#morefirsts

[ihatecountrymusic]

So Lake Erie is completely frozen. Haven't seen that before. #morefirsts #frozenerie #newyork #lakeerie #crazy (at Dunkirk, New York)

[bohemianbalfe]

Lina and I returned to London this year with our darling little girl, Louisa.  We've nicknamed her Gigia.  I also debuted my first English opera for London, The Siege of Rochelle.  It opened at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane (shown above), on October 27th.

The protagonist in this opera is Clara.  She is the secret child of Count Rosenberg and Princess Euphemia.  Clara is unaware of this.  Being brought up by Montalban, she believes she is his daughter.

Clara is in love with the Marquis de Valmour, who is a widower, with a child.  The child dies under suspicious circumstances and Clara ends up finding out that it is her father (well, the man she thinks is her father), Montalban, who is responsible for the death.

She tries to cover for Montalban and ends up making herself look guilty.  She is in the process of being punished for the crime when the truth comes out about her lineage and Montalban's crime is exposed.

My first English libretto opera was a wonderful success here.  It's a bummer you had to miss it.  I linked up a lovely copy of it for you below.  If you can read music, you'll get a feel for how lovely it is.  The libretto is also included, for your reading pleasure.  :)

(Source: Siege of Rochelle - Opera Scotland. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.operascotland.org/opera/296/Siege-of-Rochelle)

(Source: Walsh, B. (2000). Michael William Balfe: Opera singer and composer. Retrieved March 2014, from http://www.britishandirishworld.com)