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Castor and Patience

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Castor and Patience
Opera by Gregory Spears
LibrettistTracy K. Smith
LanguageEnglish
Premiere
21 July 2022 (2022-07-21)

Castor and Patience is an opera composed by Gregory Spears to a libretto by Tracy K. Smith, commissioned by Cincinnati Opera for its 100th anniversary season and received its world premiere there in July 2022.[1][2] The opera was developed by Opera Fusion: New Works, a collaboration between Cincinnati Opera and the University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music which focuses on the creation of new American operas. The world premiere production was directed by Kevin Newbury and conducted by Kazem Abdullah.

Roles

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Roles, voice types, premiere cast
Role Voice type Premiere cast, July 21, 2022[3]
Conductor: Kazem Abdullah
Patience soprano Talise Trevigne
Castor baritone Reginald Smith Jr.
Celeste mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano
Wilhelmina soprano Victoria Okafor
West baritone Benjamin Taylor
Judah tenor Frederick Ballentine
Ruthie soprano Raven McMillon
Clarissa/Ensemble soprano Amber Monroe
Jane/Ensemble mezzo-soprano Zoie Reams
Nestor/Ensemble tenor Victor Ryan Robertson
Cato/Ensemble baritone Phillip Bullock
Second Man/Ensemble bass-baritone Earl Hazell

Synopsis

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Critical reception

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Castor and Patience was named one of the Best Classical Music Performances of 2022 by The New York Times[4] and was on the shortlist for the Best World Premiere in the International Opera Awards in 2022.[5]

In his review for The New York Times, Zachary Woolfe named the performance a "Critic's Pick" and described the work as "passionate, but also clear, focused and humble" and praised the music as "so fervent, the melodies so sweet, that you can find yourself moved nearly to tears by more or less random lines."[6]

References

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  1. ^ Waleson, Heidi (July 26, 2022). "Castor and Patience Review: Land and Legacy at the Opera". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  2. ^ Gelfand, Janelle (July 22, 2022). "Review: Powerful and evocative, Cincinnati Opera's Castor and Patience is a sweeping epic". Cincinnati Business Courier. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  3. ^ "Castor and Patience". Cincinnati Opera. May 31, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  4. ^ Woolfe, Zachary (December 1, 2022). "Best Classical Music Performances of 2022". The New York Times. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  5. ^ "2022 Opera Awards Shortlist". OperaAwards.org. International Opera Awards. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  6. ^ Woolfe, Zachary (July 22, 2022). "Review: A New Opera Tells an Original Story With an Open Heart". The New York Times. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
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