McTeague is an American opera composed by William Bolcom with a libretto by Arnold Weinstein and Robert Altman. The opera is based on a novel of the same name by Frank Norris (written in 1895, published in 1899) which also served as the source material for the Erich von Stroheim film Greed (1924). The piece was written on commission for the Lyric Opera of Chicago and first performed there on October 31, 1992.[1][2]
Roles
Role | Voice type[3] | Premiere cast, 31 October 1992[4] (Conductor: Dennis Russell Davies) |
---|---|---|
McTeague, an unlicensed dentist in San Francisco | tenor | Ben Heppner |
Maria Miranda Macapa, McTeague's mentally ill cleaning lady | mezzo-soprano | Emily Golden |
Marcus Schouler, a worker in a veterinary hospital and McTeague's friend | baritone | Timothy Nolen |
Trina Sieppe, Marcus Schouler's cousin, later McTeague's wife | soprano | Catherine Malfitano |
Sheriff | tenor | Patrick Denniston |
Papa Sieppe, Trina's father | bass-baritone | William F. Walker |
Mama Sieppe, Trina's mother | mezzo-soprano | Martha Jane Howe |
Owgooste, Trina's younger brother | treble | John Capone |
Lottery Agent/Health Inspector | bass | Wilbur Pauley |
Dentist | baritone | Victor Benedetti |
Waiters, guests, barbershop quartet, sheriff's posse |
References
- ^ Rothstein, Edward (22 November 1992). "'McTeague' Just Wants To Be Loved". New York Times. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
- ^ Christiansen, Richard (25 October 1992). "'McTeague' for Two: Filmmaker Robert Altman teams with composer William Bolcom to create an opera out of a tragic turn-of-the-century tale of greed". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
- ^ Opera America. McTeague. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
- ^ Lyric Opera of Chicago. 1992-1993 Season Performance and Cast Archive. Retrieved 18 September 2013.