FULL DEATH OF A CLERK (Lyle Cohen) Copenhagen 2026 Daniel Rosenberg, Noot Cohen, Darnell Howard Boddie

Information on the Performance

• Work Title: Death of a Clerk  
• Composer: Cohen Lyle   
• Libretto: Albert Cohen, after the short story by Anton Chekhov English translation by Lyle Cohen    Libretto Text, Libretto Index
• Venue & Opera Company: Studiescenen, Royal Danish Academy of Music Copenhagen, Denmark  
• Recorded: April 30, 2026
• Type: Staged Opera Live

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS PERFORMANCE

Synopsis:
Ivan Ilich Cherdyakov, clerk in the Ministry of Public Parks, while watching a play with his wife, accidentally sneezes on the head of his superior, the Minister – setting off a chain of events that culminates in his frantic, tragicomic downfall.

Death of a Clerk (chamber opera for 3 singers and sinfonietta)

In 2013 my grandfather, the well-known and beloved Israeli actor Albert Cohen, wrote, directed, and acted in a play based on four short stories by Chekhov. The first, “Death of a Government Clerk”, concerns Ivan Ilich Cherdyakov, a clerk in the Ministry of Public Parks, who while watching a play with his wife, Sonya, accidentally sneezes on the head of his superior, the Minister of Public Parks, General Mikhail Breslikhov. This sets off an obsession, leading to incessant apologies and mood swings, until finally Ivan’s soul breaks, and he dies – a sudden tragic end to a hilarious comedy. Because I loved this play so much, I set it to music as an opera for three singers – tenor (Ivan), mezzo-soprano (Sonya/the narrator/the minister’s secretary), baritone (Breslikhov) and sinfonietta.

Sadly, my deeply beloved grandfather, whom I admired enormously and was very close to, died in the midst of the composition at the age of 93. He was loved not only by me, but by an entire nation that had been fortunate enough to witness his artistry. Working with his text, his timing, and his rhythm in this opera was a miraculous experience for me, especially in times of pain and sorrow. I feel that there is no greater tribute to his memory than to give his work new life in this way.

I also find importance in giving this new shape to Chekhov’s work, which is so poignant and timeless, being an inquiry into human nature which is deep, sensitive, critical and full of compassion and understanding. Chekhov’s work has been too often neglected and in the world of opera – for this reason, it is important for there to be a new opera which is young, vital and which speaks the language of our times, that gives the audience a mirror to itself – one that is very comical and amusing, but at the end is serious, deep, and truly opens up the mind to true self-reflection, for there are here characters which every person in the world can relate to, no matter where he was born and where he lives.

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