Articles Tagged with Benjamin Spierman

Birthday of the Bank, The, op. 97

Published on

one-act opera based on composer’s translation of Chekhov’s

Yubilei for SMTBarB (& Extras), commissioned by

Opera America for Lake George Opera Festival,

prem. there 8/3/88 – excerpted,

staged & introduced by Rosalind Elias

(quotes from her signature tune,

“Must the Winter Come So Soon,”

from Samuel Barber’s Vanessa, among other things);

28 numbers (50′);

prem. staged & conducted by composer 6/12/98 concertante,

Adelphi Univ.;

semi-staged:

6/21/98 Glenwood Presbyterian Church, Glenwood Landing;

NYU Theater 6/22/98 – all 3 part of LICA’s EastEuroFest;

staged:

9/6/99 Jewish Arts Festival of Long Island, Commack NY

9/30/99 Queens College

with Ronald Edwards, Peter Ludwig, Maro Partamian,

Janis Sabatino Hills, Benjamin Spierman/Nathan Bahny,

Natalia Jitomirskaia; videotaped by Helene Williams

New World, op. 102

Published on

subtitle: An Opera About What Columbus Did to the “Indians”

(100′) 55 numbers, in 1 or 2 acts;

commissioned by Puffin Foundation in honor of

50th anniversary of American Music Center

and Columbian Quincentennial;

libretto by composer & Joel Shatzky

(credit withdrawn at his request 11/30/92);

7 soloists, 2 rappers, pno, perc., 3 synthesizers

+opt. Chorus, Ballet, Tpt, Tb, Conchs.

Separable numbers:

#1 Kaytawari’s Monologue #2 Crew’s Entrance

#3 Columbus’s Aria #6 Nudity Chorus #9 Prayer

#11 Rodrigo #16 Isabella’s Bolero #17 Quartet (Act I)

#26 Guarionex #27 Yuisa #29 Kaytawari’s Vision

#30 George #32 Columbus-Isabella Duet #34 Quartet (Act II)

#37 De Torres #44 Rap Number #46 Tainos’ Mourning Chorus

partial performances:

#16 by Helene Williams at Golden Fleece Ltd. Composers’ Chamber Theater

Square One program @Theater 22, NYC 3/31/90;

#1, 3 by Ronald Edwards at

Union Theological Seminary CALC 25th anniversary 7/22/90

& WBAI 10/12/90;

#2, 6 chorus preview:

Second International Naturist Opera Workshop,

Belezy, France 7/90;

#16 at Third International Naturist Opera Workshop,

Belezy, France 7/92 and at

Haus der Kirche, Berlin 9/1/92

& Dresden Center for Contemporary Music 9/5/92;

#3, 16, 37, 32 LICA concert, Heckscher Park, Huntington 8/6/91

All of the above previewed on WQXR’s

“The Listening Room” 10/12/91 10pm;

Suite of excerpts broadcast on WBAI 10/14/91.

#11 sung by Ivan Thomas, broadcast on WBAI Arts Magazine 2/8/93

complete performances:

full concert premiere by After Dinner Opera Co.

(& Meet The Composer) @ Lincoln Center 10/12/91;

staged premiere co-sponsored by LICA, East End Arts Council

& NYFA S.O.S. Grant, Puffin Foundation

Hngtn & Suffolk County Arts Council,

Heckscher Park, Huntington 8/11/92;

N.Y. City staged premiere co-sponsored by

East End Arts Council-NYFA S.O.S. Grant

& Meet The Composer, Donnell Library 2/9/93;

Music received rave review from George Wallace in

Opera Monthly. Casts also included Mark Wolff,

Eugene Green, Elliott Z. Levine, Robert Ross,

Peter Ludwig, Shirley Perkins. Staged by Benjamin Spierman.

Production photos at

http://www.ljlehrman.artists-in-residence.com/NewWorld.html

Suppose A Wedding, op. 125

Published on

one-act opera (53′) after Scene from a Play

by Bernard Malamud, 4/96

concert premiere 9/2/96 IJAFLI, Suffolk Y, Commack

co-sponsored by LICA, Puffin Foundation,

East End Arts Council-NYFA SOS Grant;

staged premiere 6/1/97 LICA concert at

Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Manhattan

for soprano, mezzo, character tenor, high baritone,

male one-liner, piano/orch; publisher: Theodore Presser

as part of trilogy, Tales of Malamud –

intermezzo between Idiots First, op. 37 & Karla, op. 38

or independent work; includes Leon’s Arietta (2’30”)

and “The Rabbi and the Rich Man,” op. 116 (q.v.)

Cast: Ronald Edwards, Lenora Eve/Lucy Sorlucco,

Benjamin Spierman, Janis Sabatino Hills, Joel Ackerman;

directed & conducted from the piano by the composer

videotaped by Helene Williams – soon to be on YouTube

Eve, op. 156

Published on

duet for soprano & tenor, a cappella (1’22”)

on text by Abel Meeropol;

premiered by Helene Williams & Gregory Mercer,

Queens College, Feb. 23, 2003;

recorded on Original Cast Records CD 6055

The Abel Meeropol Centennial Concert