Gregg Kallor on Frankenstein

Gregg Kallor, composer and librettist of Frankenstein, shares his thoughts on Mary Shelley's iconic novel, how he approached writing the opera, and what he wants audiences to gain from it.

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Arizona Opera’s eagerly-awaited third World Premiere, based on Mary Shelley’s iconic novel by the same name, comes to the stage to open the 2023/24 Season in the McDougall RED Series. With a riveting, cinematic score and libretto by Gregg Kallor, the living, feeling Creature is brought to life only to be forsaken by its creator, Victor Frankenstein. Embracing Shelley’s original text, Frankenstein gives poignant voice to The Creature’s struggle and lays bare the horror of alienation and “otherness” with exquisite nuance. At the core of this heartbreaking tale lies an exquisitely wrought plea to look deeper within ourselves to find our commonality and to uphold our responsibility to one another.

Frankenstein was workshopped at Arizona Opera in Phoenix in December 2022 to great success. It follows Arizona Opera’s first two gripping World Premieres, Riders of the Purple Sage and The Copper Queen Film, the latter of which was released in fall 2021 as a feature-length film. As stewards of the 400-plus year art form, Arizona Opera thrives on re-imagining its productions, commissioning new operas, and supporting up-and-coming artists.

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Learn more at azopera.org/frankenstein