Lizzie Borden

Lizzie Borden is the sixth and best known opera by American composer Jack Beeson, commissioned by the Ford Foundation. The libretto by Kenward Elmslie after a scenario by Richard Plant is based on the real-life case of Lizzie Borden. It was premiered on March 25, 1965, by the New York City Opera conducted by Anton Coppola and subsequently released on record. The roughly two-hour opera is in three acts and an epilogue and is published by Boosey & Hawkes. Roles Synopsis The plot is a dramatic retelling of the famed double axe murders of the stepmother and the father of the title character in Fall River, Massachusetts. However a great number of dramatic changes are made for effectiveness on the stage.