ML Hart - Stories of the Operas / 4

*THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO*
		The fact that this opera was a stunning tour de force in its time, breaking new musical, vocal and dramatic ground, doesn't stand in the way of it still being a wonderfully entertaining work, more than 200 years later. It can be enjoyed on the surface for its story, or on any number of deeper and more complex musical levels. Figaro, the clever fellow from The Barber of Seville, is servant to Count Almaviva, now married to Rosina. Figaro and the Countess' maid, Susanna, are to be married, and the Count has given them a room of their own. Figaro says, "How wonderful," but Susanna points out that the lecherous Count has other plans for her. Figaro snarls that if the Count wants to "dance," it is he, Figaro, who will call the tune. The room is soon filled with Don Basilio, his friend Marcellina, and the youngster Cherubino who scampers in, hiding in a chair when the Count arrives. Susanna outwits them all, but the Count orders the troublesome Cherubino to enlist in the army. Later in the day, the Countess sings sadly of her lost love; then Cherubino declares his adolescent passion for her. With the Count on the verge of discovering them all together, the women dress Cherubino as a serving girl and lock him in the closet. The Count leaves to get a key, taking the Countess with him... but Susanna, hiding in the room, lets Cherubino out and he jumps out a window to make his escape. The Count and Countess return to begin the long, glorious sextet of mistaken identity and conflicting emotions that ends Act I. That evening, preparing for the wedding, Marcellina and Basilio discover that Figaro is their long-lost love child. Susanna arranges to meet the Count in the garden, but it's really a plot between the Countess and Susanna, who exchange clothes. The Count arrives to seduce "Susanna" who is really his own wife, while Susanna, dressed as the Countess, gets tangled up with Figaro - when all is revealed, the Count humbly begs forgiveness. music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte from the play by Pierre Beaumarchais (Austria, late 18th century)
A somewhat outlandish character, the librettist Lorenzo da Ponte pursued varied careers as a poet, a philosopher, a priest, and a shopkeeper, among the more reputable ones. He wrote librettos for both Mozart and Salieri, and eventually emigrated to the United States. In his position as the first Professor of Italian at Columbia University, he was instrumental in introducing Italian culture to the United States and in raising money to open the first opera house in New York City, in 1833. Susanna, disguised as the Countess, sings of her deep love for her husband, Figaro in the Act IV aria, "Deh vieni."
*A MASKED BALL*
		Love, lust, politics, prophecies, disguises, conspiracies, assasinations... all the sort of intrigue that makes opera so very much more dramatic than ordinary life. At the palace of the King of Sweden, Count Ribbing and Count Horn lead a conspiracy to depose the king. King Gustavo arrives and brushes off warnings by Anackerström (Renato) of conspiracies. When Anackerström mentions his wife, Amelia, Gustavo sings a reverie of how much he loves her, though she is married to another man. The court page, Oscar, entertains the court with a tale of a prophetess by the waterfront - and it is decided they will all go in disguise to see her. At the docks, Mam'zelle Arvidson tells the fisherman (Gustavo) that he will be killed by the next man to shake his hand. Laughing it off, Gustavo tries to get any of his courtiers to shake hands with him, but, horrified, they refuse. Just then, Renato arrives, greeting the King with a warm handshake. Gustavo reveals his identity, saying the prophecy must now be false, since it was his best friend who shook his hand. That midnight, by a desolate gallows, Gustavo and Ameila meet in secret and for the first time, declare their love for one another. Renato arrives with news that the conspirators are on their way, and to take the King to safety. Gustavo asks him to escort the lady back to town without looking at her face. But when the conspirators confront Renato and threaten to kill him unless he reveals her identity, Amelia herself draws back her hood, causing a great deal of laughter among the conspirators, who think Renato is having an assignation with his own wife. Now that he knows the truth, he threatens her life, then sings of betrayal. When the conspirators later approach him for help with their assassination plot, he is willing to help. Oscar announces a masked ball to be held, and Gustavo sings farewell to Amelia as he writes out letters sending Renato to another city. At the ball, Amelia contrives to dance with the King one last time, when Renato steps up and shoots him. The King pardons all involved, and dies, blessing his people. music by Giuseppe Verdi (Italy, mid 19th century)
Verdi was often in trouble with the censors over his operatic plots - in this one, they refused to allow the onstage depiction of the assassination of a reigning monarch. Verdi was forced to reconfigure the real-life actions at the Swedish court, setting them in colonial Boston instead. But there's a difference between a ruling Governor and an annointed King - they're different in the way they move, act, and in how people react to them. King Gustavo and Amelia at the ball, in the final scene.
