A Night at the Opera
Last night I took off in the drizzle with a new friend (and fellow classmate) to Lincoln Center to see Handel's Semele, performed by the New York City Opera. What a great evening!
The impetus for attending was that soprano Elizabeth Futral was singing the title role. Elizabeth sang the lead in my master's degree project, an opera called The Face on the Barroom Floor. (I paired the work with Hugo Weisgall's The Stronger for a night of barroom opera.) Her career has really gone places -- as much or more than anyone else who was in the IU School of Music during the years I was there (1985-87).
The work was labeled by Handel a "secular oratorio." (An oratorio is defined as "a muscial setting, for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra, of an extended story of religious or contemplative nature, performed in a concert hall or a church without scenery, costumes, or physical action.") Strange choice, therefore, for an opera company. The production fully acknowledges this anomaly, beginning the production on a set depicting the organ/choir loft of a concert hall -- large organ and pipes and choir risers, before a stage set simply with four chairs behind music stands. The performers enter as though in concert -- concert dress and somber looks intact.
But at the point in the story (based on Ovid's Metamorphoses) when Jupiter's presence is felt with lightning, an earthquake, and their attendant debris, the story is itself metamorphosized into the late 1950's, and Semele becomes Marilyn Monroe, Jupiter John Kennedy, and the jealous Juno (wife of Jupiter) Jackie Kennedy. The story moves on with papparazzi, secret service, and other hangers on.
The updating serves the story well, with Marilyn/Semele portrayed as beautiful but lost, looking for something more than what she has: She wants to be immortal like her lover Jupiter/JFK. Jackie/Juno is jealous, and contrives to scuttle the affair between the lovers, leaving no fingerprints. The staging was clever, hip, and rarely seemed to get in Handel's way - it served the work.
But more than any of that, the singing was beautiful. Elizabeth sang divinely - how skilled she is! I was proud to be able to say I knew her when. Mezzo Vivica Genaux, in the double role of Semele's sister and Juno also sang with a rich and flexible voice, a joy to hear. All the rest were skilled, and seemed to enjoy their roles. I entered the theater worried that three hours might be a challenge, and left wanting more.
The icing on the cake was a visit backstage to greet Elizabeth. She was gracious and charming, just as I remembered her. What a pleasure to see that the years have only deepened her skills and her character. I was honored to see her again. And my classmate was wowed by the chance to go backstage and meet the lead singer. Again, it was a great evening.
Now back to studying - but with a song in my heart!
The impetus for attending was that soprano Elizabeth Futral was singing the title role. Elizabeth sang the lead in my master's degree project, an opera called The Face on the Barroom Floor. (I paired the work with Hugo Weisgall's The Stronger for a night of barroom opera.) Her career has really gone places -- as much or more than anyone else who was in the IU School of Music during the years I was there (1985-87).
The work was labeled by Handel a "secular oratorio." (An oratorio is defined as "a muscial setting, for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra, of an extended story of religious or contemplative nature, performed in a concert hall or a church without scenery, costumes, or physical action.") Strange choice, therefore, for an opera company. The production fully acknowledges this anomaly, beginning the production on a set depicting the organ/choir loft of a concert hall -- large organ and pipes and choir risers, before a stage set simply with four chairs behind music stands. The performers enter as though in concert -- concert dress and somber looks intact.
But at the point in the story (based on Ovid's Metamorphoses) when Jupiter's presence is felt with lightning, an earthquake, and their attendant debris, the story is itself metamorphosized into the late 1950's, and Semele becomes Marilyn Monroe, Jupiter John Kennedy, and the jealous Juno (wife of Jupiter) Jackie Kennedy. The story moves on with papparazzi, secret service, and other hangers on.
The updating serves the story well, with Marilyn/Semele portrayed as beautiful but lost, looking for something more than what she has: She wants to be immortal like her lover Jupiter/JFK. Jackie/Juno is jealous, and contrives to scuttle the affair between the lovers, leaving no fingerprints. The staging was clever, hip, and rarely seemed to get in Handel's way - it served the work.
But more than any of that, the singing was beautiful. Elizabeth sang divinely - how skilled she is! I was proud to be able to say I knew her when. Mezzo Vivica Genaux, in the double role of Semele's sister and Juno also sang with a rich and flexible voice, a joy to hear. All the rest were skilled, and seemed to enjoy their roles. I entered the theater worried that three hours might be a challenge, and left wanting more.
The icing on the cake was a visit backstage to greet Elizabeth. She was gracious and charming, just as I remembered her. What a pleasure to see that the years have only deepened her skills and her character. I was honored to see her again. And my classmate was wowed by the chance to go backstage and meet the lead singer. Again, it was a great evening.
Now back to studying - but with a song in my heart!
posted by Sam | 12:50 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home