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Inferno of Dante: Canto V
An Opera by Patrick Soluri
Translation by John Ciardi*
Virgil the Poet - Lyric Tenor
Dante the Pilgrim - Lyric Baritone
Dante the Poet - Speaker
7 Soloists/Chorus SATB:
The seven soloists can double as chorus if needed.
The seven soloists sing all of the minor characters:
Minos - Speaker (low male voice)
Semiramis - Soprano
Francesca - Lyric Soprano (extended range & long solo)
Dido - Mezzo Soprano
Cleopatra - Soprano
Helen - Mezzo Soprano
Achilles - Bass
Paris - Baritone
Tristan - Baritone
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For the New York City Opera showcase on May 7, 2003 the cast featured:
Virgil the Poet - Matthew Chellis
Dante the Pilgrim - Charles Robert Stephens
Dante the Poet - Wynn Harmon
Francesca - Caroline Worra
Semiramis, Dido, Cleopatra, Helen & Offstage Voice - Tamara Haskin
Achilles, Minos, Paris & Tristan - Scott Altman
Conductor: Steven Osgood
Musical Preparation: Susan Caldwell Nelson
The Orchestra of New York City Opera
Note: The Speaker is Dante the Poet, the person who wrote the Inferno recalling the experiences from his journey through the inferno as told in the book. All lines spoken by him are descriptive texts looking back at the experience. This is compared with the character in the opera of Dante the Pilgrim whom in the context of the opera is making the journey in the present tense. Dante the Pilgrim's lines are taken from text that is spoken to other characters in the Inferno.
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