OVERVIEW
Title: In This World, George is Heartbroken
Composer: Lembit Beecher
Librettist: Hannah Moscovitch
Commissioned By: Tapestry Opera's Composer-Librettist Laboratory
Language: English
Producer: Tapestry Opera
Run Time: 6
Roles:
| Role | Voice Type | Range ? | Character Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martha | middle-high | A#3-F#-5 | A wife |
| George | middle-low | G2-G4 | Her husband |
SYNOPSIS
George and Martha have three very different versions of a difficult conversation over breakfast. The first two represent what happens in George’s mind when his wife insults him over breakfast. One is violent and reactionary, with George screaming and verbally abusing Martha. The other is more considered, as George firmly but politely asks Martha to not ruin a nice breakfast with talk like that, leading to protestations of love from both. The final scene is what happens in reality, with George meekly, timidly asking Martha not to insult him. Dark, probing, and starkly hilarious.
MUSIC DESCRIPTION
SCORES FOR PURCHASE
Arias & Excerpts:
George and his wife Martha have three very different versions of a difficult conversation over breakfast.
| Character | Voice Type | Range ? |
|---|---|---|
| Martha | middle-high | A#3-F#-5 |
| George | middle-low | G2-G4 |
PREMIERE PRODUCTION INFORMATION
Premiere Production: Tapestry Briefs 2012, September 21-23, 2012 at Tapestry Opera's Ernest Balmer Studio, Toronto, ON
Producers: Tapestry Opera
Cast:
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Martha | Andrea Ludwig |
| George | Geoffrey Sirett |
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Director | Michael Hidetoshi Mori |
| Music Director | Dr. Christopher Foley |
| Music Director | Jennifer Tung |
| Lighting Designer | Davida Tkach |
| Stage Manager | Lesley Abarquez Bradley |
| Artistic Director | Wayne Strongman |
| LIBLAB Dramaturg | Michael Patrick Albano |
CREATION
QUOTATIONS FROM CREATIVE TEAM
"In This World, George Is Heartbroken is a 6-minute ‘micro-opera’ comprising three scenes, each a different version of an interaction between a married couple, George and Martha. Librettist Hannah Moscovitch and I intended that the first two scenes represent George’s interior reactions to Martha’s insult, the first being his initial reaction of anger, expressing perhaps the way he wishes he could stand up for himself. His second reaction represents a different sort of wish, perhaps deeper and more considered, about the nature of his relationship with his wife. The third scene represents what ‘really happens,' at least what an outside observer would see. (George’s mind may not accept this version as the one that ‘really happens.’) At least this was our initial intent in writing the piece, though there may well be other ways to interpret the scenes."
- Lembit Beecher (from LembitBeecher.com)
There are no reviews yet. Be the first one to write one.
REVIEW THIS OPERA
You must be logged in to submit a review.
Submit a Suggestion
Please Note: As we try our best to ensure that all the data on this page is correct please understand that these pages were built by humans, so we're bound to make mistakes. Let us know if you have found any errors, typos, or mistakes on this page. If you have any suggestions on adding tags to this page, please use this email link as well. Thank you, your help and contribution are appreciated.
English 
French