Opera Scotland

Lightning-Rod Man The Lightning-Rod Man

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Music

Martin Dixon

Text

Amy Parker

Source

Short story by Herman Melville (1819-1891)

 

Premieres

First Performance: Glasgow (Òran Mór), 20 February 2009.

Scottish Opera premiere: As above.

 

Background

The successful launch of Scottish Opera's novelty format of 15 minute 'tryout' operas - Five:15, Operas made in Scotland - made it almost inevitable that a second batch should be performed the following season (with a third series to follow in 2010). Even after the five pairs of collaborators were chosen, and agreed to participate, the works had to be created in time. A further challenge came during rehearsals, when the order of play had to be decided, the aim being to show each work in its best light, while providing a satisfactorily structured evening - by no means an easy thing to do. This piece was selected to lead the event, and certainly gave it an impressive start.

 

Characters

Commentator (tenor)

Lightning-Rod Man (baritone)

Man (counter-tenor)

 

Programme Note

Middle America, 1856. A thunderstorm rages. A salesman arrives at a man's homestead peddling his strange scientific implement but the God-trusting poet refuses to be drawn into the salesman's trade in fear. Which do you choose? God or science? Man or nature? Myth or the modern? And do you buy?