Welcome to the Voice

The bilingual opera (french and english) "Welcome to the Voice" is an original story and libretto by Muriel Teodori with music composed by Steve Nieve. A first draft was given a workshop performance at the Atlantic Bell Jazz Festival in 2000. The performance cast was Elvis Costello, Ron Sexsmith, John Flansburg and students of the Julliard School of Music. Musicians were Brodsky Quartet, Steve Nieve, and Ned Rothenberg. Following this exploratory first attempt, "Welcome to the Voice" was expanded and in 2007 a studio recording of the work, produced by Nieve/Teodori was released by Deutsch Grammophon.

The story concerns a greek immigrant steelworker Dionysos, who discovers the music of classical opera. It becomes an obsession, when he falls in love with the voice of a young opera singer. His workmates try to persuade him to return to work, but he is determined to live on the steps of the opera house, and meet the woman whose voice has enraptured him. In the night he is visited by ghosts of opera's past Carmen, Butterfly, and Norma. They tell him he is too much like a character from an opera, that he should kill himself to join them in opera heaven. Dionysos, is not convinced by them. The following morning he sees the Opera Singer in the street, she is shopping for some rare perfume. He cannot stop himself to grab her arm. He tries to embrace her. The police stop him, and want to make an example of him.