The Delta King's Blues
- lbremer14
- Oct 31, 2022
- 2 min read
Music by: Damien Geter
Libretto by: Jarrod Lee
Duration: 45 mins - 60 mins
Commissioned by: IN Series
Premiere: November 2025
Robert Johnson, the future Delta King of Blues, runs with embarrassment after a
failed attempt to impress Willie, Son and Virginia with his playing of a steel stringed guitar named Stella. Robert seeks God’s help but with no response to his desperate plea for revenge, the Devil suddenly appears and offers Robert guitar lessons. Robert is at a crossroad and is offered a choice to leave the Devil and be a mediocre guitarist or accept the offer for the cost of his soul. With a desire to be seen and remembered, Robert accepts the Devil’s guitar lessons and returns as the best player of the steel stringed guitar.
FORCES
Characters are intended to be Black. Devil may be of any race.
Singers:
Willie - Baritone
Son - Tenor
Robert Johnson - Tenor
The Devil - Bass
Virginia - Soprano
Orchestra:
Chamber orchestra: String quartet, saxophone, bass, drums, piano, and guitar.
Project Statement:
The Delta King’s Blues plays on the traditional conflicts found in works like Faust, Little Mermaid, etc… What would you give to have something you desire? Would you make a deal with the Devil in order to experience that desire? Robert Johnson, the Delta King of Blues, supposedly made a deal with the Devil. His soul was given in exchange for the ability to play the guitar. This is often referenced in different forms of media around the subject “crossroads.” My goal is to lean into the myth while showing something we all want… a better life.
Reviews:
"Who knew that a Faustian story would work so well in an American setting? All I can say after seeing this version by Damien Geter and Jarrod Lee is: Eat your heart out, Gounod."
--Opera Today
"...an exquisite jewel....If Geter’s music is a luscious stew in which unfamiliar and sharp ingredients occasionally surface, then Librettist Jarrod Lee’s words are mounds of cornbread that allow us to soak up this meal without missing a drop."
--DC Theater Arts
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