Dominick Argento

Known for his choral writing as well as his operas, Argento is now emeritus at the University of Minnesota, where he taught for many years. The best known of his many operas is probably the one-act Postcard from Morocco.

• Sicilian Limes (1954) [withdrawn]
• The Boor, opera buffa in one act
  Libretto by John Olon-Scrymgeour after the play by Anton Chekhov.
  May 6, 1957, Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York
• Christopher Sly (1963)
• The Masque of Angels (1964)
• The Shoemaker's Holiday (1967)
• Colonel Jonathan the Saint (composed 1960; premiere 1971) [withdrawn]
• Postcard from Morocco, opera in one act
  Libretto by John Donahue.
  October 14, 1971, Cedar Village Theater, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• The Voyage of Edgar Allan Poe (1976)
• A Water Bird Talk, opera in one act
  Libretto by the composer, freely adapted from On the Harmfulness of Tobacco by Anton Chekov and The Birds of America by J. J. Audobon.
  May 19, 1977, Orpheus Chamber Ensemble, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, New York
• Miss Havisham's Fire (1979, New York City Opera, New York, New York)
• Miss Havisham's Wedding Night (revision of Miss Havisham's Fire), opera in one act
  Libretto by John Olon-Scrymgeour after an episode in Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.
  January 5, 1981, Tyrone Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Casanova's Homecoming (1985)
• The Aspern Papers, opera in two acts
  Libretto by the composer after the novella by Henry James.
  November 19, 1988, Dallas Opera, Music Hall, Dallas, Texas
• The Dream of Valentino (1994)

Discography

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Dominick Argento A Water Bird Talk (includes Argento's Elizabethan Songs) Vern Sutton, Manhattan Chamber Orchestra/Clark CD / Newport Classics NCD 85602 (1996)	Dominick Argento Postcard from Morocco (recording of premiere production; reissue of LP Desto DC 7137/38) Minnesota Opera/Brunelle 2 CD / CRI CD 614 (1972)
A Water Bird Talk Miss Havisham's Wedding Night on Dominick Argento A Water Bird Talk/Miss Havisham's Wedding Night Shirley-Quick, Mabbs, Sinfonia of St. Cecilia/Watkins CD / Koch International Classics 3-7388-2 H1 (1997)

Bibliography

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Gondolier's Song from Casanova's Homecoming "Have mercy on my life" from The Voyage of Edgar Allan Poe Lute Song from The Shoemaker's Holiday Man with a Paint Box Aria from Postcard from Morocco "Midnight, bells striking midnight" from The Voyage of Edgar Allan Poe Valentino's Aria from The Dream of Valentino "Will ye but listen?" from Christopher Sly in Boosey & Hawkes American Arias: Tenor Boosey and Hawkes 2004

Allegra's Aria from Colonel Jonathan the Saint "I see in you a looking glass" from Miss Havisham's Fire "Sabrina's Aria" from Colonel Jonathan the Saint The Widow's Aria from The Boor "Virginia's Aria" from The Voyage of Edgar Allan Poe in Boosey & Hawkes American Arias: Soprano Boosey and Hawkes 2004

Casanova's Final Air from Casanova's Homecoming Metatron's Sermon from The Masque of Angels Ralph's Letter-Ballad from The Shoemaker's Holiday Simon's Aria from The Shoemaker's Holiday Sly's Aria from Christopher Sly The Boor's Aria from The Boor The Lecturer from A Water Bird Talk in Boosey & Hawkes American Arias: Bass Boosey and Hawkes 2004

A Foreign Singer in a Waiting Station from Postcard from Morocco Bellino's Aria from Casanova's Homecoming Estella's Aria from Miss Havisham's Fire Nazimova's Aria from The Dream of Valentino Rose's Air from The Shoemaker's Holiday Tina's Aria from The Aspern Papers in Boosey & Hawkes American Arias: Mezzo-Soprano Boosey and Hawkes 2004

Last update: January 1, 2009