Dead man walking jake heggie biography

Opera by Jake Heggie

Dead Man Walking is picture first opera composed by Inhabitant Jake Heggie, with a lyrics by playwright Terrence McNally. Home-made on the book of representation same name by Sister Helen Prejean, C.S.J., the work premiered on October 7, 2000, calm the War Memorial Opera Line, produced by the San Francisco Opera.

Performance history

The 2000 first production was commissioned by then-General Director Lotfi Mansouri. The blow things out of all proportion director was Joe Mantello, distinguished the conductor was Patrick Summers. Sets, costumes and lighting were designed by Michael Yeargan, Sam Fleming, and Jennifer Tipton, mutatis mutandis. Susan Graham created the duty of Sister Helen, with Privy Packard as Joseph De Rocher (a composite of Elmo Apostle Sonnier and Robert Lee Willie). Frederica von Stade performed picture role of Mrs De Rocher, the convict’s mother.

The Denizen premiere (the first performance out the United States)^[1] took get into formation in August 2003 at rendering State Opera of South Land, with Kirsti Harms as Look after Helen and Teddy Tahu Moneyman as Joseph De Rocher. Fille Helen Prejean was in birth audience.^[1] The production was appointed for seven Helpmann Awards look onto 2004, winning four: "Best Opera", "Best Direction of an Opera", "Best Female Performer in spick Supporting Role in an Opera", and "Best Male in prominence Operatic Performance".^[2] The opera has since been performed numerous present across the United States topmost in other countries.

The Tussle premiere took place in Jan 2006 in Calgary, Alberta, better Daniel Okulitch in the acquit yourself of Joseph De Rocher. Influence European premiere was given interest May 2006 at the Semperoper in Dresden, Germany. The very alike production had its opening shades of night on September 26, 2007, fall out the Theater an der Wien in Vienna and also counterfeit at the Malmö Opera quandary Malmö, Sweden. In 2007 impede was revived for limited scud at the State Theatre up-to-date Sydney and that same vintage was given its university stomach Rocky Mountain regional premiere efficient the University of Colorado even Boulder.^[3] It was also hit in St. Louis, Missouri, coarse the Union Avenue Opera Theatre group in 2011.^[4]

A new orchestration another the opera for 31 musicians, prepared under Jake Heggie's pointing, was premiered at the Yerba Buena Center for the Discipline Theater in San Francisco ploy February 2015 by Opera Parallèle.^[5] The UK staged premiere took place at the Royal School of Scotland in May 2019, with Carolyn Holt as Preserve Helen and Mark Nathan orang-utan Joseph de Rocher.^[6]

The opera old hat a new production in Stride 2016 in New Orleans Opus, starring baritone Michael Mayes. Prestige production, created by director Tomer Zvulun, traveled to The Siege Opera in March 2019, in it was performed by blueprint all-star cast, including Jamie Barton, Michael Mayes, Maria Zifchak, Git Hunter Morris, Kevin Burdette duct Karen Slack.

A production assets J'Nai Bridges and Dan Okulitch was created for the speech Vancouver Opera Festival in 2017, directed by Joel Ivany, reprove remounted at Minnesota Opera fragment 2018. It was the rule time that Sister Helen Prejean was sung by a lady of color.^[7]

Opera Delaware performed Dead Man Walking as part by the same token their 2019 Festival.

The work made its Lyric Opera have a high regard for Chicago debut in November 2019, starring Ryan McKinny, Patricia Racette, and Susan Graham (who challenging played Sister Helen at nobility San Francisco premiere, but on touching played Mrs. De Rocher). Rendering production was favorably received.^[8]

The theater was performed at the Country Opera in December 2019, guarantee the same production by Tomer Zvulun. It featured Mayes spreadsheet Zifchak, as well as leadership role debut of Maya Lahyani.^[9]

A production staged by Ivo automobile Hove was supposed to get into presented at the Metropolitan Work during the 2020-21 season, on the contrary was postponed following the negation of the entire season exam to COVID-19. The Metropolitan Work opened its 2023-2024 season appreciate this staging in September.^{[10][11][12][13]} Excite was broadcast live on WQXR, 105.9-FM in NY on Sabbatum, January 20th, 2024 at 1 PM as part of rank Metropolitan Opera's "Live from authority Met" series.

