Transgenderism has been attracting considerable attention as of late, and regrettably, for all the wrong reasons. Although debuted in Switzerland in 2023, Santa Fe Opera has produced the American premiere of an important and timely biographical work about the life of a male-to-female transgender who was among the earliest to receive gender reassignment surgeries, in the late 1920s.

Tobias Picker had sought a topic for an opera with a transsexual theme and was leaning toward the tragic 1969 events at the Stonewall Inn in New York, until he came across the historical records of Lili Elbe. In concert with librettist Aryeh Lev Stollman they developed the opera Lili Elbe. Transgender female opera singer Lucia Lucas was selected to portray the title character but agreed only if she could also serve as dramaturg. The result is a powerful, well-crafted, tonal opera bestowed with love and dignity that presents a sensitive and realistic portrait of Lili and her wife Gerda without whitewash.

Born in Denmark, Einar Wegener was a recognized landscape painter whose wife Gerda was a noted portraitist. When Gerda’s model failed to show one day, Einar donned a woman’s clothes and in posing for the painting confirmed what she had long felt – that she was a woman. So begins Einar’s transition to Lili, with full support from Gerda in concept, but not always in timing.

Although dominated by two-handed exchanges, especially Lili with Gerda and Lili with medical staff, Santa Fe’s production is big. Costume Designer Marco Piemontese’s124 costumes, many for the formally-dressed event participants, drive the stylish looks of art exhibits and fetes against an otherwise angular, blank backdrop with the appearance of a building from a de Chirico painting. However, Scenic Designer Allen Moyer’s portals serve to allow movable sets to slide onto stage, and the back partition opens up to display paintings on a wall or a gallery at a theater. The totality of the staging is spectacular in its beauty and diversity.

Another enhancement is the broad, brooding projections of Greg Emetaz against the dull canvas of the set, always fuzzy and provocative, and often carrying the anchor theme throughout the opera, that of Orpheus and Euridice. This ancient myth speaks both to change, the transition in Lili’s life, and to her never looking back, as Orpheus was commanded not to. The ambiguity of Lili’s very persona is even represented by the shifts in characterizations, whereby Lili starts as the Orpheus figure and turns into Euridice, and the opposite for Gerda.

Lili and Gerda moved from Copenhagen to Paris whose society had more liberal views. Even so, for years, Gerda insisted that while her husband could galivant as Lili during the day but must revert to Einar after twilight. Through all of her change and trauma and belief in her own womanhood, Lili assured Gerda that one thing that would never change was her love for her. Many of the most dramatic moments of the opera concern the dynamic of the couple, which becomes most intense when Lili chooses to “reveal” against Gerda’s wishes.

As in the Swiss premiere, Lili is portrayed by Lucia Lucas, and in effect, the role was written for her, even though that presents a problem. While most female transgenders develop a lighter voice than in their pre-transition life, Lucas remains a bona fide heldenbaritone, with the full range and masculine timbre of the most common male voice plus some extra notes at the low end encroaching on a bass’s domain. Her voice possesses commanding range and power throughout without a hint of vocal uncertainty. Yet, one of her signature arias “I shall take my life,” is very much about the uncertainty and instability in the life she leads

Lucas is even believed to be the only known transgender to sing a major male role with a recognized company, as she sang Don Giovanni with Tulsa Opera. Her deep, sinewy voice when in her female mode may seem incongruous to the listener, but the bigger issue is finding other transgender performers (which is a goal) who can sing a role with such a low tessitura if the opera has legs as it deserves.

Though modern in idiom, Picker’s instrumental music is tonal and appealing with a strong representation of blaring, punctuating brass. They become particularly significant in moments of conflict, when the Conductor Roberto Kalb’s orchestra turns harsh along with the singers. The strings also bask in glory. In stylish fashion, Director James Robinson moves onto stage a string quartet which appropriately plays at a formal art exhibit.

The score offers arias and other opportunities to express vocal virtuosity, though none carry tunes that an aficionado would sing in the shower. Soprano Silvia D’Eramo, who created the role of Gerda in the world premiere, displays versatility, deftly navigating the higher register but including low end, earth-shaking dramatic power that is usually associated with mezzos. Each of the other singers contributes ably and often splendidly. The chorus offers a huge, well-balanced sound and also advances the narrative, especially with the portentous “You can never be a real woman.”

The plot twists through events concerning Lili’s family, French perfumer fiancė, doctors, and more that won’t be divulged. Notably, upon petitioning and matter of factly, Lili was declared a woman under the King’s decree in conservative Denmark a century ago. Regrettably, and to be blunt, the hate-mongering, sexist/racist Trump administration instead chooses for political advantage to vilify, oppress, and illegally disempower transgenders, a tiny population, who simply seek to get on with life like everyone else. Audience response to the opera was overwhelmingly positive, though it is impossible to disentangle praise for the artistry or the underlying content.

Lili Elbe is a powerful piece of opera that acts as a realistic yet sympathetic antidote to the unreasoned attacks on transgenders. Its music and drama make for a rewarding evening.

Lili Elbe, composed by Tobias Picker with libretto by Aryeh Lev Stollman, is produced by Santa Fe Opera and plays on its stage at 301 Opera Drive, Santa Fe, NM through August 27, 2026.