Giants in the Earth

Giants in the Earth

Giants in the Earth

Artist(s):

South Dakota Symphony Orchestra, South Dakota Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Delta David Gier

Composer(s):

Douglas Moore
Release Date: 10-07-2026
PTC: 5187557
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Tracks

Douglas Moore (1893-1969)

Giants in the Earth (composed 1949–1950 · Revised 1963)

Disc 1

Act I

1) Prelude 1:40
2) “Not a thing in sight yet, far as I can see.” 3:06
3) “Good morning, good morning!” 2:06
4) “Ja, vi elsker dette landet som det stiger frem.” (Norwegian National Anthem) 1:59
5) “So this is it! The pastures of Goshen in the land of Egypt.” (Home Founding) 2:36
6) “Oh, dear God, bless them.” 2:02
7) “What happened to Borghild?” 2:29
8) “Well, what about it Hans?” 2:24
9) “We’re not staying, we can’t, we can’t!” 2:04
10) “Heave a line!” 2:04
11) “The quiet, the quiet, the deep, deep quiet.” 2:52
12) “Mama! Mama! Look at this.” 2:20
13) “We can’t stay.” 2:29
14) “No, no, no, aren’t you afraid here?” (Home Founding Reprise) 2:48

Act II

15) “Doesn’t it feel strange with everyone gone?” 1:16
16) “What do you think they will bring us from town?” 1:45
17) “Per Hansa came to court me on Sunday afternoon.” 1:20
18) “What are these?” 1:02
19) “Coffee is ready. Let’s sit down and drink.” 0:58
20) “Is the man of the house about this place?” 1:57
21) “The stakes!” 2:05
22) “We’re home, home again!” 3:54
23) “What do you think, our last surprise of all?” 0:41
24) “She was working in the fields.” 1:17
25) “And when did you get married?” 1:12
26) “We’d better get home.” (Home Again Reprise) 0:41
27) “No, let that go for now.” 2:00
28) “You ask what you have done?” 1:58
29) “Who do you say these belong to?” 1:46
30) “Do you see that field of green out there?” 1:04
31) “But the stakes, Per, what of the stakes?” 2:45
32) “Per, Per, can we talk to you here?” 1:51
33) “I will thank you to go now.” 2:59

Disc 2

Act III · Scene 1

1) The Wedding 0:35
2) “I now pronounce you Man and Wife.” 2:05
3) “We’re ready for the baptism next.” 3:40
4) “No, no, this evil deed shall not be done.” 1:54
5) “Take her inside.” 1:40
6) “Rain. We are going to have rain.” 0:36
7) “Why have they gone away?” 2:34
8) “God help all of us.” 3:02

Act III · Scene 2

9) Prelude 0:59
10) “Where go the sheep?” 1:40
11) “Forget it, Henry. Nobody can go out there tonight.” 1:45
12) “Stop it! How can you be brawling now?” 3:02
13) “What can you hear in a storm?” 1:39
14) “Beret, stop it. Do you hear me?” 2:34
15) “I remember the day that we came here.” 1:50
16) “May God go with you, Per.” 2:35
Total Tracks 49
Total Duration 01hr 37min

Album information

WORLD PREMIERE RECORDING OF DOUGLAS MOORE’S EMOTIONAL MASTERPIECE

Douglas Moore’s opera Giants in the Earth receives its world premiere recording with the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra under the music direction of Delta David Gier. Set on the stark, uninhabited Dakota plains, the drama follows Beret and Per Hansa, whose deep love is tested by isolation and the harsh realities of pioneer life. Moore’s text-driven vocal lines flow with natural expression, weaving short, expressive ariosos into a seamless melodic tapestry. Central to the story, Beret’s ornate Norwegian chest serves as altar, refuge, and symbol of home, underscoring the opera’s themes of memory, tradition, and human longing.

Moore’s tonal score contrasts strength and fragility through vocal ranges, building tension toward Beret’s fateful choices amid blizzards and loss. Every nuance is vividly realised, from intimate lyrical passages to the opera’s devastating climax. This landmark recording illuminates the emotional intensity, psychological depth, and lyrical beauty of a work long awaited in full, making it an essential addition for lovers of American opera. The South Dakota Symphony Orchestra excavated, engraved and revived the opera in Sioux Falls on April 26, 2025.

Released physically as a 2-disc clamshell and digitally on all platforms.