Today is the 95th birthday of one of the most successful opera composers this country has ever produced. Carlisle Floyd was not yet 30 when he enticed Phyllis Curtin and Mack Harrell to Tallahassee to sing in the world premiere of “Susannah” in 1956. The opera takes the Apocryphal tale of Susannah and the Elders and transplants it to rural Tennessee.

Floyd wrote the libretto and music while on the piano faculty at Florida State University. The work’s success soon spread to New York, and “Susannah” became one of the most frequently performed of American operas. It does feature two heart-melting arias that remain favorites of aspiring American sopranos: “Ain’t It a Pretty Night” and “The Trees on the Mountain.”

The directness of the drama and the uncluttered musical language struck a chord with both performers and audiences. Emboldened by his success, Floyd went on to compose ten more operas, all of them on his own librettos, drawing inspiration from such diverse sources as Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights,” Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Markheim,” John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” and Robert Penn Warren’s “All the King’s Men.”

“Cold Sassy Tree,” based on the novel of Olive Ann Burns, was given its premiere in 2000. The composer had intended it to be his swan song. He had become too busy caring for his wife, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, to devote much further thought to composition. But following her passing, he found inspiration for one last hurrah. The result was “Prince of Players,” about 17th century actor Edward Kynaston, which was given its premiere at Houston Grand Opera in March 2016.

For a composer to have a new opera performed at the age of 90 should be an inspiration to all of us who not only care about music, but who have ever puzzled over finding meaning in our lives.

Happy birthday, Carlisle Floyd!

Dawn Upshaw breaks hearts with “Ain’t It a Pretty Night,” from “Susannah”:

Cheryl Studer sings “The Trees on the Mountain,” from a complete recording of the work:

Samuel Ramey as the Reverend Olin Blitch:

A taste of “Prince of Players” from Little Opera Theater of New York:

The 2021 Grammy-nominated recording (Best Opera Recording; Best Contemporary Classical Composition; Producer of the Year, Classical):

Carlisle Floyd speaks:

“Cold Sassy Tree”: