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Lakmé
By Léo Delibes
STUDY GUIDE THE STUDENT OPERA EXPERIENCE
For Students Only Dress Rehearsal
November 19, 2015 7 p.m. Jubilee Auditorium www.calgaryopera.com
Welcome to Calgary Opera’s production of Lakmé! Opera is a unique and exciting art form that combines the disciplines of music, drama, literature, dance, visual, and technical arts like no other. This guide will give you a backstage tour of all that is opera -‐ terminology, inside information on the production, the history behind the opera and the composer, as well as ideas for including opera in your classroom learning. We hope that this guide will assist you in making opera connections in fun and interesting ways as well as to use Lakmé as a point of departure for learning. Exposure to performing and fine arts helps students develop critical analysis and problem solving skills, perseverance, and a drive for excellence. The creative skills developed through the arts carry us toward new ideas, new experiences and new challenges. Plus, there’s nothing like the excitement and magic of a live professional performance! All of us at Calgary Opera are thrilled you will be attending a dress rehearsal as this is a very special opportunity! A big shout out to the teachers, for organizing students and supporting them in their opera experience! Emily Forrest Education and Outreach Coordinator Calgary Opera Phon: 403.262.7286, direct line 403.802.3404 [email protected]
Index
Part 1: Preparing for the Opera Experience
Part 2: Activities and Projects
Part 3: Lakme Resource Information
Part 4: Lakme Characters, Synopsis, Cast
Part 5: Language and History of Opera
Part One: Preparing for the Opera Experience Attending the Opera
There’s nothing more exciting than attending an opera! You’ll be a guest at the final dress rehearsal of Léo Delibes’ Lakmé. Here’s what you’ll need to know about attending the opera:
You may notice a long table with lights and people sitting behind it in the centre of the main floor of the auditorium. Seated in this area is the production team: Director, Lighting Designer, Fight Director, and Choreographer (among others.) They’ll be taking notes and communicating with the many people backstage who help make all of the operatic magic happen. They’ll be able to talk to the crew so changes can be made. Should anything need some adjustments, the rehearsal might be stopped or a part repeated to make sure that it is perfect.
During the opera
Unlike actors on television or in the movies, performers onstage are very aware of the audience. They want to share their love of performing with you. Everything you do in the audience affects what happens on stage. You can show them how much you appreciate their work and the opportunity to come to the rehearsal by being as quiet as possible.
Show your respect for the cast, musicians, the production team, and everyone in the theatre by not talking. Give the artists and the production your full attention!
Here’s a list of DOs and DON’Ts so that everyone in the theatre can enjoy the opera:
Please Do...
› Use the bathrooms before the rehearsal begins or at intermission.
› Enter and exit the theatre in an orderly fashion.
› Think about what makes a good audience member.
› Turn off your cell phones and all electronic devices.
› Applaud when the conductor enters and bows, then again after the overture.
› Applaud after the arias as well as after the performance; you can shout “Bravo!” for a man, “Brava!” for a woman, and “Bravi!” for more than one person, or the whole performance.
› Enjoy the rehearsal. You’ve worked too hard preparing for the rehearsal not to!
Don’t Forget...
› When you are seated, you may be able to see the orchestra tuning their instruments in the orchestra pit.
› Keep movement and voices down to a minimum as this is a live dress rehearsal performance.
› Keep food, drinks and gum outside of the auditorium – the Jubilee Auditorium has great acoustics so every sound can be heard in the theatre. Bottled water is allowed.
When the house lights dim, it’s time to:
› Turn off all cell phones, iPods, and other electronic devices. The use of cameras or recording devices is strictly forbidden.
› After the curtain goes down and the lights go up, the intermission (20 minutes) begins. Now is the time to talk, eat (in the lobby) and use the washroom.
› Be silent if the performance has to stop for a few moments (this is a performance, but also a working rehearsal so it may be necessary to stop at times).
› If you must use the washroom during the performance, please be accompanied by an adult supervisor. The ushers will let you in again but you will have to wait until there is an appropriate break in the opera. Many times this is not until intermission.
Part Two: Activities and Projects
1. Write a Review or Critique of the Performance One of the best ways to encourage critical thinking of a performing arts production is to encourage students’ honesty and draw out detailed opinions. A productive evaluation session -‐ spoken, written, visual or dramatized -‐ should follow this basic ‘how-‐to’ outline below. On the internet, students can find many reviews of Lakmé from other opera companies’ performances to use as a guideline or example.
Guidelines for writing a review
When writing an opera review you can focus on many different elements, but keep in mind the acting, singing, technical aspects, orchestration, and the overall view of the performance.
Performance of the Singers The acting and singing are probably the most important aspects of the opera. It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the opera and its characters before you go see it. Make sure you know all of the characters’ names and the singers who are playing them; the study guide or the Calgary Opera website is an ideal place to find all this information.
• Did they bring the music to life? Could you see and hear the emotion while they sang? Did they interact well with others on stage?
