Iphigenia (opera)

For the Greek play by Euripides, see Iphigenia in Aulis. For the Greek mythological figure, see Iphigenia. For all others, see Iphigenia (disambiguation).

"Sacrifice of Iphigenia," The Erich Lederer Collection (1986)

Iphigenia[1][2] is a jazz opera composed by Wayne Shorter with a libretto by Esperanza Spalding based on the mythological figure Iphigenia. The opera was premiered on November 12, 2021, at the ArtsEmerson theatre in Boston, Massachusetts led by the conductor Clark Rundell and was directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz. According to Spalding, the opera needed revisions at the time of its premiere.[3]

Shorter was 88 years old at the time of composing the work.[4]

Story

In the traditional epic as written by Euripides, the fate of Iphigenia is ambiguous due to numerous versions being had. Conventionally, Iphigenia is willfully killed in order to prevent her father Agamemnon from waging war on Greece. In Spalding's telling, Iphigenia is manifested in five forms, each with their own story.[4]

Instrumentation

The opera features a 28-instrument chamber ensemble.[5]

Resources
  1. "About + Tour". ... (Iphigenia) a new opera. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
  2. Russonello, Giovanni (2021-11-02). "How Esperanza Spalding and Wayne Shorter Realized His Dream: an Opera". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
  3. "Wayne Shorter and esperanza spalding crack open the old world in new opera". WBGO. 2021-12-10. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
  4. Twitter; Instagram; Email; Facebook (2022-02-21). "Review: Iphigenia, the Wayne Shorter and Esperanza Spalding way". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-04-30. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  5. Ginell, Richard S. (2022-02-21). "Jazz Icon Shorter's New Opera On Iphigenia Is More Than A Little Iffy | Classical Voice North America". Retrieved 2023-04-23.
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