American contemporary composer James Nathaniel Holland brings this opera of political intrigue, love and betrayal in four acts. Arranged here in vocal and piano reduction.

Sample included here is of Act IV.
Full Act III and Act IV video presentation on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEcbVsA36MCvDCxTuFEPb8SFd6ZZYKC-v
OPERA SYNOPSIS:

A mythical country, somewhere lost in time and space; two factions, the minority “have” and the majority “have-not’s,” are in constant violent conflict to rule the country.   Germain, a young man with mysterious origins, and for neither side,
by fate meets the the prime minister and hopes for personal love. But this is not to be a happy ending. The leader of the have-not’s takes this perfect opportunity to assassinate the PM.

When the attempt fails, the blame falls on Germain and leads him to his imprisonment and eventual death.

GERMAIN, A Dreamer (Lyric Baritone)

CHERYL, A tavern owner and girlfriend to Talleyrand (Soprano, Coloratura)

TALLEYRAND, Minister of District Thirteen, Secret leader of the Dissidents (Bass)

ALEXANDER, The newly elected Prime Minister of Timbaksha (Tenor)

TAMINA, Alexander’s wife (Soprano)

NADINE, Minister of District Five (Alto)

URCHIN, A Young Teen (Male or Female Voice)

WALLACE, Minister of District Nine (Baritone)

OFFICER (Baritone)

CHORUS: DISSIDENT, GUESTS, SERVANTS, CROWD, OFFICERS

COMPOSER’S NOTE

This opera was a creative reaction in the attempt to write a “Haitian” musical and the frustration when a specific story calls for a specific race of people and excludes all other possibilities. Such happens with Gershwin’s ‘Porgy and Bess.’   An all-white cast seems ridiculous at best.

This is not to say, ‘Germain’ was slated – at conception – to be any race-specific opera. To quite the contrary, I wanted to completely push it to the other end of the spectrum. I wanted an opera where the production could be presented in almost any way as the cast, the times, or director chose to do it.

Hopefully this opera is wide open for interpretation. It contains pure political prototypes that seem to enter the public consciousness over and over again in the media: the rich apathetic minority, the poor resentful majority, the pacifist, the innocent victim, the abuser of power, the ambitious all-or- nothing dissident, the political pawn, the scorned women.

This opera can cause waves, or it can play it safe. This opera could be France, the USA, or a colony. It could be pop culture or an age of cynicism. It could be science fiction or realism of our world, now.

Unfortunately, people need to be told exactly what is happening in an unfamiliar work as this.

For you, who have chosen to take on the challenge to present it, I invite you to be my collaborators – please, not my servants.

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James Nathaniel Holland is an American classical music composer of operas, symphonies, ballets, songs, and other musical concertworks that incorporate a unique, eclectic, blend of romantic, classical, world and jazz styles.

Born and raised in Indiana, he studied music at DePauw University, Vienna Austria, Interlochen National Music Camp and Indiana University (Bloomington, IN). At these schools many of his early pieces were premiered and performed, with one work being selected for main-stage production in the season.

Moving to Los Angeles and then settling in New York, he performed professionally sometimes as a singer, sometimes as a pianist, sometimes as choral conductor. He composed incidental music for the stage. In 2002 he founded a composers collective where they showcased their work. He was one of the first composers to participate in the American Music Center’s initial on-line library. The New Jersey Concert Opera and the Gay Men’s Chorus of New Jersey also featured his comic operas and art songs.

From 2005 he moved to Costa Rica where he organized concerts with visiting guest artists to present his chamber music to the public. Presently he lives in a castle in the central mountains of Costa Rica.

Website: http://www.lacoronadelossantos.net/jamesnathanielholland.html
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/composerjnholland