“His breath is still in this air that I breathe, trapped in this room, still moist with life.”
Markheim
(1966) 70’
Opera in one act
Text Libretto by the composer, after the story by Robert Louis Stevenson
Scoring S, 2T, BBar; chorus
2.2.2.2-4.2.2.1-timp.perc(2)-harp-strings
Left to right: Angela Mannino as Tess, Tyler Putnam as Markheim, and Mathew Tuell as A Stranger in Markheim
little OPERA theatre of ny, 2013
PHOTO: NICK SOLYOM
A Christmas tragedy based on a story by Robert Louis Stevenson, Markheim is “a dark Victorian tale of murder and the supernatural… a tour de force for baritone” (Opera News).
On Christmas Eve, pawnbroker Josiah Creach is visited by a client, Markheim, a depraved aristocrat who asks for a loan to pay his gambling debts and avoid being killed. Creach toys with Markheim at length, forcing him to admit to all of his corruption— and then refuses to grant the loan. Enraged, Markheim demands to know where the money is and after a brief struggle, Creach falls dead. At this moment a mysterious stranger appears at the shop, and presents a Faustian-like bargain. Markheim is faced with a choice to accept responsibility for his actions or to descend into complete immorality.
“Set on Christmas Eve, it’s a classic English ghost story of the season, and Floyd makes it into a gripping opera. The skillful libretto reveals character and drama, is always singable, and the music is inventive and expressive, constantly upping the drama as the plot takes unexpected turns.”