THE OPERA
one pregnancy test.
two potential outcomes.
For three sopranos (Serena, Pro Angel, Con Angel) and pianist. The opera takes place in a simple bathroom — a tub, a sink, and a mirror are the only set pieces.
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Serena is in her bathroom, awaiting the results of a home pregnancy test. Scared and unsure what she hopes the test will read, she is visited by two angels, both versions of herself: one who extols the wonders and beauty of motherhood; the other who scoffs at pregnancy and advocates for remaining child-free. A short, poignant opera about the decisions women face when their bodies cease to be their own.
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Run time: 26 minutes​​
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STREAM THE PERFORMANCE:
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Visit YouTube to watch "A Pregnant Pause" from home!
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more about the opera's creation:
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The Serenity Prayer and its inclusion at the end of the opera
the creators of a pregnant pause
Garth Baxter
composer
Composer Garth Baxter is noted for his modern traditionalist style of writing. He is recognized as one of the preeminent composers of art songs and has been described as an unabashed, lyrical, tonal composer.
Baxter’s compositions for chorus, orchestra, symphonic band, piano, organ, flute, voice, and guitar, as well as other instrumental combinations, have been performed throughout the world. His music has been featured on radio and on-line programs worldwide.
He has received numerous awards, commissions, and honors.
Baxter’s opera Lily, An American Opera, with librettist Lisa VanAuken, premiered November 2022 to enthusiastic reviews. It has been called “a masterpiece” that “fits within the genre of traditional opera and needs to be part of the repertoire.” Lily is the subject of a performance lecture hosted by Boheme Opera in New Jersey. It was featured in the music blog outwardsound.org by Andrea Morris titled “Garth Baxter’s Lily” April 28, 2023. This opera has been viewed online more than 5,000 times since its release.
Baxter was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1946, and moved to California when he was nine years old. He earned music degrees from Pepperdine University and California State University at Northridge. He studied composition with Robert Hall Lewis, Joseph Wagner, and William Thornton. He studied guitar with Ronald C. Purcell and David Underwood. In addition to writing music, Baxter continues to mentor emerging composers.
Baxter’s works are published by Les Productions D’OZ, Doberman-YPPan, ALRY Publications, Columbia Music Company, Guitar Chamber Music Press, Mel Bay Publications, North Star Music, and Theodore Presser.
alize FRANCHESKA rozsnyai
librettist
Alize Francheska Rozsnyai is passionate about the creation and performance of contemporary opera. ​After composing and lyric-writing as frontwoman and multi-instrumentalist of the band The Fancy Balloons, she was first launched into the idea of performing lyrics in a classical setting when asked to perform her own translation of Schonberg’s Pierrot Lunaire for The Curtis Institute of Music’s 20/21 Ensemble.
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Alize’s second major project was a modernized adaptation of J.S. Bach’s Coffee Cantata involving a trendy couple fighting over coffee addiction. This more feminist version is a significant departure from the original concept and ends with the female protagonist choosing coffee over her lover. Alize modified the instrumentation to include electric bass guitars and saxophone, and it was paired with the world premiere of Alize’s first opera, Phony, with music by David Matthew Brown, which explores the ways in which smartphone technology can destroy meaningful human relationships.
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Recent performances include Phony and her Coffee Cantata adaptation double-bill with Hub City Opera in April 2023, in which Alize sang the soprano roles as well; Liking Myself, a monodrama responsorial to Poulenc’s La Voix Humaine with composer Sarah Marze singing the soprano role, at the University of Connecticut in April 2023; and Souls Unscreened, with composer Roger A. Martinez: an installation-style work exploring the impact that Zoom and other technologies have had on humanity during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Alize is also Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Alter Ego Chamber Opera, a Philadelphia-based collective inspired by devised theatre, with the mission of performing brand new works and historical works reimagined in new and radical ways, while uplifting underrepresented creative voices.