Douglas Moore
PHCD 103 is one of the most distinctive releases in the Phoenix USA catalog because it preserves a uniquely American operatic voice at a moment when the country was still defining what “American classical music” could sound like. Douglas Moore’s The Devil and Daniel Webster is not just an opera — it’s a folk drama, a hybrid form that blends spoken narration, sung lines, and orchestral storytelling into something unmistakably national in character.
The opera is described as a work where Moore and Benét aimed to create “an opera in which the unit of speech, song and instrumental music will communicate the essence of the dramatic story” . That artistic goal is exactly what makes this recording special: it captures the seamless fusion of American speech rhythms, folk‑inflected melody, and theatrical pacing that define Moore’s style
Douglas Moore’s The Devil and Daniel Webster stands as one of the most distinctive American folk operas of the 20th century, blending legend, drama, and accessible musical language into a uniquely national style. Based on Stephen Vincent Benét’s celebrated tale, the opera captures the tension between mythic storytelling and expressive musical narrative. PHCD 103 presents this compelling work in a restored archival edition that highlights Moore’s craftsmanship, his integration of speech and song, and the opera’s vivid theatrical character.
“Mr. Benet and I have classified The Devil and Daniel Webster as a folk opera because it is legendary in its musical expression… we have tried to make an opera in which the unit of speech, song and instrumental music, will communicate the essence of the dramatic story, enhance but not distort.”
Composer: Douglas Moore
Librettist: Stephen Vincent Benét
Catalog Number: PHCD 103
This Phoenix USA edition is sourced from archival materials and restored to highlight the opera’s dramatic clarity and orchestral color.
