Castor and Patience
| Castor and Patience | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Gregory Spears | |
| Librettist | Tracy K. Smith |
| Language | English |
| Premiere | 21 July 2022 |
Castor and Patience is an opera composed by Gregory Spears to a libretto by Tracy K. Smith, commissioned by Cincinnati Opera for its 100th anniversary season and received its world premiere there in July 2022.[1][2] The opera was developed by Opera Fusion: New Works, a collaboration between Cincinnati Opera and the University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music which focuses on the creation of new American operas. The world premiere production was directed by Kevin Newbury and conducted by Kazem Abdullah.
Roles[edit]
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, July 21, 2022[3] Conductor: Kazem Abdullah |
|---|---|---|
| Patience | soprano | Talise Trevigne |
| Castor | baritone | Reginald Smith Jr. |
| Celeste | mezzo-soprano | Jennifer Johnson Cano |
| Wilhelmina | soprano | Victoria Okafor |
| West | baritone | Benjamin Taylor |
| Judah | tenor | Frederick Ballentine |
| Ruthie | soprano | Raven McMillon |
| Clarissa/Ensemble | soprano | Amber Monroe |
| Jane/Ensemble | mezzo-soprano | Zoie Reams |
| Nestor/Ensemble | tenor | Victor Ryan Robertson |
| Cato/Ensemble | baritone | Phillip Bullock |
| Second Man/Ensemble | bass-baritone | Earl Hazell |
Synopsis[edit]
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (January 2024) |
Critical reception[edit]
Castor and Patience was named one of the Best Classical Music Performances of 2022 by The New York Times[4] and was on the shortlist for the Best World Premiere in the International Opera Awards in 2022.[5]
In his review for The New York Times, Zachary Woolfe 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."[6]
References[edit]
- ^ Waleson, Heidi (July 26, 2022). "Castor and Patience Review: Land and Legacy at the Opera". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
- ^ Gelfand, Janelle (July 22, 2022). "Review: Powerful and evocative, Cincinnati Opera's Castor and Patience is a sweeping epic". Cincinnati Business Courier. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
- ^ "Castor and Patience". Cincinnati Opera. May 31, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
- ^ Woolfe, Zachary (December 1, 2022). "Best Classical Music Performances of 2022". The New York Times. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
- ^ "2022 Opera Awards Shortlist". OperaAwards.org. International Opera Awards. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
- ^ Woolfe, Zachary (July 22, 2022). "Review: A New Opera Tells an Original Story With an Open Heart". The New York Times. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
External links[edit]
- Talise Trevigne sings "Think you know this man?" on YouTube
- Talise Trevigne sings "There you go, Castor" on YouTube
- Cincinnati Opera show page on Castor and Patience
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