The Face On The Barroom Floor Opera

Libretto by john s.

The face on the barroom floor opera.

The story of a strange ballad poem written in 1887 which became a unusual portrait on the barroom floor in a quaint former boomtown in colorado and became the inspiration for one of the most performed modern american operas in history. He didn t speak it from memory but he did reference it often. The central city opera house association hired me to do a series of paintings and sketches of the famous mining town which they were then rejuvenating as an opera center and tourist attraction. Directed by lawrence kraman.

I have been to the teller house bar in central city colo twice and saw the painting of the face both times. The poem the place the opera 2013. The eponymous face on the barroom floor in central city colorado that inspired the one act opera by composer henry mollicone and librettist john bowman. It is a site to see and.

Butch whidden 9 10 2020 12 37 00 pm this is one of dad s favorite poems. The face on the barroom floor. With henry mollicone catherine o rourke patrick o halloran nathan milholin. Courtesy of teller house composer henry mollicone was a young man 40 years ago when the central city opera company in colorado commissioned him to write something short something.

The old maid and the thief giancarlo menotti the bmsm opera ensemble 2019 cast 1 duration. Comments about the face on the barroom floor by hugh antoine d arcy. Opera in 1 act the new documentary video the face on the barroom floor the poem the place the opera is available for viewing on youtube. The face upon the barroom floor aka the face on the floor and the face on the barroom floor is a poem originally written by the poet john henry titus in 1872.

A later version was adapted from the titus poem by hugh antoine d arcy in 1887 and first published in the new york dispatch. Commissioned by the central city opera in 1978 and produced there each year since its premiere in 78. The face on the barroom floor may be proof that art rarely makes an effective revenge.