As One (opera)

As One is a chamber opera composed by Laura Kaminsky with a libretto by Mark Campbell and Kimberly Reed, and is a coming-of-age story about a transgender woman. It debuted in third place on the classical Billboard charts.[1] Its world premiere took place with American Opera Projects at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in September 2014.[2]

As One
Chamber opera by Laura Kaminsky
LibrettistMark Campbell and Kimberly Reed
LanguageEnglish
Premiere
September 4, 2014 (2014-09-04)
American Opera Projects at the Brooklyn Academy of Music

Roles
RoleVoice typePremiere cast, September 4, 2014[3]
(Conductor: Steven Osgood)
Hannah beforebaritoneKelly Markgraf
Hannah aftermezzo-sopranoSasha Cooke
String quartetFry Street Quartet

Synopsis

The story follows Hannah, a transgender woman portrayed by two singers, Hannah Before (a baritone) and Hannah After (a mezzo-soprano), as she discovers her gender identity and learns to love herself in a world where she's not accepted. The opera is approximately 75 minutes long.[4]

The organization of the opera is composed of two parts as representing essential moments of Hannah's coming of age through a series of episodes.[5]

Part I

The first section of the opera describes Hannah's feeling of unease in her high school and loneliness in the world. In the climax of this part, she is reassured that she is not alone by learning that she is not the only person to feel this way.[5]

Part II

In the second part, we see Hannah coming to life in a far larger and more complicated world. She experiences college, hormone therapy, and her complicated relationship with her family. In the review by OperaWire, David Salazar depicted this section, stating "We see her navigate two cities, the distance from her loved ones, and the danger of an assault before eventually escaping to nature to find the equation that will help her find her happiness."[5]

Music and Instrumentation

The opera is scored for a string quartet and two singers, and consists of 15 discrete songs which depict important moments in Hannah's life throughout her coming-of-age story.[6]

Selected past productions
2014–present[7]
Date Company Location Performers
September 4, 2014 - WORLD PREMIERE American Opera Projects in association with The Brooklyn Academy Of Music BAM Fisher Center, Brooklyn, NY Sasha Cooke, mezzo-soprano; Kelly Markgraf, baritone;

Ken Cazan, director; The Fry Street Quartet; Steven Osgood; music director

November 11, 2016 Seattle Opera Washington Hall Taylor Raven, mezzo-soprano; Jorell Williams, baritone;

L. Zane Jones, director; St. Helen's Quartet; John Keene, conductor

November 10, 2017 San Diego Opera Joan B. Kroc Theatre Blythe Gaissert, mezzo-soprano; Kelly Markgraf, baritone;

Kyle Lang, director; Hausmann Quartet; Bruce Stasyna, conductor

Recording[8]
year cast conducted label
2014 mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke (Hannah after), baritone Kelly Markgraf (Hannah before) and the Fry Street Quartet Steven Osgood Bright Shiny Things Publisher: Bill Holab Music

Critical reception

The critical reception for this opera was positive. The Los Angeles Times stated that As One has a "warm heart" and "approaches admirable universality."[9] Opera News described the music as "grounded by a rhythmic pulse that, like Hannah, retains its core identity but transitions through the opera from driving pizzicatos to a hypnotizing ostinato", and stated that the opera "haunts and challenges its audience with questions about identity, authenticity, compassion and the human desire for self-love and peace."[2] The New York Times said that the score "has deliberately ugly moments of slips and slides, but generally pulsates in a light post-Minimalism", and that "As One forces you to think, simultaneously challenging preconceptions and inspiring empathy."[4] Washington Post praised the opera, saying "As One, which opened last weekend… proved to be a thoughtful and substantial piece as well as that rarest of operatic commodities — a story that lends itself to dramatization in music." The Washington Post described its music as portraying "fiddling and Americana; now, through halting dissonances, the pain of a difficult place in the road; now, through the juxtaposition of plucked violin and singing cello, the exploration of two voices merging into a single identity."[10] For the Long Beach Opera review, Bondo Wyszpolski stated that "This opera doesn’t preach or ask for our pity, but lures us with its compelling story of discovery and growth and even fulfillment. We feel compassion and gain a greater understanding of the human condition, regardless of who or what that person is."[11]

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References
  1. "Midsumma Festival - As One". Midsumma Festival. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
  2. "As One review" by Steven Jude Tietjen, Opera News, December 2014
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-08-26. Retrieved 2017-07-19.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "The Arc of a Transgender Life – As One Has Its Premiere in Brooklyn" by David Allen, The New York Times, September 5, 2014
  5. "New York City Opera 2019 Review: As One – Opera Wire". operawire.com. Retrieved 2020-02-22.
  6. "New York City Opera 2019 Review: As One – Opera Wire". operawire.com. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
  7. "Past Productions". As One. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
  8. "Buy CDs – Laura Kaminsky | New Music Composer". Retrieved 2020-02-22.
  9. Swed, Mark (May 16, 2017). "As One, the every(wo)man transgender opera". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  10. Midgette, Anne (October 6, 2015). "As One: New opera serves as effective monodrama, subversive duet". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  11. "Long Beach Opera's thoughtful "As One"". Easy Reader News. 2017-05-19. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
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