• Did any particular performer stand out to you and why? How did the singer communicate his/her character? Did you feel that the singer’s character was believable? Sympathetic? How well are they giving and taking focus?
Technical Aspects It has been said that if the technical aspects of a performance become noticeable, then they are not effective. Keep in mind that the sets, lights, sound, make-‐up, and costumes are there to enhance the performance.
• Were the costumes appropriate to the time period? Did they enhance the characters? • Did the lighting design show time of day and/or mood? Did it cast unflattering or distracting
shadows? Was the set complex or simple? How did this help or hinder the production?
• What do you notice about the make-‐up worn by the singers on stage that differs from what people might wear out in public? Did it age a singer? Make them appear more youthful? Was it done well?
Musical Aspects Reviewing the musical performance is a tricky thing, and most reviewers continue to develop their ear for the music and knowledge of the art form their entire lives.
• Did you enjoy the music? Did you feel that the singers performed it smooth and effortlessly? What was your favorite musical moment? What part did you feel had the power to move you emotionally?
So in conclusion, remember the singing, acting, music, the technical and the overall view, and you’ll have written a successful theatre review. Try to keep in mind that to be a theatre critic you often have to be critical, so if you feel that something was badly done include that in your review. Constructive criticism can be helpful. Keep these things in mind when writing your review and it will be great. Have fun!
2. Engage in Meaningful Discussions In what ways does opera differ from a musical? How is it similar?
• Lakmé explores themes of loyalty and love, duty and betrayal. Which of these themes are still relevant today? How do they continue to influence popular culture?
• Who is the villain in this opera? Is there one? Why, or why not? Do you think this is fair? • Exoticism, meaning the artistic use of foreign cultures based on both a love of fantasy and
unfamiliarity, is a major theme used in Lakmé and its exploration of Indian and Hindu cultures. What are some examples of exoticism in Lakmé? How is exoticism used as an engaging way to touch audiences?
3. Compare and Contrast Lakmé is based on the original autobiographical novel, Le Mariage de Loti (1880), by Pierre Loti. Describing his romantic liaison with a Tahitian girl named Rarahu, this semi-‐autobiographical work recounts the author’s experience “going native” with local Tahitians (wearing their clothes, eating their food, and mixing with the locals.) At the time, this novel was seen as somewhat anthropological and a detailed account of his foray into more “wild”, non-‐Western cultures.
• Compare the original setting of the novel by Pierre Loti, which was set in Tahiti, to the setting of the opera Lakme, (need some background info on this). The synopsis of the story, and the resource information found in part three of this study guide, will assist you with this comparison.
4. Research and Report While the cultural differences between Lakmé and Gerald are a driving factor of their doomed romance, it is symbolic of the difficulties faced between the British and Indians living in India in the late 1800s. In particular, it is Lakmé’s role as a Hindu priestess that reflect on the difficulties faced by her people in face of British Imperialism.
• India has many religions and cultures. Lakme’s character is from the Hindu culture. Research a few of the Indian religions or cultures, and compare them to our own Western culture.
• The Hindu culture as portrayed in Lakme is a fascinating culture. Who are the Hindu and what are the central aspects of practicing Hinduism?
• What were the main issues Indian Hindus faced under British rule? Part 3 of this study guide contains information about life in India during the colonial age.
5. Be a Designer • Design a costume: read the synopsis in Part Three of this study guide, as well as the character
list. Think about the beautiful Hindu priestess Lakmé, or the dapper British officer, Gérald. Find inspiration from what costume designers have envisioned for these two roles over the years, draw your own versions of costumes for these characters. Kashmir Shawls and Baryans were major elements of the clothing during the 17th and 18th century. Or, imagine what these colorful characters might dress if they lived in our modern day and age and create costume sketches for Lakme and Gerald.
• Design a set: create set drawings for scenes in Lakme such as the Hindu Temple, River Bank and Bazaar
• Design a poster: after reading the synopsis of the story of Lakme, design a poster that you feel would really appeal to the public and will make them want to see the opera!
6. Research Projects Research Leo Delibes, the composer of Lakme: While the popularity of most of Léo Delibes’ works have not survived the tests of time, he was inspirational to many of today’s best-‐known composers (Tchaikovsky, Debussy, and Saint-‐Saens, among others,) and his music has permeated the public consciousness by way of operatic performances, movie scores, and even TV commercials. For more information, read the accompanying biography in Part 2 of this guide, and find answers in there (and elsewhere) for the following questions: • Who was Léo Delibes? How did he get his start in composing classical music?
• What historical milestones of Delibes’ time could have impacted or inspired this composer and his work?
• Where are three places Delibes’ work have been prominently, if not conspicuously, displayed? • Research what was happening historically in Paris and Bombay from 1850-‐1900 and create a
timeline describing this unique era in history.
