Anna Karenina (Hamilton)
Encyclopedia
Anna Karenina is an opera in three acts by Scottish composer Iain Hamilton
. The libretto
, based on Leo Tolstoy
's novel, Anna Karenina
was written by the composer. Anna Karenina was premiered on May 7, 1981 at the London Coliseum
by the English National Opera
in a performance conducted by Howard Williams with Lois McDonall
in the title role. The director was Colin Graham
and the designers were Ralph Koltai and Annena Stubbs. Its running time is approximately two and a quarter hours.
with sets by Ralph Koltai and costumes by Anena Stubbs. Anna Karenina had its American premiere on March 16, 1983 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles
and ran for three nights. It was staged by the now defunct Los Angeles Opera Theatre in a production using screen projections as backdrops rather than traditional sets. It is not known whether the opera has had any subsequent performances. The American composer David Carlson
also wrote an opera, premiered in 2007, based on the Tolstoy's novel; the libretto of his Anna Karenina
was written by Colin Graham, the director of the 1981 production of Hamilton's version.
Iain Hamilton (composer)
Iain Ellis Hamilton was a Scottish composer.He was educated in London where he became an apprentice engineer, and remained in that profession for the next seven years. He undertook the study of music in his spare time...
. The libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
, based on Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist...
's novel, Anna Karenina
Anna Karenina
Anna Karenina is a novel by the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, published in serial installments from 1873 to 1877 in the periodical The Russian Messenger...
was written by the composer. Anna Karenina was premiered on May 7, 1981 at the London Coliseum
Coliseum Theatre
The London Coliseum is an opera house and major performing venue on St. Martin's Lane, central London. It is one of London's largest and best equipped theatres and opened in 1904, designed by theatrical architect Frank Matcham , for impresario Oswald Stoll...
by the English National Opera
English National Opera
English National Opera is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St. Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with the Royal Opera, Covent Garden...
in a performance conducted by Howard Williams with Lois McDonall
Lois McDonall
Lois Jeanette McDonall is a Canadian operatic soprano, especially known for her performances in the operas of Mozart and Donizetti.-Early life and education:...
in the title role. The director was Colin Graham
Colin Graham
Colin Graham, OBE was a British-born stage director of opera, theater, and television.Graham was educated at Northaw School , Stowe School and RADA...
and the designers were Ralph Koltai and Annena Stubbs. Its running time is approximately two and a quarter hours.
Background and performance history
Anna Karenina was the fifth of Hamilton's ten operas. Conrad Wilson in his 2000 obituary for the composer wrote that "inside Hamilton there was always a romantic composer struggling to get out [...] it finally exploded in Anna Karenina, a poignantly Mahlerian treatment of Tolstoy's novel." Hamilton composed Anna Karenina, a commission from English National Opera, in 1978, and published the score in 1979. It was first staged on May 7, 1981, by ENO in a production directed by Colin GrahamColin Graham
Colin Graham, OBE was a British-born stage director of opera, theater, and television.Graham was educated at Northaw School , Stowe School and RADA...
with sets by Ralph Koltai and costumes by Anena Stubbs. Anna Karenina had its American premiere on March 16, 1983 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and ran for three nights. It was staged by the now defunct Los Angeles Opera Theatre in a production using screen projections as backdrops rather than traditional sets. It is not known whether the opera has had any subsequent performances. The American composer David Carlson
David Carlson
David Carlson American composer.Carlson studied theory and composition at the Los Angeles High School of the Arts and with Leonard Stein at the California Institute of the Arts...
also wrote an opera, premiered in 2007, based on the Tolstoy's novel; the libretto of his Anna Karenina
Anna Karenina (Carlson)
Anna Karenina is an opera in two acts by American composer David Carlson, based on the novel Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, commissioned by Florida Grand Opera to celebrate the 2007 opening of the Ziff Ballet Opera House at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, co-commissioned by Opera...
was written by Colin Graham, the director of the 1981 production of Hamilton's version.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 7 May, 1981 (Conductor: Howard Williams) |
|---|---|---|
| Anna Karenina | soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... |
Lois McDonall Lois McDonall Lois Jeanette McDonall is a Canadian operatic soprano, especially known for her performances in the operas of Mozart and Donizetti.-Early life and education:... |
| Alexei Karenin, her husband | baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... |
Geoffrey Chard Geoffrey Chard Geoffrey Chard AM is an Australian opera singer, who was a foundation member of the National Opera of New South Wales.... |
| Count Alexei Vronsky, her lover | tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
Geoffrey Pogson |
| Stiva, her brother | baritone | Alan Opie Alan Opie Alan Opie is a Cornish baritone, primarily known as an opera singer.He attended Truro School and studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the London Opera Centre before joining the Sadler's Wells Opera... |
| Dolly, Stiva's wife | mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above... |
Della Jones Della Jones Della Jones , is a Welsh mezzo-soprano, particularly well-known for her interpretations of works by Handel, Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti, and Britten.-Life and career:Della Jones was born in Tonna, near Neath, Wales... |
| Kitty, Stiva's sister-in-law Sister-in-law A sister-in-law is the sister of one's spouse, the wife of one's sibling, or sometimes the wife of one's spouse's sibling... |
soprano | Janis Kelly |
| Countess Vronskaya, Vronsky's mother | soprano | Ava June |
| Prince Yashvin, Vronsky's friend | baritone | Malcolm Rivers |
| Countess Betsy | mezzo-soprano | Katherine Pring |
| Countess Lydia | mezzo-soprano | Shelagh Squires |
| Landau, a French clairvoyant Clairvoyance The term clairvoyance is used to refer to the ability to gain information about an object, person, location or physical event through means other than the known human senses, a form of extra-sensory perception... |
tenor | Stuart Kale |
Orchestration
- Voice: 4 sopranoSopranoA soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
s, 2 mezzo-sopranoMezzo-sopranoA mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
s, 1 altoAltoAlto is a musical term, derived from the Latin word altus, meaning "high" in Italian, that has several possible interpretations.When designating instruments, "alto" frequently refers to a member of an instrumental family that has the second highest range, below that of the treble or soprano. Hence,...
, 2 tenors, 3 baritoneBaritoneBaritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
s, 2 bassBass (voice type)A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C...
es, boy sopranoBoy sopranoA boy soprano is a young male singer with an unchanged voice in the soprano range. Although a treble, or choirboy, may also be considered to be a boy soprano, the more colloquial term boy soprano is generally only used for boys who sing, perform, or record as soloists, and who may not necessarily...
, SATBSATBIn music, SATB is an initialism for soprano, alto, tenor, bass, defining the voices required by a chorus or choir to perform a particular musical work...
Chorus - Instruments: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 tuba, timpani, 2 percussionists, harp, strings.
External links
- Synopsis from English National OperaEnglish National OperaEnglish National Opera is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St. Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with the Royal Opera, Covent Garden...