Puts: Silent Night / Lewis, Minnesota Opera

$14.99
Label
Naxos
Release Date
November 12, 2021
Format
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    Featuring ⌄
    • COMPOSER
      PUTS, KEVIN
    • ORCHESTRA / ENSEMBLE
      Minnesota Opera Chorus & Orchestra
    • PERFORMER
      Lewis
    Product Details ⌄
    • RELEASE DATE
      November 12, 2021
    • UPC
      730099905077
    • CATALOG NUMBER
      8669050-51
    • LABEL
      Naxos
    • NUMBER OF DISCS
      2
    • GENRE
      Classical
    Works ⌄

    1. Act I Prologue: Ogni notte (Anna, Nikolaus, German General, German Soldiers)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Chorus, Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Karin Wolverton, Miles Mykkanen, Matthew Opitz

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    2. Act I Prologue: Jonathan! (Palmer, Jonathan, William, Scottish Soldiers)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Chorus, Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Troy Cook, Christian Sanders, Charles Eaton

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    3. Act I Prologue: Ne pars pas si tu (Madeleine, Audebert, French Soldiers)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Chorus, Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Danielle Beckvermit, Edward Parks

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    4. Act I Prologue: One more week here in Glasgow (William, Jonathan, Palmer, Nikolaus, Audebert, Scottish, German and French Soldiers)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Chorus, Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Charles Eaton, Christian Sanders, Troy Cook, Miles Mykkanen, Edward Parks

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    5. Act I Scene 1: Come on, brother (Jonathan, William)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Christian Sanders, Charles Eaton

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    6. Act I Scene 2A: How many? (Gordon, Palmer, Jonathan, A Scottish Soldier)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Chorus, Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Christian Thurston, Troy Cook, Christian Sanders

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    7. Act I Scene 2B: Combien? (Audebert, A French Soldier, French General, Ponchel)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Chorus, Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Edward Parks, William Clay Thompson, Andrew Wilkowske

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    8. Act I Scene 2B: Blessés: Grabert, Pierre (Audebert)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Edward Parks

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    9. Act I Scene 2C: Sleep… (Scottish, French and German Soldiers)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Chorus, Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    10. Act I Scene 2C: Anna, meine Anna (Nikolaus)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Miles Mykkanen

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    11. Act I Scene 2C: Interlude: Night Becomes Day

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    12. Act I Scene 3A: Christbäume (Horstmayer, Nikolaus, A German Sentry, A German Soldier)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Chorus, Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Joshua Jeremiah, Miles Mykkanen, Clark Weyrauch

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    13. Act I Scene 3B: Regardez ça (French Soldiers, Ponchel, Audebert)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Chorus, Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Andrew Wilkowske, Edward Parks

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    14. Act I Scene 3C: Mother, William and I have received your package (Jonathan, Palmer)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Christian Sanders, Troy Cook

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    15. Act I Scene 4: Per una notte sola! (Anna, Nikolaus, Kronprinz)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Karin Wolverton, Miles Mykkanen, Stephen Martin

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    16. Act I Scene 4: Komm, Frühling! (Anna, Nikolaus)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Karin Wolverton, Miles Mykkanen

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    17. Act I Scene 4: Sieht aus wie der Balkon, auf dem wir uns begegnet sind (Anna, Nikolaus)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Karin Wolverton, Miles Mykkanen

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    18. Act I Scene 5: And where did you find that?! (Palmer, A Scottish Soldier)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Chorus, Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Troy Cook

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    19. Act I Scene 5: Many the miles I have travel'd (Palmer, Gordon, Ponchel, Horstmayer, Nikolaus, Scottish Soldiers)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Chorus, Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Troy Cook, Christian Thurston, Andrew Wilkowske, Joshua Jeremiah, Miles Mykkanen

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    20. Act I Scene 5: Hab Freude im Herzen, O Christenheit! (Nikolaus, Ponchel, Gordon, Palmer, Horstmayer, French Sentry, Audebert, Scottish Soldiers)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Chorus, Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Miles Mykkanen, Andrew Wilkowske, Christian Thurston, Troy Cook, Joshua Jeremiah, Edward Parks

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    21. Act I Scene 5: Dormi, Jesu! (Nikolaus, Horstmayer, French Soldiers, Gordon, Scottish Soldiers, German Soldiers, Ponchel, Audebert)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Chorus, Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Miles Mykkanen, Joshua Jeremiah, Christian Thurston, Andrew Wilkowske, Edward Parks

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    22. Act I Scene 5: Gentlemen… (Gordon, Nikolaus, Audebert, Horstmayer, Ponchel, German, Scottish and French Soldiers, Palmer, Anna)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Chorus, Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Christian Thurston, Miles Mykkanen, Edward Parks, Joshua Jeremiah, Andrew Wilkowske, Troy Cook, Karin Wolverton

