Houston Grand Opera - Jake Heggie: Intelligence

Houston Grand Opera is a driving force in American opera, cultivating a spirit of innovation with premieres of important 20th-century works like Leonard Bernstein's A Quiet Place and John Adams' Nixon in China. This tradition continues with the debut recording on their own record label-Jake Heggie's Intelligence. This epic work was commissioned by Houston Grand Opera and is the company's 75th premiere, building on it's legacy and commitment to the future of opera with a thrilling new recording. Intelligence explores the little-known story of two heroic women spies during the American Civil War: Elizabeth Van Lew, a privileged white woman; and Mary Jane Bowser, a black woman born into slavery in the Van Lew household. Composer Jake Heggie, librettist Gene Scheer and director/choreographer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar join creative forces to transform this unique true story into a musical masterpiece. The opera features an all-star cast led by soprano Janai Brugger as Mary Jane Bowser, mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton as Elizabeth Van Lew and mezzo-soprano J'Nai Bridges as Lucinda. These awardwinning artists create a riveting performance, capturing the nuance and suspense of Heggie's acclaimed new opera in this exciting launch of Houston Grand Opera's record label.

Track List:

Disc: 1

1. Intelligence-Act 1. Scene 1. the Van Lew Mansion
2. Intelligence-Act 1. Scene 1. Help Me!
3. Intelligence-Act 1. Scene 1. Round and Round
4. Intelligence-Act 1. Scene 1. Intelligence
5. Intelligence-Act 1. Scene 1. Aria. Just One Step
6. Intelligence-Act 1. Scene 2. the Confederate White House
7. Intelligence-Act 1. Scene 2. Pantomime
8. Intelligence-Act 1. Scene 3. What Did I Marry Into?
9. Intelligence-Act 1. Scene 3. Aria. Look Me in the Eye
10. Intelligence-Act 1. Scene 4. in Town
11. Intelligence-Act 1. Scene 5. the Journal
12. Intelligence-Act 1. Scene 5. Aria. Why Risk Everything for This?
13. Intelligence-Act 1. Scene 5. What's Gonna Happen Now?
14. Intelligence-Act 1. Scene 6. Fire!

Disc: 2

1. Intelligence-Act 2. Scene 1. What Is in the Ashes?
2. Intelligence-Act 2. Scene 2. Surviving Is All I've Ever Known
3. Intelligence-Act 2. Scene 2. Duet. Traitors
4. Intelligence-Act 2. Scene 3. It Cannot Be True
5. Intelligence-Act 2. Scene 3. Ancestral Dance
6. Intelligence-Act 2. Scene 4. Midnight Outside the Van Lew Mansion
7. Intelligence-Act 2. Scene 4. None So Wronged As Mary Jane
8. Intelligence-Act 2. Scene 4. Duet. Chained to You Forever
9. Intelligence-Act 2. Scene 5. in Elizabeth's Rooms
10. Intelligence-Act 2. Scene 5. the Slave Auction
11. Intelligence-Act 2. Scene 5. My Momma's Eyes