Label: Naxos
Series: Milken Archive of American Jewish Music
Genre: Opera
Period: 20th Century; Contemporary
Catalogue No: 8.559450
Barcode: 0636943945025
Release Date: 01/2007

JEWISH OPERAS, Vol. 2

Two of the 20th century’s most esteemed Jewish literary figures are represented among these operas: Bernard Malamud, whose Jewish stories are an acknowledged part of American literature, and Nobel laureate Yiddish writer Isaac Bashevis Singer, whose story about mysteries in eastern European village life is reinvented for David Schiff’s acclaimed opera Gimpel the Fool. Weisgall’s Esther, based on the biblical story, was premiered in 1993 and hailed by some critics as the most important American opera of its generation.

Tracklist

Schiff, David
Besley, Megan (soprano)
University of Michigan Opera Orchestra (Orchestra)
Bikel, Theodore (actor)
Phan, Nicholas (tenor)
Moss, Gary (baritone)
Gallant, Michael (tenor)
University of Michigan Opera Chorus (Choir)
Mercurio, Alissa (soprano)
1Act II Scene 10: Lullaby (Badkhn, Gimpel, Elka, Rabbi)03:59
Besley, Megan (soprano)
University of Michigan Opera Orchestra (Orchestra)
Bikel, Theodore (actor)
Phan, Nicholas (tenor)
Moss, Gary (baritone)
2Act II Scene 11: Pantomime (Badkhn, Gimpel)01:39
Bikel, Theodore (actor)
Moss, Gary (baritone)
University of Michigan Opera Orchestra (Orchestra)
3Act II Scene 11a: Bread Song (Gimpel, Apprentice)03:24
Gallant, Michael (tenor)
Moss, Gary (baritone)
University of Michigan Opera Orchestra (Orchestra)
4Act II Scene 11b: Night Music (Gimpel, Townspeople, Elka)02:41
Besley, Megan (soprano)
Moss, Gary (baritone)
University of Michigan Opera Chorus (Choir)
University of Michigan Opera Orchestra (Orchestra)
5Act II Scene 11c: Gimpel and the Goat (Gimpel, Goat, Elka)02:17
Besley, Megan (soprano)
Mercurio, Alissa (soprano)
Moss, Gary (baritone)
University of Michigan Opera Orchestra (Orchestra)
6Act II Scene 11d: Elka's "Gvald" (Elka, Townspeople, Gimpel)01:32
Moss, Gary (baritone)
University of Michigan Opera Chorus (Choir)
Besley, Megan (soprano)
University of Michigan Opera Orchestra (Orchestra)
7Act II Scene 11e: The Divorce (Badkhn, Gimpel, Rabbi, Townspeople, Elka)03:09
Moss, Gary (baritone)
Besley, Megan (soprano)
University of Michigan Opera Orchestra (Orchestra)
Phan, Nicholas (tenor)
University of Michigan Opera Chorus (Choir)
8Act II Scene 11f: Gimpel's Monologue (Gimpel, Badkhn)01:24
Bikel, Theodore (actor)
Moss, Gary (baritone)
University of Michigan Opera Chorus (Choir)
Siegmeister, Elie
Meyer, Carol (soprano)
Schwarz, Gerard (Conductor)
Seattle Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra)
McPherson, Robert (tenor)
DeLoach, Marcus (baritone)
9Scene 5: Welcome, Mr. Freeman (Isabella, Blumberg)09:15
Meyer, Carol (soprano)
Schwarz, Gerard (Conductor)
Seattle Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra)
McPherson, Robert (tenor)
10Interlude01:25
Seattle Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra)
Schwarz, Gerard (Conductor)
11Scene 6: She lied to me (Blumberg)02:18
Schwarz, Gerard (Conductor)
Seattle Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra)
McPherson, Robert (tenor)
12Scene 7: So you come here again (Ernesto, Blumberg, Isabella)04:38
Meyer, Carol (soprano)
McPherson, Robert (tenor)
Schwarz, Gerard (Conductor)
Seattle Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra)
DeLoach, Marcus (baritone)
Weisgall, Hugo
Gondek, Juliana (soprano)
Schwarz, Gerard (Conductor)
Seattle Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra)
Christopher, Ted (baritone)
13Act I Scene 8 (excerpt): Did any queen have more? (Esther)03:45
Gondek, Juliana (soprano)
Schwarz, Gerard (Conductor)
Seattle Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra)
14Act III Scene 2: Wild Dance03:54
Schwarz, Gerard (Conductor)
Seattle Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra)
15Act III Scene 10: Susa sleeps a sleep (Esther, Xerxes)07:28
Schwarz, Gerard (Conductor)
Gondek, Juliana (soprano)
Christopher, Ted (baritone)
Seattle Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra)

Total Playing Time: 52:48