Little Bat (James Kryshak) and Susannah (Patricia Racette). Photo by Cory Weaver. |
One of my favorite possessions is
a collection of arias by soprano Barbara Divis. I often played it at my day
job, and over the months I began to notice a shift in my attentions. Past the
expected Bizets and Mozarts and Verdis I was anticipating the arrival of “Ain’t
it a pretty night?” from Susannah.
But that’s sort of how Carlisle Floyd works. He doesn’t grab onto your audio
cortex like some modern-day Donizetti. He sneaks in bit by bit, taking small
portions of mental territory until he has fully captured your affections.
This came to mind
post-performance at Jardiniere, when the Commander – no expert, but a pretty astute
opera-goer – lamented the absence of anything “hummable” in Floyd’s
breakthrough 1955 work. I laughed, since, to a critic – his melodic
expectations lowered to absolute zero by a 20th Century dominated by
frontier-chasing experimentalists – Floyd sounds like Paul friggin’ McCartney.
The amazing thing is that, through a combination of youth (27), confidence and
a teacher, Ernst Bacon, who told him, “Write what you want to write,” Floyd created
his debut piece in a style that is very much his own. “Ain’t it a pretty night?”
carries a distinctly American ring, in the mode of Copland or Gershwin. Floyd
makes use of folk melodies – in brother Sam’s Jaybird Song and the dark ballad
that follows Susannah’s loss of innocence – but not so much that you would call
him a folk composer. His orchestral themes follow the action in much the same
way as a cinematic soundtrack, giving peeks into the character’s psyches with
contemplative sweeps of strings or signaling sudden shocks with Hitchcockian
bursts of sound.
The setting for "Ain't it a pretty night?" Photo by Cory Weaver. |
SFO has created a beautifully
staged premiere for Susannah,
featuring Patricia Racette in the title role. Racette is well-cast in the part,
possessing a unique ability to channel emotions into her singing, and employing
a voice big enough to match the sonic uprisings that accompany the opera’s more
scandalous moments.
The great tenor Brandon
Jovanovich has less of a chance to shine vocally than in his acclaimed
Wagnerian performances, but as Susannah’s protective older brother he reveals a
great ability to project character and likeability. His lament on meddling
Christians, “It must make the good Lord sad,” is dark and memorable. Tenor
James Kryshak plays Little Bat, Susannah’s “tetched” admirer, with a great
degree of manic energy, particularly in “They say,” a driving recitation of the
rumors cooked up by the local prudes.
Reverend Olin Blitch (Raymond Aceto) leads the revival meeting. Photo by Cory Weaver. |
The great treat of the production
is bass-baritone Raymond Aceto, who conveys profound force and persuasiveness as
the new minister, Reverend Olin Blitch. His revival meeting sermon, “I’m fixin’
to tell you,” is mesmerizing, laced with the great fright that revivals brought
to young Floyd, the son of a Methodist minister. Soon after, just when you’re
expecting Blitch to use his powers to put the moves on the town slut (whose
reputation was sullied by the act of – gasp! - bathing naked in a creek), he delivers the
confessional solo, “I’m a lonely man,” revealing a humanity and a sincerity
that one does not expect. This refusal to paint villains in easy blacks and
whites is a testament to Floyd’s libretto, and surely a reason for the opera’s
great success.
Written in the shadow of
McCarthy, the work carries some intriguing resonations for today’s bullying
discussion. What exacerbates the situation is the claustrophobia of a small
town and the great psychological power of religion. What’s puzzling (quoth the
Commander) is why a young woman who was just singing about getting out of town
is so frozen in place by the accusations made against her, and why these
accusations are so melodramatically stamped in place by Floyd’s score. But most
people can think back to high school and remember how ridiculously important
the opinions of others were to their teenage selves.
Sam Polk (Brandon Jovanovich). Photo by Cory Weaver. |
That said, the elephant in the
room is the unnatural view that Christianity takes toward sexuality. Unable to
admit a perfectly understandable arousal at the sight of a beautiful, naked
young woman, the elders are forced to put on a show of offense for the town and
their horrible wives. They have no choice but to condemn the girl for her
supposedly evil action.
Set designer Erhard Rom fills the
stage with aging timber - walls, decks, ramps - which creates a stark effect.
Karen Kamensek led the orchestra in a thrilling performance. The cast was
directed by Michael Cavanagh.
Through Sept. 21, War Memorial
Opera House, 301 Van Ness, San Francisco. $25-$370, 415/864-3330,
wwwsfopera.com.
Michael J. Vaughn is a 30-year
opera critic and the author of the best-selling Kindle novel The Popcorn Girl, which details the
psychological effects of a toxically religious childhood.
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