At 8:00 PM I get a message from Medici TV on my iPhone to say that in two hours there would be a live stream of the opera Cinderella by Alma Deutscher. A few minutes before 10:00 PM I got another message to say the performance was about to begin.
So I switched to my HTPC on my big rig and went to Medici TV. I was taken to the San Jose opera California and the curtain about to come up with the 44 piece tuning in the pit.
On came the concert mistress followed by the veteran conductor Jane Glover. The overture soon followed. Then the curtain came up on an opulent production.
I was glued to my TV for the next three hours and dumbfounded.
This young lady from Surrey England, stared playing piano and violin around 3 and composing around 4. She wrote a little chamber opera by age 7. She has written quite a large number of compositions for one so young. Among the most popular is her violin concerto written age 9.
At age 7 she started writing her two and a half hour opera for 44 piece orchestra, a full complement of soloists, opera chorus and ballet. A year ago a slightly abridged two hour version had a week long run in Vienna, under the conductor under Zubin Mehta to great acclaim. This year an abridged one hour version for children will have a run in Vienna next week.
The San Jose Opera have given the American premier and the first complete and opulently staged performance. Five performances were scheduled December 16 though 21. The public response was so great two extra performances were added December 22 and 23. These sold out in minutes. Because the demand was so much greater then supply Medici TV agreed to come in on an urgent basis and stream it world wide. It is now up on their site and I recommend it to you all.
The music is of a very high caliber indeed. She is a master orchestrater as well as a wonderful composer of melody. The only slight weak link is the libretto that four adults had a hand in. In the performance Alma plays the violin solos and the occasional piano continuo. In the final scene she gives a performance on the organ. This is a huge scene with full soloists chorus, orchestra and organ. Oh, yes and her younger sister as the flower girl cuts through the whole performance and hits I think the highest note I have ever heard a soprano sing with tremendous volume. Needless to say the applause and cheering went on and on.
This weekend will see a performance of Alma's violin concerto with the Silicon Valley symphony orchestra with the composer as soloist.
Reviews so far.
Opera today.
MetroActive.
San Francisco Classical Voice (Opera)
San Francisco Classical Voice. (violin concerto).
Here is a selection of what is available on YouTube.
I strongly encourage you to go to Medici TV and let your rigs rip with her opera.
Personally I'm dumbfounded that a child would start on a project at 7 years of age and have a performing version by age 11. Remember all these parts have to be written out.
I think this young lady my bring this long running, at least in music, what I call the "Age of Ugliness" to a close. I'm certain she will write music that not only entertains but moves audiences instead of emptying concert halls and opera house with cacophonies posing as art.