THE THREE FEATHERS

Music by LORI LAITMAN
Libretto by DANA GIOIA

The Three Feathers is a children's opera in one-act, with an approximate running time of 83 minutes.  Based on a tale by the Brothers Grimm, the opera presents a young female protagonist, Princess Dora, as its hero. A magic feathers leads the shy, self-doubting princess to an enchanted Underworld ruled by a giant Frog King. Here she summons her courage and compassion to face a series of mysterious and comic adventures that change her life. Completing her quest, she saves her father's kingdom from the plots of her selfish sisters and earns her right to the crown.

The work was commissioned by The Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech and the premiere took place in October 2014 at The Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech, in collaboration with Opera Roanoke and Blacksburg Children's Chorale. The opera was directed by Beth Greenberg and conducted by Scott Williamson. It is approximately 85 minutes in length.

Opera Steamboat presented the opera in August 2020. Solo Opera presented a full production with the San Francisco Girls Chorus on September 8-10, 2023, at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, CA.

You can view Solo Opera's production here.

To view the full premiere production online, please click here.

To view the highlights of the original production, please click here.

The Treasure Song was released on Lori’s Are Women People? CD. Click here to listen. It was also chosen for inclusion in Arias for Young Voices — Baritone Edition, published by Gehrmans musikförlag in Stockholm, Sweden.

If you’d like to hear more excerpts, please contact Lori directly.

ABRIDGED VERSIONS

(43 minutes in length)

 • Orchestra with reduced cast. Premiered at The Hartt School in January 2019, as part of a double bill with Ravel's L'enfant et les sortileges.

 • 7 voices with piano   

 • 5 voices with piano — commissioned by Seattle Opera, and toured schools in Washington state during the spring of 2018.

CAST

Princess Gilda: Coloratura soprano

Princess Tilda: Mezzo-soprano
Princess Dora: Lyric soprano
King: Baritone
The Frog Prince: Tenor/Dancer
The Frog King of the Underworld: Bass

Chamberlain: Speaking Role

Baron de Beaucoup: Tenor/Fighter
Count Siegfried von Wintersturmen: Baritone/Fighter
2 Snakes: Dancers/Hissers
Two Ministers: Tenor and Baritone (can be doubled by singers playing the Baron and Count)

Children’s Choruses of Frogs, Rats and Bats (minimum: 6 each)

Chorus of Guards, Ladies and Maids (minimum: 6)

FOR CHAMBER ORCHESTRA (approximately 21 musicians)
Flute/Piccolo; Oboe; Clarinet; Bassoon; Trumpet 1 & 2; Trombone; Timpani; Percussion; Harp; Piano; Violin 1; Violin 2; Viola; Cello; Bass

Princess Dora image by Jesse Wagner/Nathanna Design