Work of the Week – Tobias Picker: Lili Elbe

The newly renovated Theater St. Gallen opens with the world premiere of the world's first major opera about a person who is transgender. Lili Elbe is the latest work by Grammy Award winner Tobias Picker and his librettist Aryeh Lev Stollman, commissioned by Konzert und Theater St. Gallen. The opera features a production by Krystian Lada, with musical direction by Modestas Pitrenas. American transgender baritone Lucia Lucas will embody the title role of Lili Elbe. 

Lili Elbe is an opera in two acts based on the life of Lili Elbe (1882-1931), who before her gender reassignment was known as the celebrated Danish landscape painter Einar Wegener. Lili was happily married to Gerda Wegener (1886-1940), who in turn was an important artist and portraitist and is now considered a Danish pioneer in the Art Deco style. The story became known to an international audience through the film The Danish Girl, based on the novel of the same name by David Ebershoff.

Lili Elbe by Tobias Picker: the first major opera about a transgender person

One of the first people to undergo gender reassignment surgery, Lili endures the terrible pain and dangers of the rather limited and experimental medicine of her time and eventually dies from complications after a second operation. Although Lili and Gerda have intermittent romantic relationships with others during their marriage, in the end they declare their great and everlasting love for each other, a love that, despite all the vagaries, has not changed.

This Opera is my most transcendental work. Musically, it is different from anything I have written. It is about the eternity of the earth,the eternal beauty of the earth, about rebirth and the continuation of life. (Tobias Picker)

After the premiere, the opera Lili Elbe will be presented at the Theater St. Gallen in six further performances until December 03, 2023.
 

Links:

Tobias Picker: Composer Profile

Lili Elbe: Work Details and Online Score

Website Theater St. Gallen

 
Illustration: Painting of Lili Elbe by Gerada Wegener