Inspired by one of the earliest cases of existential analysis, Ellen West is a remarkable new opera that explores the emotional, psychological, and physical challenges of a woman struggling with perceptions of her body, her relationship with food, and the world closing in around her. Poet Frank Bidart and composer Ricky Ian Gordon examine the lives of psychiatrist Ludwig Binswanger and his patient, “Ellen West.” Bidart’s poem, which serves as the primary source for the opera’s libretto, juxtaposes the clinical observations of Binswanger with fictitious entries of Ellen’s journals, which shine light on her deeply personal struggles.
Composed by Ricky Ian Gordon
Poetry by Frank Bidart
Direction by Emma Griffin
Music direction by Lidiya Yankovskaya
Featuring Aeolus Quartet - Nicholas Tanavil, Rachel Shapiro, Caitlyn Lynch, and Alan Richardson (all AD '15, string quartet studies).