Intimations: One Act Opera

Intimations is based on the poem by David Madden, “Fugue for Two Voices.” It is a dialogue between an old and a young woman concerning a possible murder. It can be staged, but the static character of the story favors a concert version presentation.

The first version of the work was written with the collaboration of the poet in 1975 and was presented twice at the Arts Festival of the Baton Rouge Arts and Humanities Council in July of the same year. In that version, the work appeared with the title Fugue for Two Voices and employed a shadow dancer.

Intimations was reworked in 1980 and, since then, this version has received two awards and several performances. It was premiered at Brooklyn College on February 5, 1982, as the winner of the 1981 Brooklyn College Chamber Opera Composition Contest. The piece also was awarded Outstanding Achievement at the First Midwest Chamber Opera Theatre Conference at Ohio State University. Adjudicators for this conference included Boris Goldovski, Henry Butler, and Richard Owens.