Music by Leah Reid and libretto by Leah Reid, adapted from poetry by Gertrude Stein

Cranberries is a micro-opera for 2 sopranos, baritone, percussion, and electronics, that explores food preparation, cooking, kitchen sounds, and the rhythms, ideas, and themes present in Gertrude Stein’s Cranberries from “Tender Buttons.”

Composers: Leah Reid

Libretto: Leah Reid, adapted from poetry by Gertrude Stein

Duration: 11min

Instrumentation: sop, bari, cl, sax, perc

Director: Brenda Huggins

Premiere: 2020

Status: Active, Available for residency and further development.

ABOUT THE OPERA

Cranberries is a micro-opera for 2 sopranos, baritone, percussion, and electronics, that explores food preparation, cooking, kitchen sounds, and the rhythms, ideas, and themes present in Gertrude Stein’s Cranberries from “Tender Buttons.” Through 14 sections, the work leads the listener through a memory or dream of an accelerated Thanksgiving Day. Sections alternate between phonetic textures, onomatopoeia, vocal imitations of kitchen/cooking sounds, various singing styles, and stanzas of Stein’s text.

The piece begins with morning preparations—birds chirp and vegetables are prepped. Problems arise with the gas stove, which is resolved. Food begins to sizzle and bubble, water boils, kettles whistle, vegetables are cut, chopped, and grated, as time accelerates and ticks by. Food is seasoned and the turkey browns. Alarms are set off, but the turkey is moist and cooked to perfection. Champagne is uncorked and drinks are poured as guests arrive and begin mingling and eating appetizers. The table is set, thanks, prayers, and toasts are given, and dinner is served. Coffee is ground, milk is frothed, and the pie is made. Dessert is plated and whipped cream is shaken and served. The evening finishes with guests saying goodnight as the hosts clean up.

ABOUT THE COMPOSER

Dr. Leah Reid is a composer of acoustic and electroacoustic music. Her primary research interests involve the perception, modeling, and compositional applications of timbre. In her works, timbre acts as a catalyst for exploring new soundscapes, time, space, perception, and color.

In recent reviews, Reid’s works have been described as “immersive,” “haunting,” and “shimmering”. She has received numerous awards and honors, including the American Prize in Composition—Vocal Chamber Music Division for her pieces Apple and Single Fish, first prizes in the 8th KLANG! International Electroacoustic Composition Competition for her piece Reverie, the Tesselat Electronic Music Competition for Sk(etch), the Franz Schubert Conservatory International Composer Competition for Apple, second prizes in the Iannis Xenakis International Electronic Music Competition and the 13th International Destellos Competition for Reverie, the Film Score Award for Ring, Resonate, Resound in Frame Dance Productions’ Music Composition Competition, the International Alliance for Women in Music’s Pauline Oliveros Award for her piece Pressure, and Honorable Mentions in Classic Pure Vienna International Music Competition and WOCMAT’s 2018 NCTU International Phil Winsor Computer Music Competition. She has also received fellowships from the Guerilla Opera Company, the MacDowell Colony, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA), the Ucross Foundation, and the Hambidge Center. Her works are published with Ablaze Records, New Focus Recordings, Parma Recordings, RMN Classical, and BabelScores. (Leah Reid - Home (leahreidmusic.com)