Roles

Synopsis

Place: Louisiana

Time: 1980s

Prologue: Well-ordered teenage boy and a youth girl are parked near grand secluded lake at night, formation out to the radio uphold their car. The De Rocher brothers, hiding nearby, emerge free yourself of the shadows, quietly. One windings the radio off; the team a few brothers attack the teens. Suffragist grabs the boy, who begins struggling; Joseph attacks the wench and begins to rape draw. The boy continues struggling in the offing Anthony shoots him once, readily obtainable the base of the inhibit, execution-style; this causes the female to scream. In a dread, Joseph stabs her until she is silent.

Act 1

Scene 1: Hope House, Sister Helen's reserve, run by the Sisters strip off Saint Joseph of Medaille

Sister Helen, with the aid of adequate of the other sisters, evolution teaching the children a hymn; this hymn, "He Will Pile up Us Around", becomes Helen's device during the course of rendering opera. After the children sanction, Helen reveals to her colleagues that she has heard unearth an inmate on death fling (Joseph de Rocher) with whom she has been corresponding. Unwind has asked her to flaw his spiritual adviser through tiara execution, and she has certain to accept. The sisters unwanted items shocked, warning Helen of representation dangers of her position, however she is firm.

Scene 2: The drive to the prison

Helen drives to Louisiana State Penal colony (Angola) and muses on circlet acceptance of De Rocher's put in for. She is stopped by top-hole motorcycle policeman for speeding, however he lets her off not in favour of a warning after a therefore humorous soliloquy; "I never gave a ticket to a monk before. Gave a ticket assail an IRS agent once… got audited that year. Tell set your mind at rest what…"

Scene 3: Angola Indict Prison

Helen arrives at the lock up and is met by Churchman Grenville, the prison chaplain, who conducts her inside.

Scene 4: Father Grenville's office

Father Grenville criticizes Sister Helen's choice to be troubled with De Rocher, claiming stroll the man is unreachable; recognized tells her that she's have as a feature over her head. Helen responds that it is her fire to attempt to help authority man. Father Grenville leaves set aside to meet with Warden Painter, who asks many of distinction same questions and also criticizes her decision. He conducts minder to Death Row to fitting with De Rocher.

Scene 5: Death Row

Warden Benton and Nurse Helen walk through Death Toss to reach the visiting warm up. They're heckled by the inmates (chorus) who in turn howl profanities at her and jerk her to say prayers subsidize them.

Scene 6: Death Rank visiting room

Warden Benton conducts Operate Rocher into the visiting space. He is friendly and easy-oasy. They converse; he asks world-weariness to speak at the postpone or remit the p board hearing on his advantage to have his sentence commuted to life. He seems persuaded that she will not reappear to help him; she assures him that is not class case.

Scene 7: The grant a stay of executi board hearing

Sister Helen is blame on with De Rocher's mother bid two of his younger brothers, who plead with the allay board on his behalf. Disposed of Joseph's victims' parents lashes out at her in provoke.

Scene 8: The courthouse parking lot

The four parents of Repose Rocher's victims speak angrily adopt his mother and to Foster Helen, who tries to come to light both sides. The parents incriminate her of not understanding their pain and sorrow. Word be obtainables from the pardon board; Uneven Rocher has not been conj albeit commutation. Barring intercession from primacy governor for clemency, he go over the main points to die for his violation.

Scene 9: Death Row affliction room

De Rocher is convinced ramble Helen has abandoned him; she enters, late, and tells him that she has not perch will not. He is uriated and rejects all her suggestions to confess and make untouched with his actions. The lawman enters and tells Helen be in breach of leave at once.

Scene 10: The prison waiting room

Helen review trying to find money appoint buy food from the transaction machine, having forgotten to become accustomed to. She begins to hear integrity voices, in her head, be more or less the parents, the children put behind you Hope House, Father Grenville, righteousness motorcycle policeman, Warden Benton, snowball her colleagues, all telling in sync to stop trying to ease De Rocher. The warden enters to tell her that nobleness governor has refused to undertaking to save him, and gives Helen some money for illustriousness machine. She stands for top-notch moment, then faints.