*OF MICE AND MEN*
		Stark and pared-down, this is one of Carlisle Floyd's shortest operas. The story and the music move relentlessly forward, never giving the audience a moment to rest, as the tragedy builds and finally collapses in on itself. In Depression-era California, George and his friend Lennie are itinerant ranch workers looking for work. Lennie is a very large man, mentally challenged, and his inability to stay within society's expectations has led to their being fired from several jobs. A sadistic man, Curley, hires them, and they are shown into the bunk house, where they meet the kind foreman Candy, and others including Carlson, a hard man who shoots Candy's old blind dog when Candy cannot. Curley's wife, inexplicably young and beautiful, relieves her boredom of being trapped on the ranch by flirting with the men. All these factors lead to a fight between Curley and Lennie and disquiet among the ranch hands. Lennie and George dream of saving enough money to buy their own farm, and Candy joins in with their plans. In the barn, Curley's wife longs for her childhood innocence and dreams of escaping her life. Lennie, too, has dreams, and they find a connection. Lennie asks if he can stroke her hair, but his strength is beyond his comprehension, and unknowingly, he snaps her neck. Pursued by the police, Lennie hides in a junkyard, where George finds him. Realizing all dreams are finished, George reluctantly takes his gun and puts Lennie out of his misery. music by Carlisle Floyd from the novel by John Steinbeck (USA, mid 20th century)
John Steinbeck's novels convey a strong sense of the land where the stories are set. Floyd's music also helps paint that picture, echoing Steinbeck's words. Lennie and Curley's wife in the barn. Both sing of dreams that have eluded them.
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*THE PASSION OF JONATHAN WADE*
		The title refers to an older meaning of the word "passion," not the the modern interpretations of one who is feels strongly about something. In Christian theology, the Passion of Christ refers to the trials, death and resurrection of Jesus - dramatic presentations of this story are called "passion plays." While Jonathan himself doesn't rise from the dead, he is a catalyst for themes of re-birth throughout the opera. The opera opens in Columbia, South Carolina at the end of the Civil War. It is 1865, and Columbia is a blackened ruin. Colonel Jonathan Wade, a Union army officer assigned to oversee the occupation, arrives in town and is greeted by a local judge, Gibbes Townsend, who invites him to dinner and introduces Wade to his daughter Celia, a war widow. Despite parental and societal objections due to the North and South conflicts, Wade and Celia begin to fall in love. Later, at a party given by Judge Townsend as a gesture of conciliation, two guests, Lucas Wardlaw and Enoch Pratt, quarrel over the rights of newly freed slaves. Wade, a thoughtful and moral man who recognizes that neither side is "right," is caught in the verbal crossfire as guests express anti-Northern sentiments and denounce his views. In 1866, an order comes from Washington demanding that the defeated Southerners take an oath of loyalty. Judge Townsend refuses, and is therefore forced to resign. Celia, on the other hand, takes the oath and Wade openly declares his love for her. Wardlaw discovers the couple together and threatens Wade with the vengeance of a vigilante group if he pursues the relationship further. Colonel Wade appeals to Washington on Judge Townsend’s behalf but is unable to reverse the order; Townsend blames Wade, forbidding him to see Celia. Wade and Celia marry in spite of Townsend’s opposition, and the judge renounces his daughter. As a result, Wade finds his moderate position difficult to maintain. He decides to desert the army and leave Columbia with Celia. As the couple is preparing to leave town, a shot is fired from the shadows, and Jonathan dies in Celia’s arms. Each side blames the other for his death. Finally, Celia cries out they are all culpable, they are all murderers, and dreams of a time when their love might have flourished. music and libretto by Carlisle Floyd (USA, mid 20th century)
Like Tennessee Williams, like William Faulkner, composer Carlisle Floyd writes about the part of the world he knows best - the American south. His knowledge of the places and culture, his deep affection for the people and their times, are revealed not only in his texts, but are endlessly layered into his music. Judge Townsend laments the changes wrought by the Civil War.
