Welcome to Project Esther!
Esther's story is celebrated every year by Jews, in the holiday of Purim. During this most festive of Jewish holidays, people exchange gifts, eat Hamantashan, wear costumes, and make noises with spinning graggers. Purm is celebrated around the world on the Hebrew calendar date of Adar 14, which is 2/28/2010, 3/20/2011, 3/8/2012, 2/24/2013 and 3/16/2014.
On Purim 2008, Valeria Girardi performed "Esther's Prayer" and "Let My People Live!" in a recital at the Beth El Synagogue Center of New Rochelle in New York.
Project Esther is an opera composition endeavour that began in June 1986 while I was in high-school. This project has led me to gain a deep respect and admiration for the works of other composers and librettists. I decided to write my opera in the style of late 19th century composers such as Puccini, Faure, Verdi, Saint-Saens, Grieg, and Rachmaninoff.
A very important person in this project is Dr. Darryl Benson, with who I have the privilege of collaborating on much of the libretto and lyrics. Dr. Benson has written and produced several musicals for Loma Linda Academy's Musical and Theater Organization, among them "A Captive's Christmas", "7 Days in San Andreas", and "The Christmas Controversy".
Our telling of this story is quite different from popular versions. Esther was a beautiful Jewish orphan who was sharp- tongued, intelligent, very resourceful, and headed for trouble. She wins a beauty contest which made her queen of Persia, and wife of king Xerxes. The Persian king kept a large harem, and several insecure power-hungry advisors. In the process, Esther loses many of her personal freedoms, and is kept in the kingdom to please King Xerxes. Prime minister Haman's rise to power and uncontrollable pride touches off a personality battle between Esther's uncle Mordecai and Haman; this in turn threatens the elimination of all Jews in Persia. It is in this context that Esther is given the chance to redeem herself and her people.
Because of my computer science background, I borrowed some software engineering development methods to compose this work. I have selected a rough outline for the story, identified key scenes, and stated objectives for each of these scenes. This process has been incredibly helpful in keeping focus on the overall structure of the work, and ensuring that each piece contributes to the story.
As of 6/11/98, there are fifteen (15) completed pieces for this project, and five (5) currently under work. Since this is really a work in progress, by "completed" I mean a piece that has a beginning, middle, and ending. Sound files of excerpts are available from these pages. The 20 pieces are:
Prelude
Overture
Eunuchs
King Xerxes' Entrance
At King Xerxes' Banquet
Vashti's Lament
An Evil Plot
Beauty contest scene <- Hear the MP3 version!
King's waltz
Haman's coronation scene
Lament of the Jews
"For such a time as this"
"Esther's Prayer" <- See a Quicktime video or listen to an MP3 version!
"If it pleases the King"
"Do it to Mordecai!"
Haman's humilliation
"Let my people live" <- See a Quicktime video or listen to an MP3 version!
Revenge of the Jews
Purim Celebration
Finale <- Here's an excerpt played by La Sierra University Sinfonia during a rehearsal session in 6/91
More information will be posted here as they are made available in electronic format.
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