Libretto:
Written by Daniel Lang Synopsis:
Opera in 3 Acts. A modern morality story in which the conscience of a nuclear physicist is put to the extreme test. Emil Roszak and his young protege, Chris Jessup, are struggling to complete the formula which will harness cosmic energy. With the taming of such enormous power, they imagine a future of flowering deserts, the total conquest of disease, and the dawn of a new era of unlimited space exploration.
Against this Utopian background, an old friend, Amory Dexter, now the Secretary of Science, visits Roszak and his wife, Margo, bearing an invitation from the President of the United States to come to Washington. There, at a meeting of the National Security Council, Roszak is asked to head a crash program utilizing his formula to develop a cosmic bomb and thus gain for the military great advantage over the "enemy." Fired by patriotic considerations, Roszak returns to his university laboratory to complete the formula for this purpose. But a series of events -- a heart attack, the death of Chris in a violent anti-war demonstration, and recurring visions of the bomb's holocaust- arouse Roszak's conscience. He sends the formula to an international science journal, allowing the world to decide its fate. Duration: ~ 1 Hour, 45 Minutes | Roles: | | Emil Roszak, world-renowned scientist in his late fifties | Baritone | | Chris Jessup, Emil's protege in his twenties | Tenor | | Julie Day, Emil's assistant and Chris' girl friend | Soprano | | Margo Roszak, Emil's wife in her early fifties | Mezzo-Soprano | | Amory Dexter, Secretary of Science, in his late fifties | Bass-Baritone | | Minor Roles combine to form Mixed Chorus | | | Small Group of Dancers | |
Premier:
1982, Florida Grand Opera | | 
|
Share