''The Rose Elf'' is a one act

chamber opera Chamber opera is a designation for operas written to be performed with a chamber ensemble rather than a full orchestra. Early 20th-century operas of this type include Paul Hindemith's ''Cardillac'' (1926). Earlier small-scale operas such as Pergoles ...

with music and

libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...

David Hertzberg David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

, based on the fairy tale The Elf of the Rose by

Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen ( , ; 2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his literary fairy tales. Andersen's fairy tales, consisti ...

. It premiered June 6, 2018, in the

Catacombs Catacombs are man-made subterranean passageways for religious practice. Any chamber used as a burial place is a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman Empire. Etymology and history The first place to be referred ...

of Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York City, in a production directed by R. B. Schlather and conducted by Teddy Poll. The opera's debut recording was released October 31, 2020, by Meyer Media LLC (MM20044).

Roles

Instrumentation

Clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...

, horn, percussion, piano, 2 violins, viola, violoncello,

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

Critical reception

Of the premiere, the '' Observer'' wrote, "just about everything you want opera to be. ''The Rose Elf'' shocked, confounded, disturbed, and, in the end, exalted." Following the premiere, WQXR named it the 'Opera Event of the Half Year', saying, "Hertzberg is a masterful dramatist... this one signals the arrival of a major compositional personality." ''

Opera News ''Opera News'' is an American classical music magazine. It has been published since 1936 by the Metropolitan Opera Guild, a non-profit organization located at Lincoln Center which was founded to engender the appreciation of opera and also support ...

'' called the work, "a compelling and welcome addition to the operatic canon." ''The Rose Elf'' was subsequently named among 'New York's Most Memorable Concerts of 2018' and awarded Operavore's 'Freddie' Award for Best New Opera

Recording

*2020: Robert Kahn, conductor; Samantha Hankey, Sydney Mancasola, Kirk Dougherty, Andrew Bogard. Meyer Media LLC (MM20044).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rose Elf, The English-language operas Chamber operas One-act operas Operas 2018 operas Operas based on fairy tales Operas based on works by Hans Christian Andersen