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    23. Act I Scene 5: I can still hear you… (Jonathan, A German Soldier, Palmer, Gordon, Nikolaus, Audebert, Horstmayer, Ponchel, Scottish Soldiers)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Chorus, Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Christian Sanders, Troy Cook, Christian Thurston, Miles Mykkanen, Edward Parks, Joshua Jeremiah, Andrew Wilkowske

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    24. Act I Scene 5: Dona nobis pacem (Anna, Palmer)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Karin Wolverton, Troy Cook

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    25. Act II Scene 1: Interlude - Was soll das? (German Soldiers, Gordon, Palmer, Horstmayer, Audebert)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Chorus, Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Christian Thurston, Troy Cook, Joshua Jeremiah, Edward Parks

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    26. Act II Scene 1: Well, here we are (Gordon, Horstmayer, Audebert, Ponchel)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Christian Thurston, Joshua Jeremiah, Edward Parks, Andrew Wilkowske

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    27. Act II Scene 2: Interlude: Burying the Dead

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    28. Act II Scene 2: Irgendwo, irgendwann (Anna)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Karin Wolverton

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    29. Act II Scene 3: Despicable! (British Major, Kronprinz, French General)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Nicholas Davis, Stephen Martin, William Clay Thompson

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    30. Act II Scene 3: Well, I'm afraid that's it (Gordon, Horstmayer, Audebert)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Christian Thurston, Joshua Jeremiah, Edward Parks

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    31. Act II Scene 4: Ich erhielt gerade Nachricht (Horstmayer, Anna, Nikolaus)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Joshua Jeremiah, Karin Wolverton, Miles Mykkanen

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    32. Act II Scene 4: Nous demandons (Anna, Nikolaus, Audebert, Ponchel)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Karin Wolverton, Miles Mykkanen, Edward Parks, Andrew Wilkowske

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    33. Act II Scene 4: It was the most amazing thing (Scottish, German and French Soldiers, Jonathan, Audebert)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Chorus, Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Christian Sanders, Edward Parks

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    34. Act II Scene 5: I don't have to tell you (British Major, Palmer)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Nicholas Davis, Troy Cook

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    35. Act II Scene 5: Ponchel. Que s'est-il passé? (Audebert, Ponchel)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Edward Parks, Andrew Wilkowske

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    36. Act II Scene 5: Make me a channel of Your peace (Palmer)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Troy Cook

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    37. Act II Scene 5: Si vous êtes venu me faire la morale… (Audebert, French General)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Edward Parks, William Clay Thompson

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis

    38. Act II Scene 5: In zwei Tagen (Kronprinz, Horstmayer, A French Soldier, A German Soldier, A Scottish Soldier)

      Composer: Kevin Puts

      Ensemble: Minnesota Opera Chorus, Minnesota Opera Orchestra

      Performer: Stephen Martin, Joshua Jeremiah

      Conductor: Courtney Lewis


Kevin Puts is one of America’s most exciting and important composers. His first opera, Silent Night, with a libretto by Mark Campbell, was commissioned by Minnesota Opera. It premiered in 2011 and went on to win the Pulitzer Prize. A work profound and sweeping emotional power, it has since entered the modern operatic repertoire with remarkable speed, enjoying world-wide performances. The opera is based on Christian Carion’s screen-play for the 2005 French war film Joyeux Noël, and its fictionalized subject is the series of Christmas truces on the Western Front in 1914.

REVIEWS:

American composer Kevin Puts’ first opera, Silent Night, with a libretto by Mark Campbell, was commissioned by Minnesota Opera, the house where this live recording was made. The opera's subject is the Christmas truce on the Western Front in 1914.

Various languages are used in the opera, German, French, English, Italian, and even Latin.

Puts and Campbell have packed the serious theme into a complex score, very colorful and modern in style, with painfully dissonant and wonderfully lyrical moments. Overall, the opera is good for an impressive musical experience, though the question is whether the visuals of the theatrical experience are missing from the audio recording. On the other hand, with just the audio there is more focus on the music, and it is, after all, quite expressive and convincingly performed in this live recording.

-- Pizzicato

As we have already heard in his orchestral works, Puts is a highly compelling and innovative orchestrator, and here he is equally compelling in the field of opera where he works within the conventions of solos, duets and choruses. They are then brought together by the British-born conductor, Courtney Lewis. It is not the type of story you can enjoy, but the opera, which takes two hours, must rank amongst the most outstanding staged in recent times. Add to this the ideally balanced recording, and it becomes self-recommending. The twin disc comes with English. This, and the slim two disc jewel case with notes on the artists, is then presented in a cardboard box.

– David's Review Corner (David Denton)