera, and was created in a co-commission between the company and opera companies in Austin, Baltimore, North Carolina and San Diego. Floyd came to the project by way of a sibling. "The book was given to me by my sister, because she thought that somebody from this part of the world, the southeast, would probably fully appreciate it,” he said in an interview following the Houston premiere. “But, everywhere I have traveled in this country, people have read ''Cold Sassy Tree'' and the standard reaction from everybody, male and female, is 'I loved it.' Obviously, its appeal goes far beyond regional boundaries. What appealed to me most about it in terms of its operatic possibilities were the very vivid, rich characters. And it is also rich in comic incidents.” ''Cold Sassy Tree'' has been staged by regional opera countries around the United States. A two-disk CD recording featuring the original Houston Grand Opera cast was released in 2005 by

Albany Records Albany Records is a record label that concentrates on unconventional contemporary classical music by American composers and musicians. It was established by Peter Kermani in 1987 and is based in Albany, New York. In May 2024, Albany Records wa ...

. The Houston performance was videotaped for television, but it was never broadcast or released on DVD.

Roles

References

External links

Opera's southern gentlemanSan Diego OperaTalk! with Nick Reveles: Floyd's Cold Sassy Tree
{{Authority control Operas Operas by Carlisle Floyd English-language operas 2000 operas Operas set in the United States Opera world premieres at Houston Grand Opera Operas based on novels Operas based on works by American writers