On February 13, Signum Records releases the debut recording of The First Child, the final piece in a landmark trilogy of operas by composer Donnacha Dennehy and librettist Enda Walsh.
This recording brings Dennehy and Walsh’s “high octane triumph” (The Sunday Times) to listeners at home. As Irish National Opera’s Artistic Director Fergus Sheil notes, “Donnacha Dennehy and Enda Walsh’s three operas are electrifying experiences. Together both artists lift the lid on the darker impulses of human emotions, desires and needs. […]The First Child’s hauntingly beautiful music takes us to places we don’t often go.”
“The opera is about the impact that circular forces can have on our life and on nature,” notes Dennehy. “Though it has a dystopian looping structure to it, ultimately, there is also a kind of catharsis unleashed by the power of the music.”
Produced by Irish National Opera and Landmark Productions, The First Child features a cast that includes Dean Powe, Emmett O’Hanlon, Eric Jurenas, Joan Sheehy, and Caia Leseure, alongside Crash Ensemble under the baton of Ryan McAdams.
For Dennehy, the release also continues a remarkable string of recording successes including a recent GRAMMY win for the tour-de-force Land of Winter and a forthcoming concerto album.
Along with The First Child, Dennehy and Walsh’s acclaimed trilogy of operas includes The Second Violinist and The Last Hotel, which was recorded by Crash Ensemble and Ryan McAdams in 2019.
For more information, please contact your local Wise Music Promotion Team.
