Distanced Opera Repertoire

During these unprecedented times, opera performance plans may need to be adapted to fit within new restrictions that vary from country to country. With that in mind, we have curated lists of selected operas for smaller vocal and instrumental forces.

The repertoire suggestions below can be performed by small vocal casts and ensembles up to 10 or 20 instrumentalists. Groups of this number are permitted to gather in some countries already, hopefully with other countries to follow as circumstances and rules allow – with appropriate distancing of course.

Please explore our chamber operas with large or small ensemble, operas with piano, music theatre works, monodramas and dramatic vocal works.

We are happy to supply perusal scores and audio links to conductors and programmers as required, so please contact your local Boosey & Hawkes office: composers.uk@booseycom; [email protected]; [email protected].

Also explore our repertoire for:
> Small orchestra or ensemble with up to 20 players
> Chamber orchestra or large ensemble with up to 50 players
> String orchestra or ensemble up to 20 or 50 players
> Arrangements of classic works for ensemble

Chamber opera with large ensemble (11-20 players)

Michel van der Aa
After Life 100'
Opera for 6 singers, ensemble, video and electronic soundtrack
2S,M,A,2Bar

Jack Beeson
Doctor Heidegger’s Fountain of Youth 42'
Chamber opera in one act
S,M,T,Bar,BBar,speaker(female)

Sorry, Wrong Number 40'
A conversational chamber opera in one act
Major roles: S,lyrS,M,A,Bar,lyrBar,B; minor roles: Bar,B

Hello Out There 40'
Chamber opera in one act
Major roles: S,Bar; minor roles: T,2speakers,mime

Lizzie Borden 90'
Chamber version in seven scenes by Charles Tolliver and John Conklin
dramcol S,lyr S,M,T,lyr Bar,BBar

Leonard Bernstein
A Quiet Place 100'
Opera in three acts, version with chamber ensemble by Garth Sunderland
Major roles: S,T,Bar,B; minor roles: M,A,2T,Bar,B; vocal quartet(SATB)

Trouble in Tahiti 40'
One act opera in seven scenes, reduced orchestration by Garth Sunderland
M,BBar,Jazz trio(S,hT,hBar)

Benjamin Britten
Albert Herring 137'
Comic opera in three acts
2S,2M,A,2T,2Bar,B; Children's roles:Tr,2S

The Rape of Lucretia 107'
Opera in two acts
2S,M,A,T,2Bar,B

The Turn of the Screw 101'
Opera in a prologue and two acts
Tr,3S,S(orM),2T

Luigi Cherubini
Lo sposo di tre e marito di nessuna 150'
(The Betrothed of Three and the Husband of None)
Dramma giocoso per musica
3S,T,3Bar

Carlisle Floyd
Slow Dusk 40'
A musical play in one act
S,M,T,Bar

The Sojourner and Mollie Sinclair 75'
Opera in one act
S,M,T,Bar,BBar; chorus

Elena Kats-Chernin
The Rage of Life 70'
Chamber opera
Major roles: S,Bar; minor roles: 2S,M,2T,B

Hans Krása
Brundibár 30'
Opera for children
Children's choir with 10 major roles

Marvin David Levy
Escorial 40'
Lyric drama in one act
LyrT,Bar,B

Tod Machover
Schoenberg in Hollywood 90'
Chamber opera
S,T,Bar

James MacMillan
Búsqueda 29'
Music Theatre work for speaker, actors, soprano and ensemble
3S,speaker, 8actors

Parthenogenesis 50'
Scena for soprano, baritone, actress and chamber ensemble
S,Bar,actress

Bohuslav Martinu
The Marriage (reduced version) 61'
Comic opera in two acts, reduced scoring by Udo Zimmermann and Rene Hirschfeld
Major roles: S,M,A,T,Bar; minor roles: 2T,2B,2speakers

Jacques Offenbach
Croquefer ou Le Dernier des paladins 45'
Opéra-bouffe in one act (Richter version)
S,3T,Bar

Mesdames de la Halle 50'
Opérette-bouffe in one act (Richter/Heinzelmann version)
S,M,4T,B; 3 minor female roles; chorus ad lib

Le Soldat magicien 55'
Opéra-comique in one act (Schandert version)
2S,2T,lyrBar,speaking role

Prokofieff-Suppan
The Fiery Angel (chamber version) 125'
Opera in five acts and seven scenes, scoring by Wolfgang Suppan
dramS,Bar,2M,3T,Bar,B,M,T,3B; chorus

Steve Reich & Beryl Korot
The Cave 122'
Audio-visual music theatre work
vocal quartet: 2lyrS,T,Bar

Ned Rorem
Robbers 28'
Melodrama in one scene
T,lyrBar,BBar

Mark-Anthony Turnage
Coraline 100'
Opera (for family audience)
2S,3M,T,2Bar

Chamber opera with small ensemble (up to 10 players)

John Adams
I was looking at the ceiling and then I saw the sky 110'
Songplay in two acts
3M,highT,T,2Bar

Dominick Argento
Postcard from Morocco 90'
Opera in one act
colS,S,M,lyrT,T,Bar,B,mimes (number optional)

Leonard Bernstein
Peter Pan 120'
Complete stage version, arranged by Garth Sunderland for quintet
3S,Bar; TTBB chorus

Peter Pan (Concert version) 55'
Concert adaptation, arranged by Garth Sunderland for quintet
3S,Bar; TTBB chorus

Trouble in Tahiti 40'
One act opera in seven scenes, reduced orchestration by Bernard Yannotta
M,BBar,Jazz trio (S or M,hT,hBar)

Harrison Birtwistle
The Io Passion 95'
Chamber opera
2S,2Bar,2 actors (man+woman)

