Shining Brow is an English language

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 opera

Opera

Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...

 by Daron Hagen

Daron Hagen

Daron Aric Hagen , is an American composer, conductor, pianist, educator, librettist, and stage director of contemporary classical music and opera.- Early life and education :...

, first performed by the Madison Opera

Madison Opera

Madison Opera is a regional opera company based in Madison, Wisconsin. It was founded in 1961 as an extension of the and came to national prominence with the commissioning and premiering of Shining Brow, the opera about Frank Lloyd Wright by composer Daron Hagen and librettist Paul Muldoon. The...

 in Madison, Wisconsin

Madison, Wisconsin

Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....

, April 21, 1993. It is based on events in the life of architect Frank Lloyd Wright

Frank Lloyd Wright

Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...

. Daron Hagen asked the Irish poet Paul Muldoon

Paul Muldoon

Paul Muldoon is an Irish poet. He has published over thirty collections and won a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and the T. S. Eliot Prize. He held the post of Oxford Professor of Poetry from 1999 - 2004. At Princeton University he is both the Howard G. B. Clark ’21 Professor in the Humanities and...

 to write the libretto while the two were both in residency at the MacDowell Colony

MacDowell Colony

The MacDowell Colony is an art colony in Peterborough, New Hampshire, U.S.A., founded in 1907 by Marian MacDowell, pianist and wife of composer Edward MacDowell. She established the institution and its endowment chiefly with donated funds...

, in Peterborough, New Hampshire

Peterborough, New Hampshire

Peterborough is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,284 at the 2010 census. Home to the MacDowell Art Colony, the town is a popular tourist destination....

 during the summer of 1989.

Performance History

• Premiere: April 21, 23, 25, and 27, 1993, by the Madison Opera, Madison, Wisconsin.

Conductor: Roland Johnson

Stage director: Stephen Wadsworth

Set designer: David Birn

Lighting designer: Christopher Ackerland

Costume designer: Laura Crow

The production was broadcast live statewide and subsequently broadcast twice on NPR's World of Opera.

• First staged revival: July 23, 25, 27, 31 and August 2, 1997, by the Chicago Opera Theater
  Chicago Opera Theater
  The Chicago Opera Theater is an opera company that was founded as the Chicago Opera Studio in 1974 by Alan Stone to give vocal students performance experience, although it has grown into a professional opera company...
  
  , Merle Reskin Theater, Chicago, Illinois.

Conductor: Lawrence Rapchak

Stage director: Ken Cazan

Set designer: Kevin Snow

Lighting designer: Marcus Dillard

Costume designer: Jeff Bauer

• First complete concert performance: February 19, 1994, Florida Southern College
  Florida Southern College
  Florida Southern College is a private college located in Lakeland, Florida, United States. It was selected by U.S...
  
   Chorus, members of the Florida Symphony Orchestra, Lakeland, Florida.

Conductor: JoAnn Falletta

JoAnn Falletta

JoAnn Falletta is an American classical musician and orchestral conductor.Falletta was educated at the Mannes College of Music and The Juilliard School in New York City...

Ensemble and chorus supervision: Beverly Wolff

• First concert performance under the composer's direction: February 11-24, 2002, at the UNLV Opera Theater, with members of the Nevada Opera, Ham Concert Hall, UNLV, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Conductor: Daron Hagen

Chorus master: David Weiller

• First semi-staged revival: November 4-5, 2006, by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
  Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
  The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra located in Buffalo, New York. Its primary performing venue is Kleinhans Music Hall, which is a National Historic Landmark. Its regular concert season features gala concerts, classics programming of core repertoire, Pops...
  
   and the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus.