*PETER GRIMES*
		The theme of this opera - that of the outsider, often unjustly hounded - is one that appears often in Britten's work, reflecting his experiences as a homosexual in a repressed society, and an outspoken pacifist during war time. Orchestral interludes between the acts are expressionistic depictions of the sea and the storm. Peter Grimes, a fisherman in a small borough on the English coast, gets boys from an orphanage to work for him. When the opera opens, Grimes is being questioned concerning the death of his latest apprentice. The verdict of the inquest is "accidental circumstances" which Grimes claims does not clear him and will only cause people to gossip more. On Grimes' side are the school mistress - Ellen Orford, nearly as much a loner as he is - and a former sea captain, Balstrode. They arrange for a new apprentice, but the carter refuses to take responsibility to collect the boy from the orphanage and bring him back to Grimes' mistreatment. Ellen says she will help and sets off with the carter. A storm starts to build. As people seek shelter at the tavern, Balstrode warns Grimes, suggests he should leave the town or marry Ellen and change his ways. Peter Grimes declares he cannot leave, he is rooted here; and says that marrying Ellen is what he wants, but only when he has "enough money to buy respect." As the storm grows into a gale, the people turn into a mob, incited by the more colorful and extreme personalities among them. An incoherent Grimes appears at the tavern, speaking of fate and the stars. Balstrode and the innkeeper attempt to calm the crowd down with a song, and then Ellen and the carter arrive with the boy, all soaked by the storm. Grimes immediately takes the boy off to his hut. After some time has passed, Ellen tries to talk to the boy, but is met with silence. She suspects Grimes is too rough on him, and she and Balstrode worry about Grimes' obsession with catching more fish than anyone else. The townspeople decide that "something" must be done about Peter Grimes. As Peter forces the boy to hurry to get to the boat, he slips down the face of the cliff and disappears. Grimes, half-crazed, is advised by Balstrode to take his boat out beyond sight of land and sink it. The opera ends with the town returning to "normal" as someone comments that a boat is sinking far offshore. No one makes any move to help. music by Benjamin Britten, libretto by Montagu Slater from the narrative poem "The Borough" by George Crabbe (England, mid 20th century)
The chorus plays a significant role in this opera, both as a whole, portraying the mob, and also with detailed musical and dramatic characterizations for individuals. In the original poem, because Grimes is a sadistic monster the villagers' only crime is that they fail to notice what's going on. Slater took the character/story more in the social-commentary direction by making Grimes less a criminal, more socially inept, and the villagers thus become more vicious, almost evil, persecuting him merely because he's different. For the 1945 world premiere, the chorus found the music so difficult to sing, they threatened to go on strike. One of several of Peter's interior monologues - Act II: "In dreams I've built some kindlier home... where there's no more fear and no more storm."
