The recording was made in Omaha, Nebraska, during Opera Omaha's 2018 ONE Festival, which emphasizes experimentation and new work.
Composition History
The opera "Proving Up" by Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek is based on a short story by Karen Russell, published in 2013.
Recording & Production
This album is an original cast recording from the Opera Omaha production of "Proving Up," featuring the International Contemporary Ensemble conducted by Christopher Rountree.
Compositional Technique
Missy Mazzoli's score for "Proving Up" incorporates diverse elements like imagined fiddle tunes, Baroque gestures, scrap metal percussion, and multiple harmonicas and guitars.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Composer Missy Mazzoli and librettist Royce Vavrek aimed to create a timely, unusual, and uniquely American story for their chamber opera.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The opera's narrative, focusing on homesteaders in the 1860s, is intended to be relevant to contemporary examinations of the American Dream's achievability.
