Tom Cipullo’s dramatic and emotionally provoking opera, Glory Denied, will open Chelsea Opera’s seventh season. Based on the book of the same name by Tom Philpott, the opera tells the true story of Colonel Floyd James Thompson, America’s longest-held prisoner of war who suffered nearly nine years of captivity in Vietnam. The story deals not only with Thompson’s suffering in the jungles of southeast Asia, including five years in solitary confinement after his initial capture, but also the tragic aftermath that followed his liberation and the complete disintegration of his relationship with his wife and four children, one of which was born the day after his capture.
Glory Denied may be the first opera adapted from an oral history. As such, it presents no linear narrative. Rather, it jumps through time as a man’s mind might leap when subjected to horrific stress, from moment to moment. Although there are only two characters in the opera, they are portrayed by four singers, each representing the younger or older versions of Colonel Thompson and his wife, Alyce.
In her New York Times review, the critic Anne Midgette wrote that Glory Denied “is tonal, melting into aching lushness…but for the most part, propelled by driving Bernstein-like syncopations, with a bite to its harmonies where different versions of the same truth converge” (May 7, 2007). The piece has been given full productions by the Remarkable Theater Brigade and Brooklyn College Opera Theater, and has also had a semi-staged presentation with piano by the Center for Contemporary Opera, and a VOX presentation of excerpts by New York City Opera.
Chelsea Opera was very pleased to be approached by Mr. Cipullo to produce his opera. In suggesting the work, he commented that he saw the company as being able to present the opera “intimately, simply and precisely.” He noted that the work is “distinctly American” and that “the country is still dealing with these issues today.” He suggested that audience members “don’t need to know ‘opera’ to get it” and that it should appeal to a “non-traditional audience”.
The production will open, appropriately enough, on November 11 – Veterans’ Day – and run until November 14, 2010. This production will provide an opportunity to open community dialogue and illuminate veterans’ issues, as well as stimulate discussions in junior and senior high school civics and history classes. It also deals with the most basic of human issues that we face in our daily lives in these challenging times. Performances will be at St. Peter’s Church in Chelsea.
Tom Cipullo's works have been heard at major concert halls on four continents, from San Francisco to Tel Aviv, from Stockholm to LaPaz. He has received commissions from SongFest at Pepperdine (CA), the Mirror Visions Ensemble, Joy in Singing, Sequitur, Cantori New York, tenor Paul Sperry, soprano Hope Hudson, mezzo-soprano Mary Ann Hart, the Five Boroughs Music Festival, pianist Jeanne Golan, and the New York Festival of Song. He has received awards and fellowships from Yaddo, the MacDowell Colony, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Copland House, the Oberpfaelzer Kuenstlerhaus ( Bavaria), and ASCAP.
The New York Times has called his music "haunting," and The Boston Globe remarked that his work "literally sparkled with wit." The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has called him "an expert in writing for the voice." Recent honors include the Minneapolis Pops New Orchestral Repertoire Award (2009) for Sparkler, the National Association of Teachers of Singing Art Song Award (2008) for the song-cycle Of a Certain Age, the Aaron Copland Award from Copland House (2007), and the Phyllis Wattis Prize for song composition from the San Francisco Song Festival (2006-07).
Mr. Cipullo received his Master's degree in composition from Boston University and his B.S. from Hofstra University, Phi Beta Kappa with highest honors in music. He studied composition and orchestration with David Del Tredici, Elie Siegmeister, and Albert Tepper. Mr. Cipullo is a founding member of the Friends & Enemies of New Music, an organization that has presented more than 80 concerts featuring the music of over 200 different American composers.
Chelsea Opera is a professional company presenting fully staged operas with chamber orchestra. The company provides a nationally recognized venue for professional singers to advance their artistry while making opera attractive, affordable and accessible to a broad spectrum of the community. The fine acoustics of the space provide excellent hearing, and the intimacy of the space allows the audience to truly feel involved in the opera’s story. The company is also committed to providing opportunities for young people to learn about and become interested in opera either as a source of entertainment or future employment. As music writer, Anthony Tommasini of The New York Times noted in June 2009: “With American opera companies large and small struggling financially and a few going under, [Chelsea Opera is] a patch of encouraging news…”
Formed in 2004 by two singers, Lynne Hayden-Findlay and Leonarda Priore, the company was launched with an all-volunteer production of Suor Angelica. Initially, Ms. Priore and Ms. Hayden-Findlay had only intended to produce this one opera. However, artist and audience response was so compelling that they agreed to move forward, incorporating Chelsea Opera and obtaining their non-profit designation from the IRS in a record eight days. They have since produced Cavalleria Rusticana, Amahl and the Night Visitors (three times), Pagliacci, Don Giovanni, Gianni Schicchi, The Ballad of Baby Doe, The Scarf, The Bear, a 5 th Anniversary production of Suor Angelica, and Le Nozze di Figaro.
Chelsea Opera, is a WNYC-FM *STAR* Incentive recipient, and has received support from The Banfi Vintners Foundation, The Bettina Baruch Foundation, The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation, The NYU Community Fund, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). JetBlue Airways is “the official airline” of Chelsea Opera.
For further information, visit www.ChelseaOpera.org or write to ChelseaOpera@aol.com |