The Corridor 48'
A scena for soprano, tenor and ensemble
S,T

The Cure 56'
for two singers and ensemble
S,T

Detlev Glanert
Der Engel auf dem Schiff 15'
Chamber opera based on a text by Thornton Wilder
S,T,Bar

Der Engel, der das Wasser bewegte 25'
Chamber opera based on a text by Thornton Wilder
S,T,Bar

Leviathan 18'
Chamber opera based on a text by Thornton Wilder
S,T,Bar

Nijinsky's Diary 95'
for two singers, two actors, two dancers and instrumental ensemble
S,Bar,2actors(f/m),2dancers(f/m)

HK Gruber
Gloria von Jaxtberg 90'
Two-act music-theatre work for 5 singers and 9 session musicians plus harp
S,M,T,Bar,B

Elena Kats-Chernin
Matricide: the Musical 75'
Opera in one act
6S

Iphis 70'
Opera for six singers and nine musicians
2S,M,2T,Bar

Arghyris Kounadis
Der Sandmann 90'
Ten scenes
S,M/A,T,Bar,B,speaking role,silent role

Benjamin Lees
Medea in Corinth 60'
A musical drama in one act
S,M,Bar,B

Marvin David Levy
Sotoba Komachi 30'
Lyric drama in one scene
S,M,T,BBar,2dancers(male and female)

David T. Little
Dog Days 127'
Opera in three acts for 6 singers, 1 actor and amplified chamber ensemble
2S,M,2T,Bar,actor

Vinkensport, or The Finch Opera (chamber version) 40'
Chamber opera
3S,T,2Bar

James MacMillan
Clemency 45'
Chamber opera for 5 singers and string orchestra
S,2T,2Bar

Peter Maxwell Davies
Mr Emmet Takes A Walk 60'
A Dramatic Sonata
S,Bar,B

Jacques Offenbach
Croquefer ou Le Dernier des paladins 45'
Opéra-bouffe in one act (Stolz version)
S,3T,Bar

Purcell-Britten
Dido and Aeneas 50'
Opera in three acts, edited by Benjamin Britten and Imogen Holst
4S,S(orT),3M,T(orBar); chorus

Steve Reich & Beryl Korot
Three Tales 60'
A documentary video opera
vocal quintet: 2S,3T

Ned Rorem
Hearing 22'
Five Scenes for 4 Singers and 7 Instrumentalists
S,M,T,Bar

Mark Simpson
Pleasure 70'
Chamber opera
S,T,B,BBar; pre-recorded TTBB chorus

Ana Sokolovic
Love Songs 45'
Song cycle for female voice and saxophone

The Midnight Court 70'
Chamber opera
4S, 3M, T, 2Bt, cl, acc, vln, db, and perc(2)

Igor Stravinsky
Mavra 25'
Opera buffa in one act, arranged by Paul Phillips or by Winfried Radeke
S,M,A,T

Tchaikovsky - Vandré
Eugene Onegin (reduced version) 150'
Lyrical Scenes in three acts (seven scenes), chamber scoring by Philipp Vandré
S,2M,A,2T,Bar,3B,chorus

Claude Vivier
Kopernikus 70'
Opera in 2 acts, for 7 singers, 7 (or 8) players and tape
2S,M,A,T,Bar,B

Chamber opera with piano

Jack Beeson
Practice in the Art of Elocution 30'
Operina for soprano and piano
S

Ned Rorem
Bertha 25'
One act opera
M,5singers doubling roles; small chorus (optional)

Fables 25'
Five very short operas
at least 2 singers, mimes ad lib

Three Sisters who are not Sisters 35'
Opera in three acts with piano accompaniment
2S,M,T Bar

Ana Sokolovic
dawn always begins in the bones 50'
Song cycle for one to four voices and piano; or one to 8 voices and piano

Monodramas and dramatic vocal works

Michel van der Aa
One 60'
Chamber opera for soprano, video and soundtrack
S

Blank Out 70'
Chamber opera for soprano and 3D film
S

The Book of Disquiet 75'
Music theatre for actor, ensemble and film
actor

Louis Andriessen
Anaïs Nin 30'
for singer (amplified), ensemble and film
S

Dominick Argento
Miss Havisham’s Wedding Night 30'
Opera monodrama in one act
colS,2mimes

A Water Bird Talk 45'
Opera in one act
Bar or lowT

Jack Beeson
Practice in the Art of Elocution 30'
Operina for soprano and piano
S

David Del Tredici
Dracula 20'
for amplified soprano/narrator and ensemble
S

Wondrous the Merge 20'
a melodrama for for narrator-singer (high baritone) and string quartet
hBar

Carlisle Floyd
Flower and Hawk 45'
monodrama for soprano and orchestra
S

The Mystery 17'
Songs of Motherhood for soprano and orchestra
S

Pilgrimage 20'
Cantata for baritone and orchestra
Bar

Osvaldo Golijov
Ayre 40'
for soprano and chamber ensemble
S

HK Gruber
Frankenstein!! 28'
A pan-demonium for baritone chansonnier and ensemble after children's rhymes
Bar

David T. Little
Soldier Songs 60'
for baritone and amplified septet
Bar

Steven Mackey
Ravenshead 90'
Monodrama in two acts
T(actor)

Peter Maxwell Davies
Eight Songs for a Mad King 33'
Music-theatre work for male voice and ensemble
male voice

Miss Donnithorne’s Maggot 32'
Music-theatre work for mezzo-soprano and ensemble
M

The Medium 50'
Monodrama for mezzo-soprano solo
M

Iris ter Schiphorst / Helmut Oehring
Silence Moves I 60'
Soundtrack for an imaginary film
Voice

A Capella Opera

Ana Sokolovic
Svadba 55'
six female voices a capella

Photo: I was looking at the ceiling and then I saw the sky by John Adams at the Lyon Opera