FULL THE RAVEN (Jesse Preis) Portalnd 2024 Renegade Opera
Information on the Performance
- Work Title: The Raven
- Composer: Preis Jesse
- Libretto: poem by Edgar Allen Poe Libretto Text, Libretto Index
- Venue & Opera Company: Center for Native Arts and Culture, Portland, Oregon, Renegade Opera
- Recorded: November 9 & 10, 2024
- Type: Staged Opera Live
- Singers: Madeline Ross, Abigail Krawson, Claire Robertson-Preis
- Conductor:
- Orchestra: Emily Way, PIANO
- Stage Director:
- Costume Designer:
Information about the Recording
- Published by: Renegade Opera
- Date Published: 2024
- Format: Streaming
- Quality Video: 4 Audio:4
- Subtitles: yessubs, ensubs, gensubs
- Video Recording from: YouTube FULL VIDEO
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS PERFORMANCE
Jesse Preis debuts The Raven, a chamber opera composed for three voices and piano from Edgar Allan Poe’s poem of the same name. In this opera, the narrator (split into two characters to capture the perspective of the Past and the Current at two different stages in life) deals with the loss of a loved one. These complicated, painful, and even terrifying emotions become personified through the character of the Raven. This work is composed with no specific voice types tied to the characters – anyone able to sing the part can and should sing them. This is a groundbreaking composing technique that unties the binds of gendered characters and allows vocalists to portray a character of any gender that is authentic to them and suits their voice. Preis seeks to expand our understanding of vocal writing to go beyond the gendered conventions of soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, and bass-baritone, and posits a world where characters are simply written and performed by a wide variety of voices.