|
Esther (Weisgall Opera)
''Esther'' is an American opera in 3 acts composed by Hugo Weisgall, with a libretto by Charles Kondek. ''Esther'' was premiered by the New York City Opera in October 1993. The opera is about Esther's struggle as she becomes the queen of Persia, and her heroic triumph over the evil Prime Minister Haman and his plot of exterminating the Jews. Background Esther was a Jewish queen of the Persian Empire, the wife of Ahasuerus (also known as Xerxes I). Today, her story is best known through its telling in Jewish Scriptures and the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. As a result of Esther's intervention and influence, Mizrahi Jews lived in the Persian Empire for 2400 years thereafter. Jews established an annual feast, the feast of Purim, in memory of their deliverance. Weisgall is one of few composers to use the character Esther as a subject, including Palestrina, Handel, and Milhaud. ''Esther'' was Weisgall's 10th and last opera. It was considered one of his most successful works, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hugo Weisgall
Hugo David Weisgall (October 13, 1912 – March 11, 1997) was an American composer and conductor, known chiefly for his opera and vocal music compositions. He was born in Ivančice, Moravia (then part of Austria-Hungary, later in his childhood Czechoslovakia) and moved to the United States at the age of eight. Weisgall studied at the Peabody Institute, privately with Roger Sessions, and at the Curtis Institute of Music with conductor Fritz Reiner and composer Rosario Scalero. He later earned a Ph.D. in German literature at Johns Hopkins University. During World War II he was an aide-de-camp to General George S. Patton. After the war he became a professor, and taught at Queens College, the Juilliard School, and the Jewish Theological Seminary, all in New York City. His notable students include composers Dominick Argento, Bruce Saylor and the accordionist/composer William Schimmel. Weisgall came from a family of several generations of cantors, and maintained a lifelong i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |