New Chamber Operas from LCCE

Unless I am mistaken, the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble (LCCE) first ventured into performing a staged opera in March of 2015. This was the world premiere performance of “Death with Interruptions,” composed by LCCE violist Kurt Rohde working with the libretto that Thomas Laqueur adapted from the novel of the same name by José Saramago. The production was presented in collaboration with the Volti a cappella choir and three soloists, one of whom, soprano Nikki Einfeld (in the title role), would subsequently become one of LCCE’s “regular” performers.

At the beginning of next month, LCCE will “double down” on its past effort, presenting the world premieres of two original chamber operas. These two offerings will have a unifying theme, since each was inspired by the contributions of an extraordinary woman artist. Those artists are named explicitly in the title of the overall program: Dorothea and Artemisia.

The subject for the first offering is Dorothea Lange, whose photographic chronicling of the rural poverty during the Great Depression has become a major event in the history of photography (not to mention a major contribution to the historical record for that period). Christopher Stark has composed an opera only fifteen minutes in duration to reflect on Lange’s art and the context from which her photographs emerged. The title of the opera is “From the Field;” and it is a solo composition for soprano singing a libretto by Megan Stark. Einfeld will be the soprano, accompanied only by violin and cello. (In “Death with Interruptions” her primary interactions were with a solo cello.)

Gentileschi’s self-portrait, showing her playing a lute (from Wikimedia Commons, public domain)

The title of the second opera, composed by Laura Schwendinger, is simply “Artemisia,” named for the seventeenth-century Italian painter Artemisia Gentileschi. Ginger Strand has created a libretto about passion, betrayal, and art during this particular time and place. The title role will be sung by mezzo Betany Coffland. The other participating vocalists will include Einfeld, soprano Marnie Breckenridge, tenor Kyle Stegall, tenor Jonathan Smucker, and bass Igor Viera. Instrumental accompaniment will be provided by a seven-piece chamber ensemble, which will include guest artists joining LCCE musicians. The conductor will be Matilda Hofman, and staging will be by Jenn BeVard.

Dorothea and Artemisia will be given two performances, at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 2. Performances will take place at Z Space, located in NEMIZ (the NorthEast Mission Industrial Zone) at 450 Florida Street, between 17th Street and Mariposa Street. Standard admission will be $45. There are also “Community Admission” seats at the rear of the house for $35 and an $18 rate for students and those under the age of 35. Premium seating tickets are being sold for $60. Z Space has created a single Web page for purchasing all tickets with a pull-down menu for date selection. Once the date has been chosen, the user may see which seats are available at what price.