Heggie: Dead Man Walking (Live recording of 2000 world premiere production) at Music Hills.com

Music CD 1

Prelude - Patrick Summers
Prologue - Patrick Summers
Act One, Scene 1. Hope House: 'He Will Gather Us Around'
Act One, Scene 2. The Drive To Angola State Prison: 'Be Careful,' People Have Always Told Me.
Act One, Scene 2. The Drive To Angola State Prison: Aria: This Journey. This Journey To Christ.
Act One, Scene 3. Outside Of Angola State Penitentiary: Sister Helen? I've Been Waiting For You.
Act One, Scene 4. Father Grenville's Office: Some Of Them Didn't Look So Bad.
Act One, Scene 4. Father Grenville's Office: I Don't Like That Man.
Act One, Scene 5. The Walk Through Death Row: Woman On The Tier!
Act One, Scene 6. The Death Row Visiting Room: Thank You.
Act One, Scene 6. The Death Row Visiting Room: Aria: A Warm Night.
Act One, Scene 7. The Pardon Board Meeting: The Defendant's Mother, Mrs. Patrick De Rocher. - Frederica Von Stade
Act One, Scene 8. The Parking Lot Outside The Courthouse: Its A Good Sign When They Take So Long.
Act One, Scene 8. The Parking Lot Outside The Courthouse: You Don't Know What It's Like To Bear A Child.
Act One, Scene 8. The Parking Lot Outside The Courthouse: It's The Decision Of This Pardon Board
Act One, Scene 9. The Death Row Visiting Room/Scene 10. The Waiting Room: Guess Your Nun Ain't Comin' Back, De Rocher./Excuse Me. Do You Have Any Change?
Act One, Scene 10. The Waiting Room: 'He Will Gather Us Around'

Music CD 2

Prelude - Patrick Summers
Act Two, Scene 1. Joseph's Cell: 31...32...33... - John Packard
Act Two, Scene 2. Sister Helen's Bedroom: Oh!... Now And At The Hour Of Our Death. Amen.
Act Two, Scene 2. Sister Helen's Bedroom: Duet/Scene 3, Joseph's Cell. August 4 In The Evening: Sometimes Forgiveness Is In The Smallest Gesture./Well? Well?
Act Two, Scene 3. Joseph's Cell. August 4 In The Evening: What Time Is It?
Act Two, Scene 4. The Visiting Room: Wow! Those New Ford Mustangs Are So Cool.
Act Two, Scene 4. The Visiting Room: Aria: Dont' Say A Word.
Act Two, Scene 4. The Visiting Room: Who Will Walk With Me?
Act Two, Scene 5. Outside The Death House: Good Evening.
Act Two, Scene 5. Outside The Death House: Duet: I've Said Some Harsh Things.
Act Two, Scene 6. Joseph's Holding Cell: You're A Regular Illustrated Man, De Rocher. - David Okerlund
Act Two, Scene 7. The Confession: How Much Longer? How Much More Time?
Act Two, Scene 7. The Confession: We'd Been Drinkin' And Smokin' Weed At The Road House.
Act Two, Scene 8. The Execution: Dead Man Walking!
Act Two, Scene 8. The Execution: 'He Will Gather Us Around.'
Applause

Music reviews of Heggie: Dead Man Walking (Live recording of 2000 world premiere production)

Music Review: It Could Have Been More
Rating: 3 Stars

So why only three stars? I think the problem rests with the libretto. This opera continues the deplorable late 20th century trend in opera toward sung play. As opera houses move toward commissioning playwrites such as McNally and William Hoffman as librettists the things that distiguish the particular art of the librettist are dying out. This opera libretto reads like a play. While there are a few ensembles that attempt to present multiple viewpoints simulteneously, they don't compare to the great ensemble situations of a Da Ponte or Boito. And perhaps more importantly, though McNally does include soliloquies, they are in a rather straightforward prose...one that is hard to set well in music. Too many syllables and too little verbal rhythm. As a result, no matter how hard Heggie struggles (and he does a heroic job at this) the opera never bursts into song, as it obviously wants to. Some will say that this is because the opera is throughcomposed, as is the style in modern opera. While that's true, you only have to listen to the operas of Barber or Carlisle Floyd to here examples of throughcomposed opera that still retains the sense of song. Even Nixon in China manages to create a sense of song while remaining throughcomposed.

Perhaps the difference is that in the most successful contemporary opera libretti, the librettist is either the composer, or a poet. In many ways, the best choice for a modern librettist is to follow the practice of Broadway and let the dialogue be written by a playwrite, reserving the set pieces (and most operas still have set pieces, even Britten) for a poet or lyricist. Certainly, this would have helped this opera to do what opera can do best, soar.