Four Ten-Minute Operas
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Jonathan Sheffer composer & conductor
Navona Records is pleased to present FOUR TEN-MINUTE OPERAS from composer Jonathan Sheffer, a collection of works spanning a variety of themes from American history and culture. Performed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and emerging UK artists, this release offers operatic explorations into perspectives from the American Civil War, pitfalls of dating in the digital age, religious commentary in the face of tragedy, and a dramatic retelling of a fatal baseball pitch. Conducted by Sheffer himself, each of these 10-minute operas tells an engaging tale that’s sure to strike a chord.
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Track Listing & Credits
| # | Title | Composer | Performer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Camera Obscura | Jonathan Sheffer; Text by Robert Patrick | Royal Scottish National Orchestra | Jonathan Sheffer, conductor; Milly Forrest, soprano; Alexandria Moon, mezzo soprano; Glen Cunningham, tenor; James Quilligan Lyric, baritone | 11:53 |
| 02 | HBP | Jonathan Sheffer; Text by Robert McDonough | Royal Scottish National Orchestra | Jonathan Sheffer, conductor; Milly Forrest, soprano; Marcus Swietlicki, tenor; James Quilligan Lyric, baritone | 7:35 |
| 03 | Owl Creek Bridge | Jonathan Sheffer; Text by Jonathan Sheffer, adapted from the story by Ambrose Bierce | Royal Scottish National Orchestra | Jonathan Sheffer, conductor; Milly Forrest, soprano; Marcus Swietlicki, tenor; Glen Cunningham, tenor; Daniel Barrett, baritone; Adam Maxey, bass baritone | 9:58 |
| 04 | The Pat & Jerry Show | Jonathan Sheffer; Text adapted from a broadcast of The 700 Club | Royal Scottish National Orchestra | Jonathan Sheffer, conductor; Daniel Barrett, baritone; Adam Maxey, bass baritone | 7:50 |
Recorded September 15, 2023 at RSNO Center in Glasgow, United Kingdom
Recording Session Producer Jan Košulič
Recording Session Engineer Hedd Morfett-Jones
Editing & Mixing Jan Košulič
Mastering Melanie Montgomery
Executive Producer Bob Lord, Jonathan Sheffer
VP of A&R Brandon MacNeil
VP of Production Jan Košulič
Audio Director Lucas Paquette
Production Manager Martina Watzková
Production Assistant Adam Lysák
VP, Design & Marketing Brett Picknell
Art Director Ryan Harrison
Design Edward A. Fleming
Publicity Aidan Curran
Artist Information
Jonathan Sheffer
Jonathan Sheffer is a Grammy-nominated composer and conductor whose diverse career in music spans the worlds of classical, opera, dance, and film and television. Born in New York City, Sheffer graduated from Harvard University, where his teachers included Leonard Bernstein, and later attended The Juilliard Extension School and the Aspen School of Music. Sheffer’s range of works comprises television and feature film scores, works for orchestra, solo piano, concertos, musicals, and short operas. In addition to several scores for Hollywood films, including Encino Man, Pure Luck, A Shallow Grave and others, his most recent films include the documentaries Mann v. Ford (HBO) and the German/Israeli film, The Decent One, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival.
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Formed in 1891 as the Scottish Orchestra, the company became the Scottish National Orchestra in 1950, and was awarded Royal Patronage in 1977. Throughout its history, the Orchestra has played an integral part in Scotland’s musical life, including performing at the opening ceremony of the Scottish Parliament building in 2004. Many renowned conductors have contributed to its success, including George Szell, Sir John Barbirolli, Walter Susskind, Sir Alexander Gibson, Neeme Järvi, Walter Weller, Alexander Lazarev and Stéphane Denève.
Notes
Jonathan Sheffer at recording session
Recording session engineer Hedd Morfett-Jones at session
Jonathan Sheffer conducting the Royal Scottish National Orchestra
