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Before Night Falls

143

English

Synopsis

A powerful narrative centered on the life of Reinaldo Arenas, a gay Cuban poet, novelist, and political dissident. The opera, framed by Arenas dying of AIDS in New York in 1990, flashes back to trace his journey: escaping rural poverty to join the revolution, only to be disillusioned and imprisoned by the Castro regime for his dissident writing and homosexuality. It follows his escape during the 1980 Mariel boatlift, his life in the United States, and his ultimate suicide

Composer

Jorge Martín

Lyricist / Librettist / Playwright

Jorge Martín & Dolores M. Koch

Year of composition/publication / premiere

2005/2010

Genre

Opera

LGBTQAI+ category

Bisexual, Gay, Queer

Level of centrality

Main character

Characters

Reinaldo Arenas (Rey)

Voice type

Baritone

Pronouns

he/him

Publisher / Rights holder

The vocal score is published by Albany Records (TROY1226-27) and available for sale through their website. The copyright for the music and libretto is held by Jorge Martín

Where to buy / access the work

The opera was commercially released on CD (Catalog # TROY1226-27) and is available for purchase from Albany Records and other retailers. It is also available for streaming through various academic databases and music services

Performance rights

For performance rights, please contact the composer and/or publisher to ensure legal compliance.