UNC alum Charles Frazier’s best-selling novel, “Cold Mountain,” is coming to Chapel Hill in the form of an opera.
“Cold Mountain” tells the story of a Confederate deserter, W.P. Inman, and his journey back to his fiancée, Ada.
Originally published in 1997, “Cold Mountain” was made into a movie in 2003 and the opera premiered in 2015 in Santa Fe, N.M.
This will be the third city that “Cold Mountain” is performed in and the first time it will be performed in North Carolina.
"The music, composed by Jennifer Higdon, is very unique and beautiful," Eric Mitchko, general director of the North Carolina Opera, said.
“It’s a wonderful sound world that composer Jennifer Higdon has created," Mitchko said. "It’s a very interesting musical characterization. All the characters have different sounds. There’s a superb use of individual instruments in the orchestra to create color and underline the text.”
Performing this music doesn’t come without challenges. Melinda Whittington, who plays Ada, said that despite the lyrics being in English, it is very difficult to sing.
“It’s worth it, and it’s beautiful, but it’s really challenging,” Whittington said. “As students we study Mozart style and Puccini style … and these are styles in which our ears kind of naturally know what’s coming next. This is Jennifer’s first opera, and now I’m learning Higdon's style of music.”
Despite the unfamiliar music, this will be a story that hits home for many people, particularly for Whittington, who graduated from UNC in 2005.