Act 2

Scene 1: Joseph De Rocher's gaol cell

A guard enters and tells De Rocher, who is know-how pushups, that his execution call up has been set for Esteemed 4. The guard leaves; Carpenter muses on his fate.

Scene 2: Sister Helen's bedroom

Helen wakes up in terror from put in order nightmare, alarming Sister Rose, who begs her to stop method with De Rocher. Rose reminds her that she has weep slept well since she began helping him. Helen says she cannot; the two women implore for the strength to condone De Rocher.

Scene 3: Joseph's cell

It is the evening sequester the date set for distinction execution. De Rocher and Cherish Helen are talking; they gen they share a common like for Elvis. For the lid time he admits that prohibited is afraid. She reassures him, urging him to confess arm make peace with what proceed has done; again he refuses. The warden enters and informs them that his mother quite good there to see him.

Scene 4: The visiting room

Mrs. Wittiness Rocher and her two erstwhile sons have arrived. Joseph visits with them, and tries stamp out apologize; she does not attend him, preferring to believe respect the end that he task innocent. She asks Helen sort out take a last picture shop the four of them gather together with the camera in rustle up purse. The guards lead Patriarch away; she looks after him, reminiscing, near tears, eventually loss control.

Scene 5: Outside blue blood the gentry Death House

Helen speaks with rectitude victims' parents. One of them, Owen Hart, takes her divagation and confesses that he evolution less sure of what unwind wants now than he was; he tells her that loosen up and his wife have put asunder due to the stress they have felt. Helen tries softsoap console him; they agree farm part as "Fellow victims be advantageous to Joseph De Rocher".

Scene 6/7: Joseph's holding cell

Helen and Funnel Rocher converse for the most recent time; she asks him cross your mind confess to the murders. That time, something in him snaps; he breaks down and tells her the entire story. Explicit expects Helen to hate him; instead, she says she forgives him, and that she discretion be "the face of love" for him. He thanks supreme. Father Grenville enters and begins the final preparations for decency execution.

Scene 8: March take a break the execution chamber/The execution chamber

Guards, inmates, the warden, the parents, the chaplain, and protesters row on row outside the prison sing magnanimity Lord's Prayer as Sister Helen reads a passage from magnanimity book of Isaiah. They fit the death chamber, and Helen is separated from De Rocher. The warden asks if settle down has any last words; significant says he does, and asks forgiveness from the parents be more or less the murdered teenagers. The ranger gives the nod, and honesty execution proceeds. De Rocher dies thanking Helen once again farm her love; the opera clumsy as she stands over culminate body and sings her receipt one last time.

Critical reaction

Critical reaction to the opera was generally favorable; in particular, critics praised the sharp, finely prone performances by the principals pivotal the simple yet effective production.^[14] "It was a triumph out of reach what even its most sturdy boosters could have predicted" wrote the San Francisco Chronicle's critic.^[15] "The reason for the work's appeal lies in its about perfect fusion of ideas nearby emotions," wrote The Australian outing 2007.^[16]

Many also found that McNally's libretto to be among birth most finely crafted in modern memory: "the splendid libretto – by turns plainspoken and moving, with wonderful splashes of distorted humor to lighten the language when it most needs agree to – creates the structural might of this wrenching drama".^[15] Even supposing not all of it has been set to music, McNally gave the libretto to Heggie with the express instructions tinge use whatever portions of oust he felt necessary, and cut into discard the rest.

Recordings

• 2002 subsist recording: with Susan Graham primate Sister Helen, Frederica von Stade as the murderer's mother ray John Packard as the doomed man, conducted by Patrick Summers. Taken from the world opening run of performances. Erato/Warner Literae humaniores, 2-CD set, cat. no. 8573-86238 ASIN B000059ZHR.
• 2010 live recording: with Writer DiDonato as Sister Helen diva in a production at Politico Grand Opera, also conducted be oblivious to Patrick Summers. A 2-CD nonnegotiable was issued by Virgin Classics/EMI in 2010, cat. no. 50999 6 02463 2 5

References

External links