7. Listen to the following music selections to learn more about the music in Lakmé
Act I, Lakmé and Mallika: Flower Duet -‐ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4REoUjaGBE One of the most well-‐known pieces from Lakmé, The Flower Duet appears early on in the Opera. This piece sets the scene of a majestic, serene garden. The music itself invokes a sense of peace, beauty, and tranquility that is juxtaposed later in the scene with Nilakantha’s hatred and fear towards the British soldier he catches in the sacred garden. Listen for echoes of this piece throughout the opera, as it becomes a leitmotif* for Lakmé. Can you think of
any modern TV shows, movies or commercials in which you can hear the flower duet?
Act II, Lakmé: Scène & Légende de la fille du Paria (The Bell Song) -‐
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSC3zkjRcSc In this aria, Lakmé is made to sing by her father, Nilakantha, to draw out the British soldier who trespassed in the sacred garden. Nilakantha knows that the beautiful sound of Lakme’s voice and the story of the song will draw out the perpetrator. The Bell Song is a showcase of the high soprano, coloratura voice. Delibes composed Lakmé for the famous coloratura soprano, Marie van Zandt. Listen to the aria with these questions in mind:
-‐ What do you think ‘coloratura’ means? -‐ Is it fast, or slow? Is it smooth, or broken? -‐ What other things do you notice about the music?
Leitmotif: A recurrent theme throughout a musical or literary composition, associated with a particular person, idea, or situation.
Act III, Frederic, Gerald: "Vivant! Ah! Frederic!" https://youtu.be/AV7z5Q9CXKg?t=2h10m55s In this scene, Frederic reminds Gerald that he has a duty to the British military. Gerald is convinced and he has prepared himself to leave Lakmé behind. In this piece we are able to hear and contrast the Bass (Frederic) and Tenor (Gerald) voices.
-‐ What is the difference between a Tenor and a Bass? How would you describe each voice type? -‐ What emotions are these characters portraying? -‐ How does the music reflect their emotions?
8. Explore Calgary Opera’s website to find out more about Calgary Opera There are videos, synopses, artist bios and more at www.calgaryopera.com
Part Three: Lakme Resource Information
What in the World?
About the time
The Nineteenth century was a time of progress and transition. Electricity was steadily becoming a more convenient alternative to coal, significant landmarks such as the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty were being funded and built, and railways such as the Orient-‐Express were being constructed and finished, connecting Europe in a way that had never been possible before.
Lakmé first premiered in Paris in April 14th, 1883 at the Opera Comique. It is interesting to note that the tragic story of Lakmé was unusual to perform at this theatre, as it was known for putting on more comedic and lighter works.
During the Colonial Age – A time when European powers were establishing over-‐seas rule, India was a time of constant change and development. The British East India Company gradually replaced the sovereigns of the once-‐independent Indian states with puppet rulers who carried out the company’s policies. Following the Sepoy Rebellion (Also known as The Gun Powder Rebellion) in 1857, the creation of the British Raj began the following year. The British government dissolved the British East India Company in 1874, and the title ‘Empress of India’ was appointed to Queen Victoria by Prime Minster Benjamin Disraeli.
Life in India: What did this mean for the native inhabitants?
The British rule had both positive and negative effects on the people of India. On one hand, most well-‐paying jobs were reserved for the British, leaving Indian people
unemployed or earning trivial wages. The religion of the area (mainly Hinduism) was largely suppressed, racial discrimination was a common occurrence, and Britain’s arrogance and lack of knowledge of Indian culture cut deeply into the pride of many Indians. Although meaning well, Britain’s introduction of new technology brought hardships to millions in rural areas by putting Bengali woman out of work and damaging local textile industries.
On the other hand, the British brought stability to a society that had been ravaged by civil wars, creating an efficient government that wholly operated to the benefit of the average Indian resident. Education was given more attention and a new system was established to train children of Indian elites. This included, to an extent, the education of young girls, with a primary focus on becoming a better wife and mother to the educated male population. More inhumane aspects of Indian tradition such as the practice of Sati were abolished under British rule and widows were legally allowed to remarry.
Historic and Cultural Events in Léo Delibes’s time Listed below are some historic and cultural events that took place in 1883.
January 4th: Life magazine is founded in Los Angeles.
January 19th: The first electric lighting system employing overhead wires begins service in New Jersey, installed by Thomas Edison.
February 13th: German composer Richard Wagner dies of a heart attack in Venice, Italy.
February 28th: The first vaudeville theatre is opened (Boston).
April 14th: First performance of Lakmé by the Opéra Comique in Paris.
May 23rd: Robert Louis Stevenson’s children’s pirate adventure Treasure Island is first published in book format in London.
August 26th-‐28th: Krakatoa volcano erupts, 163 villages are destroyed and 36 380 people are killed.
August 31st: The Calgary Herald publishes its first issue.
October 22nd: Opening of the first Metropolitan Opera House in New York with a performance of Faust.
