The Shape, Skeleton, & Foliage

for Opera Études

Description

The short opera The Shape, Skeleton, and Foliage is based on a scenario in which a woman asks a plastic surgeon to change her face into a landscape. The title is a reference to a book by Alexander Cozens titled The Shape, Skeleton and Foliage of Thirty-two Species of Trees for the Use of Painting and Drawing.

Illustrations 29–32 from The Shape, Skeleton and Foliage of Thirty-two Species of Trees for the Use of Painting and Drawing.

The Opera Études program at the Peabody Conservatory consists of one semester of coursework covering the history, conventions, and technical considerations of opera followed by a semester of workshops culminating with the premiere performance of works composed by the cohort. The requirements were that the pieces be fifteen minutes or under and be written for no more than three roles and piano accompaniment.

Synopsis

A woman decides to transform her face into a landscape and finds a plastic surgeon skilled and ambitious enough to complete the task. But she has not taken into account the psychological damage this will cause her identical twin.