Conductor: JoAnn Falletta

Chorus master: L. Brett Scott

Stage director: Daron Hagen

Roles

Role	Voice type	Premiere Cast 21 April 1993 (Conductor: Roland Johnson)	Reduced Orchestration Premiere 23 July 1997 (Conductor: Lawrence Rapchak)	Premiere Recording 4 November 2006 (Conductor: JoAnn Falletta)
Frank Lloyd Wright	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...	Michael Sokol	Robert Orth	Robert Orth
Mamah Cheney	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...	Carolann Page	Brenda Harris	Brenda Harris
Louis Sullivan	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...	Barry Busse	Barry Busse	Robert Frankenberry
Edwin Cheney	bass-baritone Bass-baritone A bass-baritone is a high-lying bass or low-lying "classical" baritone voice type which shares certain qualities with the true baritone voice. The term arose in the late 19th century to describe the particular type of voice required to sing three Wagnerian roles: the Dutchman in Der fliegende...	Bradley Garvin	Bradley Garvin	Matthew Curran
Catherine Wright	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...	Kitt Reuter-Foss	Kitt Reuter-Foss	Elaine Valby
Julian Carlton	spoken Spoken Spoken is the past tense verbal form of "to speak".Spoken may also refer to:*Spoken , a Christian rock group from Arkansas*Spoken , an album by Spoken...	John Odom	Peter Mowhawk	Elem Eley
Marion Mahoney / Draftsperson	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...  / 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...	Katherine Cloutier	Rosa Pascarella	James Demler
Maid	lyric soprano Lyric soprano A lyric soprano is a type of operatic soprano that has a warm quality with a bright, full timbre which can be heard over an orchestra. The lyric soprano voice generally has a higher tessitura than a soubrette and usually plays ingenues and other sympathetic characters in opera. Lyric sopranos have...	Mimmi Fulmer	Diane Ragains	Gilda Lyons
Last Draftsman	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...  / 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...	Katherine Cloutier	Rosa Pascarella	James Demler
Draftsman	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...	David Gagnon	Charles Wolter	Tony Barton
Waiter	spoken Spoken Spoken is the past tense verbal form of "to speak".Spoken may also refer to:*Spoken , a Christian rock group from Arkansas*Spoken , an album by Spoken...	John Tallman	Peter Mowhawk	Elem Eley
Wife 1	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...	Deanna Gibeau	Sandra Cross	Jennifer Lynn Reckamp
Wife 2	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...	Gale Ketteler	Elizabeth Fauntleroy	Gilda Lyons
Wife 3	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...	Lori Poulson	Lilah Greendale	Jennifer Lynn Reckamp
Townswoman 1	mezzo soprano	Joanna Johnston	Meredith Barber / Patricia Meuller	Jennifer Lynn Reckamp
Townswoman 2	mezzo soprano	Laura Tucker	Cynthia Mallard / Jan Bickel	Deborah Fleischer
Reporter	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...	Kevin Jeffers	Roy C. Smith	Eric Fleischer
Workman 1	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...	Joel Kopischke	Nicholas Solomon	James Demler
Workman 2	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...	David Williams	Jan Jarvis	Tony Barton
Workman/reporter/photographer	bass baritone	Bruce Baumer	Peter Van der Graaff	James Demler
Workman/reporter/draftsman/guest	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...	James Demler	Henry Hunt	Eric Fleischer
Workman/reporter/draftsman/guest	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...	Patrick Jones	Mark Meier	Tony Barton
Draftsmen, townspeople, guests	mixed chorus	Madison Opera Chorus	Chicago Opera Theater Chorus	Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus
Orchestra		Madison Symphony	Chicago Opera Theater Orchestra	Buffalo Philharmonic

Synopsis

The action takes place in Chicago, Illinois, at Taliesin

Taliesin

Taliesin was an early British poet of the post-Roman period whose work has possibly survived in a Middle Welsh manuscript, the Book of Taliesin...

, Frank Lloyd Wright's home and studio in Spring Green, Wisconsin

Spring Green, Wisconsin

Spring Green is a village in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,444 at the 2000 census. The village is located within the Town of Spring Green.-Geography:Spring Green is located at ....

, and in Berlin, Germany, between 1903 and 1914.

Prologue

The Cliff Dwellers' Club, Chicago, 1903. Architect Louis Sullivan, mentor and friend of Frank Lloyd Wright, has been drinking all afternoon. He muses on his estrangement from Wright.

Act One

Wright's studio, Oak Park, Illinois, 1903. Wright pitches plans for a new house to wealthy Chicagoans Edwin and Mamah Cheney. He and Mamah flirt; her husband is concerned with costs. After they leave, Wright muses on Mamah; his wife Catherine overhears him and they quarrel.

The Cheney House construction site, six months later. Workmen sing, townswomen gossip; Wright and Mamah arrive to view the work as their liaison deepens. Edwin arrives and there is a showdown: Mamah tells Edwin she is leaving him for Wright. Afterwards, Edwin laments the fact that, while he has gained a house, he has lost his wife.

Mamah's apartment in Berlin, 1910. As Mamah translates some verses from German, she comes to terms with her strongly ambivalent feelings about her life with Wright, recognizing, despite her love for him, that her dream of an equal partnership with him is and will remain just that. Sullivan, in Chicago, echoes the sentiment.

Act Two

Taliesin, Spring Green, Christmas, 1911. Wright delivers a prepared statement attempting to explain his living out of wedlock with Mamah while still married to Catherine. Mamah, though at his side, is clearly disaffected.

Taliesin, Summer, 1914. During the course of a cocktail party, Wright pursues a new love interest as Mamah cannot help but observe; various clients, guests, colleagues, and employees — including an inebriated barbershop quartet of newspaper reporters — comment.

The Cliff Dwellers' Club, later that summer. Wright and Sullivan attempt a reconciliation, but are interrupted by Edwin Cheney, who delivers the news that Mamah's been murdered and Taliesin torched.

The ruins of Taliesin, later that night. The bodies of the dead are arrayed in the smoking remains of the house. A Maid explains that Julian Carleton, Wright's chef, has been found, his throat burned from drinking hydrochloric acid. Wright gropes for a way to go on, finds in the pocket of Mamah's coat a letter that gives him consolation of a sort. He vows to rebuild the house in her memory.

Recordings

• Premiere Recording by the Buffalo Philharmonic