Lizzie Borden is the sixth and best known opera by American composer Jack Beeson, commissioned by the Ford Foundation. The libretto by Kenward Elmslie after a scenario by Richard Plant is based on the real-life case of Lizzie Borden.
It was premiered on March 25, 1965, by the New York City Opera conducted by Anton Coppola and subsequently released on record.[1] The roughly two-hour opera is in three acts and an epilogue and is published by Boosey & Hawkes.[2] [3] [4] [5]
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, March 25, 1965 (Conductor: – Anton Coppola) |
|---|---|---|
| Lizzie Borden | mezzo-soprano | Brenda Lewis |
| Margret Borden, Lizzie's sister | soprano | Anne Elgar |
| Captain Jason MacFarlane, Margret's love interest | baritone | Richard Fredricks |
| Abigail Borden, the stepmother | soprano | Ellen Faull |
| Andrew Borden. Lizzie's father | baritone | Herbert Beattie |
| Reverend Harrington | tenor | Richard Krause |
The plot is a dramatic retelling of the famed double axe murders of the stepmother and the father of the title character in Fall River, Massachusetts. However a great number of dramatic changes are made for effectiveness on the stage.