November 18th: U.S. and Canadian railroads institute 5 standard continental time zones, ending the confusion of thousands of local times.
Births
January 10th: Aleksei Nikolaevich Tolstoy, Russian writer (d. 1945)
May 26th: Mamie Smith, American vaudeville singer (d. 1943)
May 28th: Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Indian pro-‐independence activist and Hindu nationalist (d. 1966)
August 19th: Coco Chanel, French stylist (d. 1971)
December 3rd: Anton Webern, Austrian composer (d. 1945)
December 22nd: Edard Varèse, French composer (d. 1912)
Deaths
January 24th: Friedrich von Flotow, German composer (b. 1812)
February 13th: Richard Wagner, German composer (b. 1813)
February 17th: Napoléon Coste, French guitarist and composer (b. 1806) and Vasudev Balwant Phadke, Indian revolutionary (b. 1845)
April 30th: Édward Manet, French painter (b. 1832)
October 30th: Dayananda Saraswati, Hindu religious leader (b. 1824), and Robert Volkmann, German composer (b. 1815)
About the composer Léo Delibes was born in Saint-‐Germain-‐du-‐Val in 1836. He
grew up in a musical environment – his mother was a talented amateur musician and his grandfather had been an opera singer. He was raised mostly by his mother and uncle following his father’s early death. Starting in 1847, Delibes studied composition at the Paris Conservatoire under the instruction of composer and music critic, Adolphe Adam. A year later he began to take voice lessons, though he would end up a much better organ player than singer. He held positions as a rehearsal accompanist and chorus master at the Théâtre Lyrique, as second chorus master at the Paris Opéra (in 1864), and as organist at Saint-‐Pierre-‐de-‐Chaillot (1865–71). The first of his many operettas was Deux sous de charbon, ou Le suicide de Bigorneau ("Two sous-‐worth of coal"), written in 1856 for the Folies-‐
Nouvelles.
A ceremonial cantata, Algers, for NapoLéon III on the theme of Algiers, brought him to official attention; a collaboration with Ludwig Minkus resulted, in which Delibes composed music jointly for the ballet La source (1866), which brought him into the area of ballet. In 1867 Delibes composed the divertissement* Le jardin animé for a revival of the Joseph Mazilier/Adolphe Adam ballet Le Corsaire. He wrote a mass, his Messe brève, and composed operettas almost yearly and occasional music for the theater, such as dances and antique airs for the 1882 revival of Victor Hugo's Le roi s'amuse, the play that Verdi had turned into Rigoletto. Delibes’ first major triumph came with the ballet Coppélia, based on a story by ETA Hoffmann and staged at the Opéra in 1870. He excelled as a composer of operetta, his career culminating in equally successful operas of a more serious kind.
He died in 1891 at the age of 55 of natural causes and was buried in la Cimetière de Montmartre in Paris.
*Divertissement: a short dance within a ballet that displays a dancer’s technical skill without advancing the story or character’s progress.
About the librettists
Edmond Gondinet was born on March 7th 1828 in Laurière,
and died in 1888 in Neuilly-‐sur-‐Seine. He was a French playwright and librettist that wrote forty plays, eight librettos, and various ballet scenarios in his lifetime, most of which have unfortunately been forgotten.
Philippe Gille was born December 10th 1831 in Paris and died
March 19th 1901 in his birth place. He was a French dramatist and opera librettist who wrote over twenty librettos between 1857 and 1893, the most famous of which are Massenet’s Manon and Delibes’ Lakme. He was elected to the Académie des beaux-‐arts in 1899.
Part Four: Characters, Synopsis & Cast
Characters
Name Role Voice type
Lakmé Priestess/ daughter of Nilakantha coloratura soprano
Gérald British army officer tenor
Nilakantha Brahmin priest bass
Frédéric Officer friend of Gérald baritone
Mallika Slave of Lakmé mezzo-‐soprano
Hadji Slave of Nilakantha tenor
Miss Ellen Fiancée of Gérald soprano
Miss Rose Companion of Ellen soprano
Mistress Bentson Governess mezzo-‐soprano
Fortune teller (Un Domben) tenor
A Chinese merchant tenor
Le Kouravar baritone
Chorus: Officers, ladies, merchants, Brahmins, musician
Synopsis Background
The story of the Brahmin girl Lakmé was based on a novel by Frenchman Pierre Loti, who had traveled in the Orient and brought back stories filled with exoticism. Librettist Edmond Gondinet suggested the story to composer Léo Delibes. Gondinet wanted to write a libretto specifically for a young American soprano named Marie van Zandt who had starred in another French opera, Ambroise Thomas's Mignon, in 1880. Gondinet gave Delibes a copy of Loti's novel to read on a train ride, and Delibes loved it. He composed the score in a year's time.
Lakmé brings together many popular themes of opera in the 1880s: an exotic location — already in vogue thanks to Bizet's The Pearl Fishers — mysterious religious rituals, the beautiful flora of the Orient, and the general novelty of Western colonials living in a foreign land. Composers Jules Massenet and Giacomo Meyerbeer wrote operas with similar elements, and those dramas were also popular in Paris.
