Iphigenia [1] [2] is a jazz opera composed by Wayne Shorter with a libretto by Esperanza Spalding based on the mythological figure Iphigenia. The opera was premiered on November 12, 2021, at ArtsEmerson in Boston, Massachusetts, led by the conductor Clark Rundell and directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz; the set design was by Frank Gehry. [3] According to Spalding, the opera needed revisions at the time of its premiere. [4] The libretto was written by Spalding, with additional writing by Joy Harjo, Safiya Sinclair, and Ganavya Doraiswamy. [5]
Shorter was 88 years old at the time of composing the work. [3]
In Iphigenia in Aulis , as written by Euripides, the fate of Iphigenia is ambiguous. Iphigenia is sacrificed in order to appease the goddess Artemis to send favourable winds to allow her father Agamemnon's fleet to sail to Troy in the Trojan War. In Spalding's telling, Iphigenia is manifested in five forms, each with their own story. [3]
Character | Performer |
---|---|
Iphigenia of the Open Tense | Esperanza Spalding |
Usher | Brenda Pressley |
Agamemnon | Arnold Livingston |
Menelaos | Brad Walker |
Iphigenia Unbound, Opera Broadcast Host | Kelly Guerra |
Iphigenia of the Sea | Joanna Lynn-Jacobs |
Iphigenia the Elder | Sharmay Musacchio |
Iphigenia the Younger | Nivi Ravi |
Iphigenia the Light | Alexandra Smither |
Kalchas | Samuel White [6] |
The opera features a 28-instrument chamber ensemble. [7]
Wayne Shorter was an American jazz saxophonist, composer and bandleader. Shorter came to mainstream prominence in 1959 upon joining Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, for whom he eventually became the primary composer. In 1964 he joined Miles Davis' Second Great Quintet, and then co-founded the jazz fusion band Weather Report in 1970. He recorded more than 20 albums as a bandleader.
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Chamber Music Society is the third studio album by American bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding. It was released on August 17, 2010 by Heads Up International. After Spalding's Grammy win for Best New Artist, the album re-entered the Billboard 200 at number 34 with sales of 18,000.
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Exposure is the sixth studio album by bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding. It was released on December 16, 2017, by Concord Records. It is a limited edition album, with only 7,777 copies being available.
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The discography of American musician and singer Esperanza Spalding includes 8 studio albums, 2 live albums, 11 guest appearances, and 20 music videos.
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ArtsEmerson is a non-profit, professional theater and film presenting and producing organization in Boston, Massachusetts. Based on an idea from Emerson College President Jackie Liebergott and founded in 2010 by theatrical producer Robert Orchard, ArtsEmerson is housed as part of the Office for the Arts at Emerson College's Boston campus. The organization focuses on contemporary world theater and presents or produces theatrical performances, films, and public dialogues across several Emerson College venues and in locations across Greater Boston.
Lileana Blain-Cruz is an American theatre director who currently works as the Resident Director of Lincoln Center Theater.