Dolci Show #37: "Suite from an Imaginary Opera" by John Steinmetz

John Steinmetz (b. 1951) grew up in Oakland, California, attended the California Institute of the Arts and was swept into Los Angeles' freelance whirlpool as a bassoonist and composer. He now teaches at UCLA and lives in Altadena. He wrote about this composition: “Many operas start optimistically but this piece imagines the opposite trajectory, beginning in pessimism or depression and working toward a happy ending... The five movements of the Suite might be scenes or musical numbers drawn from a longer opera... Whether it’s a drama between people or a struggle within a single person are questions for the audience’s imagination.”

The movement titles are 

1. Aria
2. Dance
3. Recitative
4. Aria
5. Apotheosis

                                                                                    
photo © 2010 Charlotte Castro