Man on the Moon (opera)

Man on the Moon
Opera by Jonathan Dove
LibrettistNicholas Wright
LanguageEnglish
Based onApollo 11 Moon landing
Premiere
26 December 2006 (2006-12-26)

Man on the Moon is a 2006 television opera in one act by Jonathan Dove with a libretto by Nicholas Wright. It relates the story of the Apollo 11 Moon landing on 20 July 1969 and the subsequent problems experienced by Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the Moon.

The opera, about 50 minutes long, was commissioned by Channel 4 and first shown on 26 December 2006. The director was Rupert Edwards. In 2007, it won the Opera Special Prize at the 2007 Festival Rose d'Or in Lucerne, Switzerland.

Roles

Role Voice type Premiere cast, 26 December 2006
(Conductor:)
Aldrin baritone Nathan Gunn
Joan, his wife soprano Patricia Racette
Michael, their son actor Gregg Sulkin
Their daughter actor Morgan Elliott

Synopsis

The opera chronicles the preparations for the Apollo 11 mission, the journey and the landing. But it also deals with Aldrin's marriage break-up and the short-lived nature of fame.[1]

See also

References