Can an opera album stand on its own as an opera? I listened to Christopher Cerrone’s 58-minute “In a Grove” while walking in Nebraska. I passed a deserted main street, barking dogs tied to porches, children learning to bike, and Trump 2024 signs, while listening to the story of a murder. Based on the Ryūnosuke Akutagawa short story of the same name, “In a Grove” unfolds in seven testimonies: seven inconsistent visions of a murder and a rape that take place in the woods.
I have not seen the live opera, which was co-commissioned by the LA Opera and Pittsburgh Opera, and premiered under the direction of Mary Birnbaum. I didn’t even see the full video version until after Cerrone and I spoke, as a kind of test for whether this new version worked as a distinct piece of art. Cerrone is a composer known for his unique way of setting literary texts to music, his lush textures, and his inventive formats. For the album, Cerrone took on the role of co-producer alongside Mike Tierney and Andrew Cyr, in a follow-up to Cerrone’s 2021 Grammy-nominated album, “The Arching Path.” I recommend listening to “In a Grove” while on a walk, to see what unexpected opera scenery and truths emerge.
Chris Cerrone talked to me over Zoom from Basel, Switzerland, where he is doing a residency at the Laurenz Haus Foundation. We talked about the adaptation process, his favorite Billie Eilish song, the influence of his wife, the writer Carrie Sun, and how he built an entire opera out of two chords. The album “In a Grove” will be released on July 7.