War letters inspire new Heggie work

Letters written during World War II to the yet-to-be-born mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade by her father -- who would not survive the war -- form the basis of a new work by American composer Jake Heggie. “Winter Roses,” a 25-minute song cycle, is scheduled to receive its world premiere by Von Stade and the chamber music ensemble Camerata Pacifica, which commissioned it, Oct. 9 in Santa Barbara. Performances will follow Oct. 10 in Thousand Oaks and Oct 19 in San Marino.

Von Stade was an early champion of Heggie, who has written for her several times. The role of Joseph de Rocher’s mother in the opera “Dead Man Walking”; the title character in “Anna Madrigal Remembers,” a commission by the vocal group Chanticleer based on a text by “Tales of the City” author Armistead Maupin; and the song cycle “Paper Wings” were all composed by him.

In 1998, American composer Richard Danielpour based a song cycle for Von Stade and baritone Thomas Hampson, “Elegies,” on about 100 letters written by her father to her mother. The mezzo was born six weeks after her father, Lt. Charles von Stade, was killed in Germany when his Jeep ran over a landmine in the spring of 1945.

-- C.P.