Beth Wiemann

Mezzo-soprano, Piano, and Prerecorded Electronic Sound

Composer's Note:

Young Charlotte was composed for the Opera from Scratch Festival in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and is based on material from an old Atlantic provinces/New England region folk song. The work is a dramatic monologue by Charlotte herself, beginning as she prepares for a fancy winter party and continuing as she makes some inadvisable choices. The folk tune "Young Charlotte" and lyrics associated with it are public domain, and are quoted in the work several times.

Vocal Range: C4 to G5.

Stereo playback of the electronic sound excerpts will need to be controlled by another musician/technician, as the clips must be started at different cues in the live performance. This work contains choreography and/or dramatic elements such as costumes and staging and it can be performed with or without the theatrical element.