European American Music Distributors Company is a member of the Schott Music Group

World Premiere of Gregory Spears and Tracy K. Smith's The Righteous at the Santa Fe Opera Explores the Intersection of Faith, Power, Politics, and Love

Jul. 22, 2024

The Santa Fe Opera presented the world premiere of The Righteous on July 13 with music by Gregory Spears and an original libretto by Tracy K. Smith. Kevin Newbury directs and Jordan de Souza conducts the production with scenic design by Mimi Lien, costume design by Devario Simmons, lighting design by Japhy Weideman, and projection and video design by Greg Emetaz. Performances in Santa Fe continue through August 13.

The Righteous explores the tension between genuine faith and the fraught world of 1980s politics. Along the way, the characters' sacred love for God becomes entwined with the complicated realities of their romantic lives. The opera opens with David, a preacher building a church in the American Southwest. He marries into a wealthy oil family and is eventually pressed to run as governor, succeeding his father-in-law Paul. At the same time, he has an affair with Sheila, whose more mystical theology enraptures him, leading them both to crossroads by the end of the decade.


Trailer: The Santa Fe Opera presents The Righteous

The Santa Fe newspaper, Pasatiempo, noted that the opera, “is distinctive in at least three important ways: it’s not an adaptation of a famous book or film but rather has an original libretto by a major figure from the literary world; it has several identifiable, substantial arias for the main characters; and the aria texts are based on a historic poetic form, the villanelle.”


Tracy K. Smith reads an excerpt of the libretto for The Righteous

Brian Nixon of God Reports concurred, praising the "stellar" production and noting, "...if the trenchant theme of The Righteous doesn’t appeal to you, then maybe the plentitude of beauty will: a thoughtful musical score, poetic libretto, and an elegant and simple set design. It’s all there.  And for Christians who take seriously God’s truth, beauty, and goodness, The Righteous delivers in many ways, a modern Biblical tale of faith, fame, and the fallout of infidelity (to God and people), asking 'O, Lord, what did I mistake for you?'"


Gregory Spears and Tracy K. Smith discuss The Righteous

To learn more about Gregory Spears, visit schott-music.com.
To learn more about Tracy K. Smith, visit tracyksmithpoet.com.

The Righteous (2023)
opera in two acts
Music by Gregory Spears
Libretto (Eng) by Tracy K. Smith

David · baritone - Sheila · soprano - Michele · mezzo-soprano - Jonathan · countertenor - Jacob · bass-baritone - Marilyn · soprano - Shannon · soprano - Paul · bass-baritone - Eli · tenor - Chris Michael (CM) · tenor - Deirdre · soprano - Woman 1 / Jenny · soprano - Woman 2 / Event Planner · soprano - Woman 3 / Woman / Ruth · mezzo-soprano - Deacon 3 / Young Aide · tenor - Deacon 1 · baritone - Deacon 2 / Joe / Representative · bass-baritone - SATB chorus

Instrumentation: 2(sop/alto rec)222/432+1btbn.1/timp.2perc/hp/str 
Duration: 150'

News