With me today is Craig Hella Johnson to talk about the creation of his oratorio Considering Matthew Shepard which is receiving its NY Premiere on November 6th by The Dessoff Choirs. FOR TICKETS: https://dessoff.secure.force.com/ticket/#/events/a0S3a000006OvvgEAC Matthew Shepard was kidnapped and then murdered on October 6, 1998. In 2012 Craig began work on this oratorio after receiving…Continue reading OperaFix: Craig Hella Johnson, composer, “Considering Matthew Shepard”

Gregory Moomjy Death and the Powers is the latest and perhaps most ambitious operatic take on humanity’s relationship with science, immortality, and miracle cures.  Even so, reading the phrase “Tod Machover wrote an opera about robots starring robots” may cause as much confusion and consternation among readers as it caused me to write that. However,…Continue reading REVIEW: Death and the Powers

By Gregory Moomjy Lady Jane Grey, also known as the “Nine Days Queen,” was Britain’s first female monarch. She was crowned after the death of Edward VI, who was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour. Edward was a militant protestant. As such, he didn’t want any Catholics (or women for that matter) to…Continue reading REVIEW: The Chronicle of Nine

By Gregory Moomjy Nowadays, Gianni Schicchi, has a well-deserved reputation as one of the best comic operas. However, its 1918 world premiere at the Metropolitan Opera was less than auspicious. The piece is the last of three one act operas which, when performed together, constitute Puccini’s triptych or Il Trittico. The plots of each of these three…Continue reading REVIEW: Pietà

by Gregory Moomjy As an opera lover, having to explain that The Phantom of the Opera is technically not an opera is a dirty part of the job. What’s worse is Andrew Lloyd Webber’s score contains several blatantly obvious allusions to Puccini. However, even though Phantomcontinues to vex opera lovers, it can also teach us some music history. One…Continue reading REVIEW: The Queen of Sheba