“You must keep your promise and give me your child” – from the libretto of the new opera Rumpelstiltskin by Marti Epstein

Classical Archives members can listen to a complete performance of Rumpelstiltskin in our streaming library.

Rumpelstiltskin, a new opera composed by Marti Epstein is a remarkable work on many levels. In the classic folk tale as presented by the Grimm brothers, Rumpelstiltskin was an evil schemer who tricked a woman into giving him her firstborn child in exchange for gold that he spun. In the new opera Rumpelstiltskin by the contemporary composer Marti Epstein, the elements of that old story are still present. But Epstein’s Rumpelstiltskin becomes a far deeper meditation on what means to long for a child, on the nature of love, on what it means to make a promise, and much more.

These deeper resonances come to emotional life in the altogether extraordinary performance by Aliana de la Guardia, thankfully available in a new recording from Navona Records.

How did Ms. de la Guardia breathe such emotion into such an enigmatic character? In this recent interview with Barry Lenson of Classical Archives she explains. And she also talks about Guerilla Opera, the company that she founded, and discusses future plans for this remarkable young ensemble.

Marti Epstein, composer of Rumpelstiltskin