Opera Vocal Soloists,
SATB Chorus, Orchestra
SKU: PR.411411640
An Opera in Two
Acts. Composed by
Ricky Ian Gordon. Vocal
score. Duration 2
minutes, 30 seconds.
Theodore Presser Company
#411-41164. Published by
Theodore Presser Company
(PR.411411640).
ISBN
9781491137642. UPC:
680160691098. The Garden
of the Finzi-Continis
novel by Giorgio
Bassani.
Based on
Bassani’s 1962 novel,
THE GARDEN OF THE
FINZI-CONTINIS dramatizes
the true story of a
prosperous Jewish
family’s disruptions
and consequences from
state-mandated
antisemitism in Italy
during World War II.
Gordon describes the
opera as “romantic,
sun-drenched, and
cataclysmic, all at the
same time.” This
dramatically topical and
personal grand opera
premiered at New York
City Opera and National
Yiddish Theatre
Folksbiene to rave
reviews in 2022. Chris
Ruel wrote in OperaWire,
“I have chosen Ricky
Ian Gordon and Michael
Korie’s THE GARDEN OF
THE FINZI-CONTINIS as my
favorite opera of
2022.”.
At one
point, in 2008, I was
walking down 72nd Street,
and I passed the video
store, (this is when
there were video stores)
and I thought to myself,
I wonder if Kevin (my
partner) has ever seen
The Garden of the
Finzi-Continis? which was
always one of my favorite
movies. My reaction when
we watched it that night
was unlike any other time
I had seen it. I was
wrenched, sobbing,
inconsolable. My heart
felt like the autumn
leaves we see blowing
through the garden at the
end of the movie. It
seemed immediately that
this had to be my next
opera. I called Michael
Korie, and we both bought
the Bassani novel and
read it. We settled on
it. It felt clear that we
both had a collective
story to tell through
it.Because this opera is
so close to both of our
hearts, it is dedicated
to our fathers.It is not
only that The Garden of
the Finzi-Continis is a
Holocaust story that
makes it so resonant for
me, though obviously this
is no small matter, but
the tragedy of people
trying to live their
lives, or actually living
them, their petty
disappointments, their
heartbreaks, against the
backdrop of total
catastrophe… that makes
it so moving. They cannot
possibly imagine what
will befall them, but we
know… and this makes
their every move
fascinating and
devastating… like
watching moths under a
glass. It is romantic,
sun-drenched and
cataclysmic, all at the
same time.This is why I
had to write it.