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Lili Elbe
100
English
Synopsis
The true story of celebrated Danish painter Lili Elbe (1882-1931), one of the first people to undergo gender affirmation surgery. Married to artist Gerda Wegener, Lili began presenting as a woman in the 1920s. The central event occurs when Gerda asks her husband Einar to pose as a woman for a painting; this request awakens a profound and long-buried self-discovery in him, beginning his transformation into Lili Elbe. The opera follows her journey: moving to Paris, achieving legal recognition from the Danish king, undergoing surgeries, and finding new love. Although Lili dies from complications of a second surgery, she and Gerda declare their eternal love for one another at the end
Composer
Tobias Picker
Lyricist / Librettist / Playwright
Aryeh Lev Stollman
Year of composition/publication / premiere
2023
Genre
Opera
LGBTQAI+ category
Trans
Level of centrality
Main character
Characters
Lili Elbe (also known historically as Einar Wegener, pre-transition)
Voice type
Baritone
Pronouns
she/her
Publisher / Rights holder
Schott Music
Where to buy / access the work
The opera was available for streaming on Operavision.eu from December 8, 2023, to June 8, 2024. The score can be rented or purchased by contacting Schott Music
Performance rights
For performance rights, please contact the composer and/or publisher to ensure legal compliance.
Official website
Audio recording(s)
Video performance(s)
Keywords
Transgender opera, Lili Elbe, Tobias Picker, transgender protagonist, baritone, Lucia Lucas, Danish painter, Schott Music, 2023, gender affirmation surgery