The Seagull is an opera in three acts by Thomas Pasatieri to an English libretto by Kenward Elmslie. The plot is based on Anton Chekhov's 1896 play, The Seagull.
Performance history The work had its world premiere at Houston Grand Opera on 5 March 1974 conducted by Charles Rosekrans. Notable later productions include Seattle Opera (1976), Washington National Opera (1978), Atlanta Civic Opera (1980), Fort Worth Opera (1982) and the Manhattan School of Music (2002). On 23 April 2004, a revised version premiered at the San Francisco Opera Center, a resident artist program of San Francisco Opera. In September 2010 The Seagull was performed at Dicapo Opera in New York City as part of the international Armel Opera Competition and Festival. A European premiere will follow in November from the National Theatre of Szeged in Hungary; this production will be televised live to more than 40 countries and streamed live across the web.The Seagull at Dicapo Opera
Roles RoleVoice typePremiere cast, 5 March 1974Conductor: Charles RosekransMashasopranoPatricia Wells/Catherine MalfitanoMedvedenkotenorMichael BestConstantinebaritoneRichard Stilwell/Robert ShiesleySorinbass-baritoneDavid Rae SmithNinamezzo-soprano or sopranoFrederica von Stade/Evelyn Petros (mezzo)Irina ArkadinasopranoEvelyn Lear/Dolores StrazicichBoris TrigorinbaritoneJohn Reardon/Ronald HedlundShamrayeffbass baritoneJon EnloePaulinemezzo-sopranoDana KruegerDoctor DorntenorJack TrusselDirectorFrank CorsaroSet and costume designerAllen Charles Klein
Recording The first, and only, complete commercial recording of the opera is based on the live performance of the work's New York City premiere at the Manhattan School of Music. Thomas Pasatieri: The Seagull – Keri Behan (Masha), Isai Jess Munoz (Medvedenko), Raymond Ayers (Constantine), Maxime Alvarez de Toledo (Sorin), Amy Shoremount-Obra (Nina), Amy Gough (Arkadina), Matthew Worth (Trigorin), Thomas Pertel (Shamrayeff), Sarah Kraus (Pauline), Alvaro Vallejo (Dr. Dorn); Manhattan School of Music Chorus and Orchestra, conductor David Gilbert. Albany Records TROY579-80
Notes and references
Sources Davis, Peter G., "An Opera That Flies", New York Magazine, 6 January 2006. Review of the Manhattan School of Music performance. Retrieved 5 October 2007. Dyers, Richard, "Reunion: Thomas Pasatieri", Opera News, April 2007, vol 71, no. 10. Retrieved 5 October 2007. Midgette, Anne, "Finding the Musical Romance in a Chekhov Play", The New York Times, 14 December 2002. Review of the Manhattan School of Music performance. Retrieved 5 October 2007. Thomas Pasatieri official website. Retrieved 5 October 2007.