Act I
Lakmé is set in British India in the 19th century. Nilakantha, a Brahmin priest, is bent on rebelling against the occupying British, who have forbidden him from practicing his religion. When Nilakantha goes to attend a gathering of the faithful, his daughter Lakmé and her servant Millika are left behind. The two go off toward a river to gather flowers and sing the famous "Flower Duet." As they approach the water, Lakmé removes her jewelry and leaves it on a bench.
Nearby, British officers Gerald and Frederic are on a picnic with two young English girls and their governess. The girls notice Lakmé’s jewelry and want sketches of the pieces. Gerald agrees to stay behind to make the drawings.
Lakmé and Mallika return, and Gerald hides. Then Mallika goes off, leaving Lakmé alone. When Lakmé spots Gerald, she's frightened and cries out. But when people come to help, she sends them away. Lakmé’s heart is doing flip-‐flops over this young stranger, and he's taken with her as well. But Lakmé knows it's dangerous for them to be seen together, and she tells Gerald to forget he ever saw her. When Nilakantha returns, he's furious at finding Gerald with Lakmé and says the officer will pay for his affront to Lakmé’s honor.
Act II
Nilakantha is in a marketplace, among a crowd of English soldiers and Indians, and he has a plan. He asks Lakmé to sing, knowing Gerald will be drawn to her voice. She sings the "Bell Song," an aria famous for its exotic musical colors and spectacular, high coloratura.
The song does attract Gerald, but when Lakmé sees him, she stops singing and faints. When Gerald rushes to help her, Nilakantha steps out of the crowd and stabs him. Seeing that Gerald is only slightly injured, Nilakantha flees. Lakmé and a servant, Hadji, take Gerald to a safe hiding place.
Act III
Gerald is recovering in the forest, with Hadji watching over him, when Lakmé arrives. They hear singing far in the distance, and Lakmé tells Gerald it's a band of lovers going to drink from a sacred spring whose waters confer the gift of eternal love. Lakmé wants to get water from the spring herself, and when she leaves, Gerald's friend Frederic turns up. He reminds Gerald that he's been ordered to a new post, far away. Gerald knows he must fulfill his duty and leave Lakmé behind.
When Lakmé returns from the spring, she senses what's happening. Knowing she's about to lose Gerald, she finds a flower that's known to be poisonous and swallows it. Overwhelmed by her act of devotion, Gerald drinks from the cup of sacred spring water. Doing so is a holy declaration of love — a vow of fidelity that even Nilakantha can't revoke. The poisonous blossom takes effect, and Lakmé dies in Gerald's arms as her father looks on.
Cast and Company Biographies
Gordon Gerrard Conductor
Gordon has most recently been appointed as the 15th Music Director of the Regina Symphony Orchestra, commencing in July 2016. For four seasons Gordon held the positions of Resident Conductor and Repetiteur for Calgary Opera. He was invited back to help launch Calgary Opera’s summer opera festival Opera in the Village with productions of Candide and The Pirates of Penzance. During his tenure at Calgary Opera, Gordon was honoured with the Mayor’s Award for Emerging Artists for his contribution to the musical life of the city of Calgary. Gordon has also conducted productions for Opera Hamilton to critical acclaim and was Assistant Conductor for several productions at Opera Lyra Ottawa. Gordon is also a regular guest conductor for Opera McGill, where he has led productions of Don Giovanni and Le Nozze di Figaro.
Tom Diamond Stage Director
Winnipeg-‐native Tom Diamond’s acclaimed productions include premieres of Chan Ka Nin’s Iron Road (Dora Mavor Moore Award), Timothy Sullivan’s Florence the Lady with the Lamp (Chalmers Award), five productions for Pacific Opera Victoria (upcoming Britten’s Midsummer Nights Dream) and nine for the Canadian Opera Company. His production of Squonk was an off-‐Broadway hit which transferred to Broadway where it won the American Theatre Wing’s Hewes Award. In 2015, Mr. Diamond has staged Turandot and Fidelio (Opera Carolina), Turandot (Manitoba Opera), Rimsky-‐Korsakov’s The Golden Cockerel (Sarasota Opera) and Nozze Di Figaro (Opera Lyra Ottawa). He is perhaps most often recognized for his participation in the GeminiAward-‐winning
television series Bathroom Divas. This is Mr. Diamond’s directorial debut with Calgary Opera.
Aline Kutan Soprano: Lakmé
Canadian soprano Aline Kutan is a versatile artist acclaimed for her crystalline voice, amazing virtuosity and powerful scenic presence. Early in career, she won prestigious prizes including the Metropolitan Opera and Toulouse International Voice Competitions. She has sung over 30 roles including Lakmé, Queen of the Night, Violetta, working with many illustrious conductors on international stages such as La Scala de Milano, Opera de Paris, Teatro de Colon in Buenos Aires. She has sung concerts and recitals around the world and recorded for BMG Sony, Atma and Analekta labels. She teaches voice at the Conservatory of Music and the McGill Schulich School of Music.
