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| Cesar Mendez-Silvagnoli, Danielle Messina & Marco Cammarota in The King's Man. Photo – Jan Abbot Photography. |
The King’s Man / Danse Russe
Composed by Paul Moravec
Written by Terry Teachout
Directed by David Roth
Conducted by Kimcherie Lloyd
Reviewed by Annette Skaggs
Entire contents are copyright © 2013 Annette Skaggs. All
rights reserved.
First of all, I want to applaud the Kentucky
Opera in that they are allowing composers and librettists a place to showcase
their works in an effort to introduce the opera-listening audience to
contemporary pieces of music. It is a fabulous idea for performance workshops
and the development of new works and allows the audience to have a glimpse into
what it is like for the creative process to begin to unfold.
This past weekend the Kentucky Opera introduced the
Louisville audience to two one-act pieces: The
King’s Man and Danse Russe, both
by Paul Moravec, with libretti by Terry Teachout. The King’s Man is practically right out-of-the-box brand new, while Danse Russe
was premiered two years ago at Center City Opera. I will be the first to admit
that my musical tastes for opera lean more towards the classics, but I remain
open and appreciate newer music as well. As you hear on WUOL often, even the
classics were once new.
As I stated, The King’s Man is new; and, knowing this, I went into the performance
with a different mindset. The stage is rather bare, save for a table and some
chairs, two monitors on the side of the stage for supertitles, and a projection
screen that served as an always-changing backdrop of important documents and
portraits and photographs. The story is of the tenuous relationship between
Benjamin Franklin and his illegitimate son William. William left America and
served under the very same King George III that America was fighting, thus
making William “The King’s Man” and causing such a rift between father and son
that B. Franklin had his son arrested for treason. After William’s release, the
father and son saw each other only once in an attempt at reconciliation. Unfortunately,
that did not occur and the opera explores what that last meeting could have
been like, based on historical truth.
It was apparent from the beginning aria from
Mary (Danielle Messina), William’s fiancée, that this was going to be a dramatic
opera as she sang of William’s anger and melancholy and her wish to help him
feel better. As William (Marco Cammarota) enters, he paces the floor while
glancing at the marble bust of his famous father staring at him, and he is even
more distressed because of the imminent arrival of his father. Benjamin (Cesar
Mendez-Silvagnoli), with a cane in his right hand, enters, and after some
pleasantries the argument starts almost immediately. And most of this back and
forth was recitative. Although there were some lovely solos and duets, I felt
that the recitatives were highlighted more. As confident as the singing was
from Mendez-Silvagnoli and Cammarota, they were at times rather stiff in their acting.
But again, this is a work in progress. The star duet of The King’s Man came from a boy soldier (Aidan Arnold) and William
singing about saying prayers after learning of the passing of William’s first
wife. Absolutely a beautiful if not haunting tone was coming from this young
man’s voice, and I hope to hear more from him in the future. I look forward to what I could hear to be a
diamond in the rough to be shined up even more and presented again and again.
The second piece, Danse Russe, was a delight. As I stated earlier, this comic opera
was debuted two years ago, but through Kentucky Opera’s program, as with many
new-ish, newer pieces, there is always room for tweaking. In my opinion, not
much else needs to be done to this little piece of fun. As the curtain rises, we
see another sparse stage, the same projection screen as before, a ballet barre,
a piano and a conductor’s podium. This story is about the creation of
Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” and the persons involved in its first performance
and what happened that evening. We are introduced to Igor (Brad Raymond), who at
this time is working for Sergei Diaghilev (Christaan Smith-Kotlarek), the
producer of Paris’ Danse Russe and the company’s premier ballet artist and
Sergei’s lover Vaslav Nijinsky (Sergio Gonzalez) and conductor Pierre Monteux
(John Arnold). Stravinsky’s inspiration for “Rite” was on the heels of a visit
to Mother Russia. Upon the first examination of the draft, his colleagues were
not impressed; but through some convincing it was performed and was a flop the
first night, insomuch that police were called in because of the mob-like
mentality of the attendees.
Of course we now know “The Rite of Spring” as
one of the most recoded and played pieces of music written, and it is unmistakable
whenever heard.
As with “Rite” I can honestly say I could
listen to Danse over and over again. The
harmonies shared among Brad, Christiaan and Sergio were at times ethereal; and
when those trios became quartets with the addition of John, well let’s just say
that I was entranced.
I was very glad to hear many of the same
Kentucky Opera Young Artists performing under the esteemed baton of Kimcherie
Lloyd, who led a small University of Louisville orchestra. Some of the
highlights of Danse were in the
portrayal of the story in a vaudevillian like manner, complete with an easel
set up downstage left that allowed for a lovely card girl to place cards
announcing the changing of the acts, complete with whistling sounds and sliding
notes accompanying her. Also, cheers to Director Michael Ramach for showing off
those nostalgic ways in his staging and even allowing the principals to do a
little dancing reminiscent of soft shoe.
Overall, the operas were night and day, one
heavy, one light, and planned to be like that, similar to Cav/Pag. I truly look
forward to the growth potential that is King’s
and to see what little things may be done to Danse,
but absolutely an educational and fun afternoon of Opera.
The King’s Man / Danse Russe
October 11 & 12, 2013
Kentucky Opera and University
of Louisville School of Music
Margaret Comstock Hall
University
of Louisville
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