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1980 American opera in three acts by Margaret Garwood
| Rappaccini's Daughter | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Margaret Garwood | |
| Librettist | Margaret Garwood |
| Language | English |
| Based on | "Rappaccini's Daughter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1844) |
| Premiere | 23 November 1980 (1980-11-23) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
Rappaccini's Daughter is an English-language American opera in two acts first presented in 1980. The composer and librettist was was Margaret Garwood, who based it on Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1844 short story of the same name. The opera is a Gothic story about a doctor whose work with poisons has made his daughter's touch deadly.
The Pennsylvania Opera Theater gave the world premiere in a concert version at the Philadelphia College of the Performing Arts's Theatre 313 on November 19, 1980.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).
Composition and premiere
Garwood published an article on difficulties she encountered in composing the opera. "One such problem was how to retain the color of Hawthorne's language without making it sound stilted. Consequently, words such as 'whence,' 'thou,' 'would'st,' and so forth, though beautiful when spoken, could tend to sound archaic when sung."Garwood also observed "the problem of how to bring out certain twentieth-century psychological insights implicit in the story without ruining the particular nineteenth-century flavor of the work. The solution, I think, lies in a deep concern for the dramatic and musical integration of the text."
Rappacini's Daughter was commissioned by the Pennsylvania Opera Theater as the first world premiere presented by the company.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).
Only after funding was secured did the Pennsylvania Opera Theater commission Garwood to compose the orchestration. Grants came from the National Opera Institute and the National Endowment for the Arts. Silverstein, who conducted both the concert and stage versions, described the form of the opera in the completed form: "through-composed with arias, duets, and a trio. There is no chorus, and the orchestration is strings, pairs of winds (including some interesting color instruments such as a contrabassoon and bass clarinet), percussion, and harp." The staged version was presented in 1983 at the Trocadero Theatre in Philadelphia to a sold-out run.
William Ashbrook in Opera gave a mixed review, praising Garwood's "gift for . . . atmospheric orchestration and . . . lyrical vocal lines," but overall calling it "an opera of authentic promise rather than assured fulfillment." Ashbrook faulted Garwood for not cutting through more of Hawthorne's "tangled allegory with its cumbersome symbolism and ornate 19th century diction," while praising the singers and the production design. The review in The New York Times was more favorable, observing "the composer has captured the lure of the garden in her music and tamed the dangers of the subject with an intelligently made libretto."<ref>Rothstein, Edward (May14, 1983). "Opera: Rappaccini Opens". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. 17. {{cite news}}: |section= ignored (help); Check date values in: |date= (help) Garwood wrote a "conservative, lyrical score approached its themes in the style of both DeBussy and Berg." The Times also praise the conducting, the singing, and the production itself.
There were five performances beginning on May 6; the others were May 8, 10, 13, and 15. Maggie L. Harrer directed and choreographed with sets and lighting by Quentin Thomas, and costumes by Laura Drawbaugh. The cast was Michael Ballam as Giovanni, Jean Bradel as Beata, Ralph Bassett as Dr. Rappaccini, Jeanne Haughn as Lisabetta, and Barry Ellison as Professor Baglione.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Theatre 313, 1980 Conductor: Barbara Silverstein |
Trocadero Theatre, 1983 Conductor: Barbara Silverstein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Rappacini | Bass-baritone | James Butler | Ralph Bassett |
| Beata Rappacini | soprano | Heather McCormick | Jean Bradel |
| Giovanni Guasconti | tenor | Michael Ballam | Michael Ballam |
| Lisabetta | Harriet Harris | Jeanne Haughan | |
| Baglioni | Gregory Powell | Barry Ellison | |
| Sister Plant | Speaking role | Dorothy Ann Cardella | Jeanne Haughan |
See also
- The Garden of Mystery, a 1925 Opera by Charles Wakefield Cadman based on the same source material.
- The Poisoned Kiss, or The Empress and the Necromancer, 1936 opera by Ralph Vaughn Williams based on the same source material.
- La hija de Rappaccini, 1991 opera by Daniel Catán based on the same source material.
- Rappaccini's Daughter, a list of other operas based on the same source material.
Notes
References
- Garwood, Margaret (June 1997). "In Search of a Libretto" (PDF). IAWM Journal. 3 (2). Wynnewood, Pa.: International Alliance for Women in Music: 14–15. ISSN 1082-1872.
- ^ Garwood 1997, p. 15.
- ^ Silverstein 1997, p. 12. sfn error: no target: CITEREFSilverstein1997 (help)
- ^ Silverstein 1997, p. 13. sfn error: no target: CITEREFSilverstein1997 (help)
- Ashbrook, William (October 1983). "Philadelphia". Opera. Vol. 34, no. 10. London: Opera Magazine, Ltd. pp. 1122–24. ISSN 0030-3562.
{{cite magazine}}: Check|issn=value (help) - Ashbrook 1983, p. 1122.
- ^ Rothstein 1983, p. 17.
- ^ Hamilton 2011, p. 138.
- ^ Hamilton 2011, p. 94.
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