Ryan MacPherson Tenor: Gerald
Ryan MacPherson’s 2015-‐16 season engagements include his return to Chicago Opera Theater in the title role of Lucio Silla, Curley in Floyd’s Of Mice and Men with Austin Opera, Camille in Die lustige Witwe with Pensacola Opera, and Nanki-‐Poo in The Mikado with Anchorage Opera. Recent successes include Alfredo in La traviata (Central City Opera), Alfred in Die Fledermaus (Portland Opera); and Horace in Gounod’s La colombe and Kornélis in Saint-‐Saëns’ La princesse jaune (Buxton Festival). He sang Jack’s Father in
Wuorinen’s Brokeback Mountain (world premiere) with Teatro Real, Madrid, released on DVD by Bel Air Classiques.
Cameron McPhail Baritone: Frederic
An alumnus of the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio, baritone Cameron McPhail looks forward to Dancaïre and Morales in Carmen for the Edmonton Opera and Carmina Burana with the Winnipeg Symphony. Recent credits include the title role in Uncle John, a modern version of Don Giovanni produced by Against the Grain, Messiah with the Edmonton Symphony and Monterone in Rigoletto for the Vancouver Opera. From Brandon, Manitoba, he holds a masters degree from Yale and won the George London Competition in 2014. Other credits include Carmina Burana with The Florida Orchestra and Festival de Lanaudiere, and Guglielmo in Cosi fan tutte for other COC.
Valerian Ruminski Bass: Nilakantha Mr. Ruminski has performed at The Metropolitan Opera and Carnegie Hall. He also appears with Opera de Montreal, Canadian Opera Company, Vancouver Opera, Opera de Quebec, Opera Lyra Ottawa, Manitoba Opera, Dallas Opera, New York City Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Seattle Opera, Hawaii Opera, Opera de Monte Carlo, New Israeli Opera and Opera Ireland. His repertoire includes Daland, Banquo, Don Pasquale,Don Magnifico ,Figaro, Raimondo, Frère Laurent,Olin Blitch, Leporello, Commendatore, Figaro,
Sparafucile, Sarastro, Don Alfonso, Rocco, Timur and Gremin. Valerian is featured on the Naxos CD 'Night at the Opera' and Deutsche Grammophone release of 'I Puritani' with the MET. Upcoming engagements include Lodovico (Otello) Opera de Montreal, President McKinley (Shot) Nickel City Opera where he is the founder and Artistic Director, Crespel (Tales of Hoffman,) Hawaii Opera and European Recital Tour.
Part Five: The Language and History of Opera
The History of Opera Theatrical performances that use music, song and dance to tell a story can be found in many cultures. Opera is just one example of music drama.
Have you ever wondered where opera got its start? Back in the late 1500s during the height of the Renaissance, a group of men called the Florentine Camerata got together to create a new and moving theatrical experience. They wanted to recreate what the ancient Greeks did during their legendary dramas. The result was something entirely new – opera!
Most of the early operas were based on Greek myths. The first opera that we know of was called Dafne by Jacopo Peri in 1598, but the most famous opera of this early period that is still performed today is Claudio Monteverdi’s Orfeo (1607). Certain basic ingredients were included in opera: songs, instrumental accompaniments, costumes, dance, and scenery. We still use all of these ingredients today! The early operas were first performed in the grand courts of Italian nobility, but soon opera became popular with the public, too. As it became all the rage, productions became more lavish.
Soon, theatres began to be built just to mount operas. These theatres had elaborate stage machinery to create special effects like flying actors or crumbling buildings. Not everyone embraced the new form of theatre. Some critics thought that all of the stage antics in opera detracted from the music and drama. Some people even believed that seeing too much comedy in opera could make you immoral.
During the Baroque period (about 1600 to 1750), Italian opera spread all over Europe. The Italian style of opera was so popular that even non-‐Italians wrote in this style. For example Léo Frederic Handel (1685–1759) was a German-‐born composer who lived and worked in England. His operas, like Julius Caesar (1724), were written in the Italian language and used an Italian style of music. The only nation to create its own national operatic style was France. Ballet played a large role in the French culture, and operas often included ballets in the middle of the opera. The most famous French Baroque opera composers were Jean-‐Baptiste Lully (1632-‐
1687) and Jean-‐Philippe Rameau (1683-‐1764).
The 18th century was full of change for both Europe and opera. This time period was known as the Age of Enlightenment. People were starting to talk about new forms of government and organization in society, especially the ever-‐growing middle class. Music displayed this new thinking as composers dropped the Baroque era’s complicated musical style for simpler, more emotional music. In less-‐flashy
Léo Frederic Handel (1685-‐1759)
music, characters could express their thoughts and feelings more believably. One of the first operas to use this new style was Christoph Willibald Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice (1762).
