Franz Schreker's The Stigmatized - reduced orchestration

The Stigmatized at Los Angeles Opera

The US première of The Stimatized, Franz Schreker's opera about the timeless problem of people who fall victim to their obsessions, will be conducted by James Conlon at the Los Angeles Opera from 10 April (stage director: Olivier Tambosi). Conlon commissioned the American conductor and musicologist, George Stelluto, to reduce Schreker's monumental score. "The spirit of this reduction is to provide a sonic rendering as close as possible to Schreker's original expressive intentions while creating an orchestration that will make it easier - economically and logistically - for his work to receive more performances. The main challenge was to keep the richness of the textures with the reduced forces. Fortunately, he is so clear in his colouristic goals that it was almost as if he was guiding me, through the score, to make the most effective choices possible. The overall count of the reduction goes from about 130 musicians down to 70." (Stelluto)

The performances in Los Angeles will be part of the "Recovered Voices" series.

Another new production of The Stigmatized - in its original orchestration - can be heard from 14-21 Apr at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo/I. Stage director: Graham Vick. Conductor: Philippe Auguin.