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North American Premiere of Christian Jost’s Death Knocks at Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra

Jun. 01, 2011

Based on the Woody Allen play of the same name, Death Knocks, a one-act chamber opera by Christian Jost, sees its North American premiere on June 12, 2011 at the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra. The performance is conducted by Mischa Santora and takes place at the School for Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati.

The opera is set in New York. The city is pulsating in the summer heat as Nat Ackermann, a successful garment manufacturer, relaxes at home. An attractive woman suddenly falls through the window into his living room. She introduces herself as the personification of Death, explaining that his time is up. Nat protests emphatically, arguing that he is feeling fit as a fiddle, and that he just completed a merger with a famous company. The lady, increasingly confused, starts to wonder if she mixed up the address. After all, she explains, this is her "first commission!"

Eventually, they agree to let a card game determine Nat’s fate. If Nat wins, he gets one more day to live. As they play, the conversation keeps chipping away at Death’s self-confidence—she loses the game and finally gets thrown out. Her first day on the job is a failure, but Nat feels better equipped to deal with Death the next time she drops in.

Learn more on the music of Christian Jost at www.schott-music.com.

More precise details on the performance in Cincinnati can be found at www.ccocincinnati.org.

Christian Jost
Death Knocks (2001)
opera in one act
libretto (En) based on the play by Woody Allen
for mezzo-soprano and baritone
vl, db, cl, bn, tpt, tbn, perc
35’

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