Miss Havisham's Fire

Miss Havisham's Fire is an opera in 2 acts by composer Dominick Argento with an English language libretto by John Olon-Scrymgeour. The work is loosely based on Charles Dickens' 1861 novel Great Expectations, and centers on an investigation of the circumstances surrounding the death of Aurelia Havisham. Commissioned by the New York City Opera, the work premiered on March 22, 1979, at the David H. Koch Theater at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in Manhattan.[1]

Miss Havisham's Fire was initially intended to be a farewell vehicle for soprano Beverly Sills, but she pulled out of the project due to illness and was replaced by Rita Shane. The opera received negative to mixed reviews in the press at its premiere and was not mounted again for more than 20 years. Argento revised it into a one-act monodrama entitled Miss Havisham's Wedding Night which Minnesota Opera premiered on May 1, 1981, at the Tyrone Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, conducted by Philip Brunelle.[2] It was performed under the baton of Gil Rose at Carnegie Hall on November 9, 2017, in a concert by New York City Opera celebrating the composer's 90th birthday.[3]

In 2001 the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis revived the work in a new version by Argento that shortened the opera by more than an hour and made improvements to the work's dramatic structure. This production received a much more positive response from the press.[4][5]

Roles
Role Voice type Premiere cast, 22 March 1979[1]
(Conductor: Julius Rudel)
Aurelia Havisham, an elderly recluse soprano Rita Shane
Estella Drummle, as a woman of 1859–60 mezzo-soprano Susanne Marsee
Phillip Pirrip, as a man of 1859–60 baritone Alan Titus
Grace-Helen Broome, as the former governess to Miss Havisham mezzo-soprano Elaine Bonazzi
Old Orlick, caretaker at Satis House bass Paul Ukena
Young Aurelia Havisham soprano Gianna Rolandi
Young Estella Drummle, adopted daughter of Miss Havisham treble Lorna Wallach
Young Phillip Pirrip (Pip), as a poor boy of 1846–8 boy soprano Robert Sapolsky
Young Grace-Helen Broome, governess to Miss Havisham soprano Martha Sheil
Young Orlick bass James Brewer
Jaggers, Miss Havisham's solicitor bass Richard Cross
Bentley Drummle, man about town tenor John Lankston
The Examiner, officiating at the inquest bass-baritone Ralph Bassett
Sarah Pocket, relative of Miss Havisham contralto RoseMarie Freni
Camilla Pocket, relative of Miss Havisham soprano Martha Thigpen
Raymond Pocket, relative of Miss Havisham tenor Jonathan Green
Pumblechook, Uncle to Pip spoken role William Ledbetter
First maid silent role Gwenlynn Little
Second maid silent role Eunice Hill
Chorus: guests at the Assembly Ball and servants

References
  1. Harold C. Schonberg (March 23, 1979). "City Opera: Miss Havisham" (PDF). The New York Times. p. 45.
  2. Miss Havisham's Wedding Night, Boosey & Hawkes
  3. "Dominick Argento at 90 Celebration at Carnegie Hall", Boosey & Hawkes, August 2017
  4. John von Rhein (July 8, 2001). "St. Louis rediscovers an operatic stepchild". Chicago Tribune.
  5. William R. Braun (June 2001). "Rekindling Miss Havisham's Fire". Opera News.
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