The opera's story is set during the Christmas truces on the Western Front in December 1914, a fictionalized account of ordinary people finding hope amid conflict.
Recording & Production
This recording of "Silent Night" was made live from November 10-18, 2018, at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Performer Biography
Mark Campbell, the librettist, is a Pulitzer Prize and GRAMMY Award-winning artist who has written 39 opera librettos and created the first award for librettists in opera history.
Cultural Impact
The opera "Silent Night" is based on Christian Carion's screenplay for the 2005 French war film "Joyeux Noël," which depicts the Christmas truces of 1914.
Composer Biography
Kevin Puts, the composer, had never written an opera before "Silent Night," but the artistic director of Minnesota Opera detected a strong sense of narrative in his music.
Composition History
Kevin Puts's opera "Silent Night" was commissioned by the Minnesota Opera and premiered in 2011.
Critical Reception
"Silent Night" won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2012 and quickly entered the modern opera repertory.
