The Trapeze Artists
by Anthony Ritchie, a chamber opera, Opus 73
This mini-opera explores the stages of a relationship, and is richly varied in tone and mood.
- YEAR: 1996
- DURATION: 35'00
- LIBRETTO: Louise Petherbridge, using poems by Hone Tuwhare and Cilla McQueen
- COMMISSIONED BY: Louise Petherbridge
- INSTRUMENTATION: chamber opera for 3 singers,(soprano, alto, baritone) piano, double bass, percussion (1 player on Tam tam, Drum Kit, including suspended cymbals (large and small), snare drum, tom toms, bass drum (with foot action), Bass drum (stand alone), Xylophone, Glockenspiel, Tambourine (for double bass player!), Triangle, Wood block
- LEVEL: 3 | Professional and semi-professional musicians
Programme Note
Characters:
- Circus Woman (contralto)
- Woman (soprano)
- Man (baritone)
Instruments:
- Piano (doubling electronic keyboard)
- Percussion (one player, including drum kit)
- Double Bass (doubling bass guitar and tambourine)
Texts:
- The Trapeze Artists - Cilla McQueen
- Rapunzel - Cilla McQueen
- Thine Own Hands have Fashioned - Hone Tuwhare
- Wild Sweets - Cilla McQueen
- Bad Bananas - Cilla McQueen
- Tangi - Hone Tuwhare
- Prelude? - Hone Tuwhare
- Where Shall I Wander- Hone Tuwhare
- The Old Place - Hone Tuwhare
These settings are to be performed without a break. Organisation of texts, creation of characters, stage directions etc are by Louise Petherbridge, the director of the opera.