In 1789 the French Revolution changed the world. The first modern democracies were born, and to match the times in which they were created, audiences wanted to see characters like themselves on stage, not gods and goddesses. They also wanted to see issues that were important to them. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro (1786) featured a timely story of aristocratic class struggles that had both servants and nobility in lead roles. The ideals of the Enlightenment also came to the stage in Ludwig van Beethoven‘s only opera, Fidelio, a story about equality and freedom.
In the 1800s opera continued to grow. The Italian tradition continued in the bel canto movement, which literally translates to “beautiful singing.” These operas asked performers to sing complicated groups of fast notes in the melodies. The most famous bel canto composers were Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868), Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848), and Vincenzo Bellini (1801–1835). Their operas, like Rossini’s popular comedies The Barber of Seville (1816) and Cinderella (1817), are still some of the most popular operas performed today. By the middle of the century, the Romantic Movement led many composers to champion their own national identities. As a result, operas in languages other than Italian became more common; new works often reflected pride in a country’s people, history, and folklore. German operas like Carl Maria von Weber’s Der Freischütz (1821), Russian operas like Mikhail Glinka’s A Life for the Tsar (1836) and French operas like Léos Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots (1836) started to be performed across Europe. By using nationalism in his operas like Nabucco (1842), Italian Giuseppe Verdi became a national hero.
In Germany Richard Wagner took Romanticism to the extreme in a four-‐part operatic miniseries based on Norse mythology, The Ring of the Nibelung (1876), which takes over 15 hours to perform! The operatic stereotype of the singer in the Viking helmet comes from these operas.
Opera in 20th century became even more experimental. Composers like Léos Delibes (La Bohème, 1896), Claude Debussy (Pelléas et Mélisande, 1902), Richard Strauss (Salome, 1905), and Benjamin Britten (Peter Grimes, 1945) evolved their national styles. Others, horrified by the
destruction of World War I (1914-‐1919) and other aspects of modern life, created music that was new and drastically dissonant. These operas often explored either dark psychological topics (Wozzeck by Alban Berg, 1925), or simple and absurd (The Rake’s Progress by Igor Stravinsky, 1951). American opera had a huge hit with Léo and Ira Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess (1935) which included jazz and blues musical styles. Not only did American composers embrace popular music in opera but also a repetitive, hypnotic
Giuseppe Verdi (1813-‐1901)
Johanna Heinze, Mezzo-‐Soprano, 1907
style called minimalism. American composer Philip Glass’s Einstein on the Beach (1976) is the popular example of minimalism in opera.
Opera in Canada At Calgary Opera, we have been more than fortunate to be able to expose our patrons to several new Canadian operas. New operas, though not rare, are expensive and very labour intensive to create. Opera came to Canada with the first French settlements. Samuel de Champlain organized an opera performance even before he founded Quebec in 1608. As the railroads moved westward in the 19th Century, so did opera. Each province eventually established at least one opera company. There is evidence of light operas being performed in Canada from 1914 onward, but there was a real outburst of activity in the early 1940s due to the patronage of the burgeoning Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Many operas were written for radio, such as Healy Willan’s Transit through Fire, which was broadcast in 1942. Canada’s 100th birthday in 1967 marked a high moment of Canadian nationalism, so it is not surprising that Canadian opera flourished. Government money through the Canada Council was made available for new commissions and there was an explosion of new productions, such as Murray Adaskin’s Grant, Warden of the Plains, Raymond Pannell’s The Luck of Ginger Coffey, and perhaps the best known, Mavor Moore and Harry Somers’ Louis Riel. Louis Riel was first performed at the O’Keefe Centre in Toronto in 1967 and had a revival as a McGill University student production in 2005. Harry Somers, in collaboration with Rod Anderson, has also written Mario and the Magician, based on Thomas Mann’s novel of the same name, which was performed by the Canadian Opera Company at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto in 1992. The Golden Ass, written by Randolph Peters and the late Robertson Davies, was performed at the O’Keefe Centre to great acclaim in 1999. Pacific Opera Victoria produced Mavor Moore and Louis Applebaum’s Erewhon in 2000. Tapestry Music Theatre produced Chan Ka Nin’s The Iron Road, an opera about Chinese labourers on the Western Canadian Railway. Another exciting operatic venture about Canada’s little discussed history of slavery is the passionate tale of Beatrice Chancy by James Rolfe and Léo Elliot Clarke. In 2003, Calgary Opera embarked on our first full-‐length new work, a co-‐commission with The Banff Centre, Filumena. The opera told the true story of Filumena, a young immigrant woman hanged for the death of an RCMP officer. It was presented to standing ovations and rave reviews, so in 2007 Calgary Opera and The Banff Centre reunited the creative team -‐ John Estacio, John Murrell, Kelly Robinson, Harry Frehner, Sue LePage -‐ to create Frobisher. Frobisher tells a story of love, loss, and adventure in Canada’s North. Set against the backdrop of the Northern Lights and the forbiddingly beautiful Arctic landscape,
