Dance with the Devil

Opera in Two Acts

1992-1999

110 minutes

Libretto: Randall Shinn

3 sop, 2 mez, 1 ten, 2 bar
Orchestra: 2.2.2.2,4.2.3.1,perc,strings

Composition Notes

I began sketching the libretto for this opera in 1992. My first images were of Elias Stone, a fundamentalist preacher, whose intense religious convictions included vehement anti-theatrical prejudice. I imagined he had a daughter Abigail, who loved life’s pleasures, secretly went out dancing, and longed to leave home. In my initial versions of the story, she had a beautiful singing voice and was offered the chance to study for a career in opera. And she left home despite Elias's efforts to stop her.

The second act involved their efforts to reconcile many years later. In my first version of the libretto, when Abigail visited him, in his senility he had forgotten her. In a subsequent version, when Abigail returned to visit Elias, he became enraged during an argument about his perception of her immoral lifestyle, and he killed her and then himself.

The music for that version was completed in 1999. While orchestrating the final scene I was offered a commission to write the opera Sara McKinnon. Wanting to work with playwright Mark Medoff, I put Dance with the Devil on the back burner. Then came an opportunity to create Beautiful Princess Available for Rescue.

Later, coming back to Dance with the Devil, I was dissatisfied with the plot. I felt the story lost focus and was spread over too many years.

Eventually I may return to this opera and rework the libretto and the music. If so, I will compress the action to a few days time, and rethink the plot entirely.