an ending (2024)

FOR SOPRANO, MEZZO SOPRANO, MIXED ENSEMBLE, AND ELECTRONICS

Music by Samuel Beebe

Libretto by Susan Bywaters

This 13-minute darkly comedic opera for two singers follows the journey of a woman (Jane) who is given a terminal diagnosis – and only 10 minutes left to live. The second singer plays all remaining roles (Doctor, Mom, Dad, Partner). From the banality of the doctor’s office, to the panic and dismay of learning the diagnosis, to despair (and death), the piece features a large timer on-stage that counts down the Jane’s last minutes in real-time as the the piece progresses. The music plays on the comic and tragic beats of the piece with musical references and operatic tropes, such as the sudden and inexplicable death of a leading female character on stage. This is a character piece, and includes many opportunities for showcasing the talents of its performers – the comic effect of one singer playing multiple roles is enhanced by the vocal writing, which uses register and gesture to shape and differentiate contrasting characters.

"An Ending" was created following the COVID-19 pandemic, which was a jarring reminder of our own mortality. Quarantine and the possibility of sudden death gave many a new outlook on their lives, and how they have chosen to spend them; in traffic, water cooler conversations, dinner parties with friends we no longer like. This opera pokes fun at the way we all try to make meaning in our lives through reflection. As this era has taught us, death is rarely a bow tied on a perfect life; it is messy, unfinished. Even as we fought through a worldwide death toll from a disease that clutched at every death we took, we continued to watch TV, wondered if we’re gaining weight, argued about where to get the best bagels, about which highway to take when going out of town. And the best way to cope is laughter.

Abigail Whitney Smith, soprano
Heather Gallagher, mezzo soprano
Samuel Beebe, all instruments and production