Having virtually disappeared since its 1977 New York City Opera premiere, Leon Kirchner’s opera Lily is now getting the recognition it deserves due to the recent debut of a brand new 22-minute version for soprano and chamber ensemble, reconstructed and edited by David Fetherolf. Based on an original 1973 chamber version by Kirchner, this new arrangement came to life on April 2 in a concert presented by the New England Conservatory in Boston on their First Monday concert series directed by cellist Laurence Lesser. The performance included artists including Lesser, violinist James Buswell, clarinetist Richard Stoltzman, and soprano Diana Hoagland, all of whom participated in the original premiere nearly 40 years ago.This new chamber version has received rave reviews from critics:
“The abbreviated Lily is a marvel of invention and intense evocation.”
— Boston Phoenix
“The concert piece Lily is fascinating, densely textured music, revealing an unerringly focused sense of theatrical effectiveness.”
— Fanfare
Lily is about an American millionaire, Gene Henderson, who travels to Africa to find the "way to live." In an effort to rid an African tribe of frogs that are destroying its water supply, Henderson unwittingly destroys the water as well as the frogs. Throughout the ordeal, he recalls his second wife, Lily.
For more information on Lily, please visit the G. Schirmer website.
Please click here for more News
