- Welcome to the Voice
Welcome to the Voice is a bilingual
opera (French and English) based on an original story and libretto byMuriel Teodori with music composed bySteve Nieve . A first draft was given a workshop performance at the Atlantic Bell Jazz Festival in 2000. The performance cast wasElvis Costello ,Ron Sexsmith ,John Flansburgh and students of theJuilliard School of Music . Musicians wereBrodsky Quartet ,Steve Nieve , andNed Rothenberg . Following this exploratory first attempt, "Welcome to the Voice" was expanded.ynopsis
The story concerns a Greek immigrant steelworker Dionysos, who discovers the music of classical opera. It becomes an obsession, when he falls in love with the voice of a young opera singer. His workmates try to persuade him to return to work, but he is determined to live on the steps of the opera house, and meet the woman whose voice has enraptured him. In the night he is visited by ghosts of opera's past
Carmen ,Madama Butterfly , and Norma. They tell him he is too much like a character from an opera, that he should kill himself to join them in opera heaven. Dionysos, is not convinced by them. The following morning he sees the Opera Singer in the street, she is shopping for some rare perfume. He cannot stop himself to grab her arm. He tries to embrace her. The police stop him, and want to make an example of him.Recording
In 2007 a studio recording of the work, produced by Nieve/Teodori, was released by
Deutsche Grammophon .
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