A Coffin in Egypt

About

'A Coffin in Egypt' is a one-act chamber opera, presented in its East Coast Premiere by Opera Philadelphia in June 2014 as part of the Aurora Series. The production is a co-commission and co-production with Houston Grand Opera and The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, and was written as a vehicle for mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade. Directed by Leonard Foglia (also the librettist), the staging employs a minimalist yet evocative design. Riccardo Hernández's set features a scrolling backdrop of yellow and brown vegetation to conjure the barren Texas prairie of the heroine's estate. The opera probes themes of memory, remorse, and the quest for forgiveness late in life. Ricky Ian Gordon's score blends elements of gospel and American art song, scored for a nine-player ensemble, with a gospel quartet functioning as a Greek chorus that mirrors the protagonist's inner and outer worlds.