John Steinmetz (b. 1951) grew up in Oakland, California, attended the California Institute of the Arts and was swept into Los Angeles' freelance whirlpool as a bassoonist and composer. He now teaches at UCLA and lives in Altadena. He wrote about this composition: “Many operas start optimistically but this piece imagines the opposite trajectory, beginning in pessimism or depression and working toward a happy ending... The five movements of the Suite might be scenes or musical numbers drawn from a longer opera... Whether it’s a drama between people or a struggle within a single person are questions for the audience’s imagination.”

The movement titles are 

1. Aria
2. Dance
3. Recitative
4. Aria
5. Apotheosis

                                                                                    
photo © 2010 Charlotte Castro