HENRY and BECKET
An opera in one act
for
tenor and bass-baritone
SATB (up to 16 singers)
wind quintet/percussion/harp/piano/string quintet
Duration: 80 minutes
Featuring two singers (King Henry [tenor] and Thomas Becket [bass-baritone]), the 80 minute one-act opera explores King Henry's psyche as he has his best friend murdered.
Each scene represents a stage in their relationship,
using the seven ages of man as model.
A supporting choir of singers interpolate themselves into scenes as various characters and sing the eight canonical hours of December 29th between each of the seven scenes.
Is King Henry wrestling with his decision to have Becket killed
or has he already ordered the deed and we are witnessing his regret?
With a rich and complex libretto by Anika Torruella,
the opera delves into the multi-layered emotions of both men
and how an intense love can transform into something sinister.
An opera in one act
for
tenor and bass-baritone
SATB (up to 16 singers)
wind quintet/percussion/harp/piano/string quintet
Duration: 80 minutes
Featuring two singers (King Henry [tenor] and Thomas Becket [bass-baritone]), the 80 minute one-act opera explores King Henry's psyche as he has his best friend murdered.
Each scene represents a stage in their relationship,
using the seven ages of man as model.
A supporting choir of singers interpolate themselves into scenes as various characters and sing the eight canonical hours of December 29th between each of the seven scenes.
Is King Henry wrestling with his decision to have Becket killed
or has he already ordered the deed and we are witnessing his regret?
With a rich and complex libretto by Anika Torruella,
the opera delves into the multi-layered emotions of both men
and how an intense love can transform into something sinister.