Three men in a lonely lighthouse disappear without a trace. What happened? In this tightly constructed 80-minute chamber opera (inspired by a historical incident), Peter Maxwell Davies dials the suspense to the max and then keeps going. A burly all-male trio of singing actors has huge opportunities, but the orchestra—a mere dozen players—is, shall we say, beyond instrumental in creating the ever-shifting atmospherics. For an immersive frisson, the Long Beach Opera is staging the piece at the Aquarium of the Pacific. —M.G.
The Lighthouse, by Peter Maxwell Davies
Aquarium of the Pacific
100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802
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