Project

The Walled-Up Wife
by Gilda Lyons

About The Walled-Up Wife

An opera in one act, The Walled-Up Wife sets an ancient tale of foundation sacrifice.  As three royal brothers attempt to build a citadel, their efforts fail until a high priest reveals that, for the citadel to stand, one of their wives must be immured within it.  After a series of betrayals, the youngest bride is tricked into delivering herself to the worksite where she is built into the foundation. She sings a lullaby to her infant son as the final bricks bind her to her fate. 

About the Creators

GILDA LYONS (composer/librettist) is active both as composer and vocalist. In 2006/07, performances as composer include premieres of newly commissioned works written for the voice and piano duo Two Sides Sounding (March 2007, St. Peter's Church, NYC); the string quartet Sweet Plantain (February 2007, The Cutting Room, NYC); countertenors Daniel Gundlach and Mark Crayton (September 2006, St. Matthew & St. Timothy, NYC); and Amy Pivar Dances (April 2006, Dance New Amsterdam, NYC).  She is the Artistic Director of The Phoenix Concerts series on Manhattan's Upper West Side.  Her music is published by E.C. Schirmer.  As vocalist, Ms. Lyons performs regularly with Elaine Valby and Robert La Rue as the voice and cello trio Seraphim; the trio has commissioned new works by composers Hayes Biggs and Paula Kimper to be premiered in April 2007.  In June 2007, Ms. Lyons will sing the role of Nora Barnacle in Daron Hagen's The Antient Concert, the centerpiece of Symphony Space's Bloomsday on Broadway XXVI; she appeared as soloist with the Buffalo Philharmonic in their semi-staged concert production of Hagen’s opera Shining Brow in fall 2006.  Ms. Lyons made her professional debut as composer and vocalist with the American Symphony Chamber Orchestra in 1997, performing the world premiere of her orchestral song cycle Feis. She received her Ph.D. in Music Composition from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and Bard College. Ms. Lyons has studied composition with Anne LeBaron, Eric Moe, Daria Semegen, Joan Tower and Roger Zahab; conducting with Roger Zahab; and voice with Arthur Burrows, Barry Busse and Elaine Valby. www.gildalyons.com

AOP Presentations

March 30-31, 2007
AOP First Chance presents scenes from
The Summer King & The Walled-Up Wife
138 South Oxford St.
Ft. Greene, Brooklyn

Music Direction: Steven Osgood
Pianist: Jocelyn Dueck

Tenor: Daniel Neer
Soprano: Ruth Cunningham
Mezzo: Elaine Valby