THE BEE OPERA
Sorrel Hays
About this work:
A comic opera in two acts, exploring hopes and dreams of the human hive through the lives of bees. Locales are a bee hive inside a tv sudio where Queen Bee for a Day is to be chosen. Candidates include Queen Liz the First, Blues Queen, African Rain Queen, Cyber Queen and Wannabe Queen. A ballad opera with 48 sections, titles include "Heat My Honey" blues, and a death song by the chief drone titled "Buzz Off". Countersue Bee is the capitalist entrepreneur who advocates condominium hives and selling bees to the Pentagon for sniffing out bombs at airports. Libretto is by Sorrel Hays, Denise Duhamel, Gertrude Stein, Maureen Seaton and Eamon Grennan.
Year composed: 2003
Duration: 02:00:80
Ensemble type: Opera/Theater:Opera, More than One Act, with Chorus
Instrumentation: 1 Flute, 1 Clarinet, 1 Bassoon, 1 Trumpet, 1 Percussion (General), 1 Piano, 1 Violin, 1 Double bass, 5 Soprano, 1 Mezzo-Soprano, 1 Tenor, 2 Baritone, 2 S, 2 A, 2 T, 2 B
Instrumentation notes: Bee buzz/hum sound is added from television monitor showing bees at work.