the story weaves back and forth in time, with powerful parallel stories of exploration and discovery, 500 years apart. Who best to receive new Canadian works but children? Many new works that have been created are geared towards the younger generation, an audience virtually ignored in the history of opera. In 2008 Hannaraptor, by Allan Gilliland and Val Brandt, was created. Taking place in the rugged landscape of the Drumheller area, Hannaraptor followed the emotional story of a young girl who discovers a fossil of a yet undiscovered dinosaur. The production struck a chord with young people as it toured to communities and schools throughout southern Alberta. Hannaraptor was remounted in Calgary Opera’s 2012-‐13 season and toured to communities in and around Calgary as well as towns as far reaching as Lac la Biche and Bonnyville in northern Alberta. Dean Burry’s The Hobbit and The Brothers Grimm have been produced across Canada. The Brothers Grimm toured with our own Emerging Artists in March 2007 and again in March 2011. By 2012 it had been performed over 500 times, making it the most performed new Canadian work of all time. Vancouver Opera has toured Naomi’s Road and the Canadian Children’s Opera chorus has generated Dr. Cannon’s Cure and A Mid-‐Winter Night’s Dream. In 2009 Calgary Opera performed Vancouver Opera’s production of The Barber of Barrhead, a Canadian adaptation of The Barber of Seville. Reuniting Calgary Opera’s creative team of John Murrell and John Estacio, Vancouver Opera recently entered onto the new work front with Lillian Alling, the story of an intrepid yet mysterious woman searching for a man she scarcely knew, wherever it might take her. In 2011, Calgary Opera presented the world premiere of Bramwell Tovey and John Murrell’s The Inventor, the story of the black sheep nephew of the famous Keith brewing family. Most recently, Calgary Opera has embarked on a new venture with, What Brought Us Here -‐ A New Community Opera, by Arthur Bachmann and Clem Martini, created from the collected stories of new immigrants to Canada. This new opera premiered in September 2012 at the Arrata Opera Centre with a hugely positive response. In the landscape of opera, new Canadian operas are alive and well, and we hope that they will continue to flourish.
The Language of Opera
Act -‐ Main sections of a play or opera.
Aria -‐ A solo song sung in an opera.
Audience -‐ People who watch a performance and sit in the “house” or auditorium.
Ballet -‐ Dance set to music within an opera.
Blocking -‐ Action on stage.
Character -‐ Person who is part of the opera’s story.
Chorus -‐ Music composed for a group of singers or the name of a group of singers in an opera.
Conductor -‐ Person whbo rehearses and leads the orchestra.
Duet -‐ A song performed by two singers.
Libretto -‐ the words of the opera.
Opera -‐ a musical work in one or more acts, made for singers and instrumentalists.
Opera Buffa -‐ Funny, light opera.
Opera Seria -‐ Serious, dramatic opera.
Orchestra -‐ A group of musicians who play together on various musical instruments.
Overture -‐ A piece of instrumental music played at the beginning of an opera.
Program -‐ Booklet that contains information about the opera, composer, performers, and the opera company.
Recitative -‐ Words that are sung in the rhythm of natural speech.
Rehearsal -‐ Time when singers/actors practice with or without the orchestra; time when musicians practice together with the conductor.
Scene -‐ Segments of action within the acts of an opera.
Types of Singers
Soprano -‐ Highest pitched female voice.
Mezzo-‐Soprano -‐ Female voice between soprano and contralto.
Contralto – Lowest pitched female voice
Tenor -‐ Highest pitched male voice.
Baritone -‐ Male voice between tenor and bass.
Bass -‐ Lowest pitched male voice.
Activity Sheet: The Language of Opera Connect the terms
1. Opera Seria
2. Baritone
3. Opera
4. Ballet
5. Orchestra
6. Libretto
7. Duet
8. Aria
9. Soprano
10. Chorus
11. Act
12. Contralto
13. Tenor
14. Opera Buffa
15. Recitative
16. Bass
17. Overture
A. Dance spectacle set to music.
B. Highest pitched woman’s voice.
C. Dramatic text adapted for opera.
D. Low female voice.
E. Comic opera.
F. A dramatic or comedic musical work in which singing is the essential factor; very little is spoken.
G. Opera with dramatic and intense plots.
H. Music composed for a singing group.
I. A song written for two performers to sing together.
J. A group of musicians who play together on various musical instruments.
K. Highest pitched man’s voice.
L. A musical style in which the words are spoken in the rhythm of natural speech.
M. Male voice between bass and tenor.
N. A piece of music originally designed to be played before an opera or musical play.
O. Deepest male voice.
P. Elaborate solo in an opera or oratorio.
Q. Main division of a play or opera.
