                  |
| Chamber Opera (2013) |
| Libretto by Jessica Murphy-Moo |
| Six Voices; 1,1,1,1; 2,1; Harp, Piano, Perc, Strings |
| Duration: 65″ |
| Full Score ::Piano Vocal Score :: Libretto |
| Commissioned by Seattle Opera |
| Premiere August 2015, Seattle Opera, McCaw Hall |
| D’Ana Lombard, Hae Ji Chang, Nina Yoshida-Nelsen, Morgan Smith, Adam Lau |
| Further information at Seattle Opera |
| An American Dream began as a personal storytelling project asking the question: “If you had to leave your home today and couldn’t return, what would you take with you, and why is that object – that connection to your past – so important?” What evolved from this inquiry was a tale based on the personal experiences of several Puget Sound residents: A Japanese-American family burns their precious belongings to avoid arrest during World War II. The daughter, Setsuko, hides her beloved Hina Matsuri doll before they’re forced to leave their home. Newlyweds Jim and Eva move into the home. Eva, a German-Jewish immigrant preoccupied by her family’s situation in Germany, doesn’t know the circumstances by which her husband acquired the home. She slowly discovers the truth – about the family forced to leave, and about her own. |
COMPOSER & PIANIST