*RIGOLETTO*
		In the 19th century, opera was the pop music of its day, and after a premiere, the most popular tunes would be whistled and sung all over town for weeks afterwards. It is said that Verdi withheld "La donna è mobile" from the tenor and the orchestra until the last possible moment, so this popular tune would not be heard all over town before opening night. The libertine Duke of Mantua boasts of his sexual conquests while the court jester, Rigoletto, mocks the courtiers. They have discovered that Rigoletto keeps a woman at his house and decide to play a trick on him. Count Monterone curses the Duke for ruining his daughter, and when Rigoletto laughs at him, his curse is that Rigoletto too, may know a father's anguish. On the way home, Rigoletto meets an assassin-for-hire, Sparafucile, who offers his services. Rigoletto worries about the curse, for the girl at his house is actually his daughter, Gilda. The Duke has bribed Gilda's governess to let him in the house - Gilda and the Duke (pretending to be a poor student) sing of love, but are interrupted by the courtiers who kidnap Rigoletto's "lover." At the place, the Duke is thrilled with the "gift" his courtiers have brought him. Rigoletto begs the courtiers for the return of his daughter, but she bursts into the room, disheveled. As she confesses her lost honor, Rigoletto swears vengeance. Outside a tavern near the river, Rigoletto and Gilda overhear the Duke, in disguise again, as he seduces the innkeeper's sister. The innkeeper is the assassin, and Rigoletto hires him to murder the Duke, putting the body in a sack. Rigoletto leaves and Gilda continues to listen to the sister persuade her brother to kill the first person who comes to the inn in place of the Duke. Gilda, still absurdly in love, sacrifices herself in his place. Rigoletto returns but as he is about to toss the sack into the river, hears the Duke singing from the tavern. In the sack is his daughter - as she dies in his arms, Rigoletto cries out in agony, "The curse!" music by Giuseppe Verdi from the play "Le Roi s'Amuse" by Victor Hugo (Italy, mid 19th century)
Italian audiences are very involved with the performances... at The Teatro Regio in Parma, Gilda was played one night by an extremely hefty soprano. When Rigoletto started to pick up the sack with the body, he could hardly budge it. From up in the cheap seats came a voice, in the local dialect: “Mo fa ben do’ viaz!” ... [It’s better if you make two trips!] Rigoletto has been betrayed, his secret found out, and though he intends to murder his enemy, at this moment he concentrates on comforting his daughter.
*ROMEO & JULIETTE*
		Shakespeare's classic tragedy of star-crossed lovers is transferred to the operatic stage, in much the same form as the play, minus a few characters, a few scenes - an operatic version of a play is always shorter, more condensed, because the music tells much of the story, and needs time and space in the opera to do just that. At a masked ball at the Capulet palace, Juliette is presented by her father and cousin Tybalt to her suitor, Paris. She sings Je veux vivre, a joyous declaration of life. Young Montagues, also masked, crash the party. Among them is Roméo who catches a glimpse of Juliette. Later that night, Roméo hides in the garden beneath Juliette's window and they speak of love and marriage. At dawn, Roméo visits Frére Laurent and persuades him to perform the ceremony. The friar agrees, hoping that the union of Capulet and Montague will end the feud. In the street outside Capulet's house, taunting and scuffling between followers of the two families turns into a full-scale brawl when Tybalt insults Roméo's peacekeeping efforts. Roméo's closest friend, Mercutio is slain; Roméo then abandons reason and kills Tybalt. The Prince condemns those responsible and exiles Roméo. He spends the night in Juliette's room, and at dawn the lovers reluctantly bid farewell. Lord Capulet informs his daughter that she is to wed Paris. In despair, she turns to Frére Laurent for help - he gives her a sleeping potion that will make her appear dead. When she wakes, he will have arranged for Roméo to be with her. In the Capulet tomb, Roméo, not having received the explanation from Frére Laurent, finds Juliette dead. He drinks poison, and at that moment, Juliette awakens - they sing to a new life together, but the poison is all too effective. As Roméo collapses and Juliette realizes what has happened, she stabs herself with his dagger. The two die, together at last. music by Charles Gounod from the play by William Shakespeare (France, mid 19th century)
Despite some flash singing by Juliette, it is Roméo's opera, and the singers who have interpreted the role over the last century range in style from delicate, effete sounding true lyric tenors (deRezske in the 1880s) to someone robust and ballsy (Corelli, mid-20th century). The role really needs someone in the middle, which is hard to find (but these days, best bet is Alagna). Romeo and Juliette bid a morning farewell in the bedroom scene.
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