Chicago Opera Theater is faithful to its slogan: "Opera Less Ordinary". Their last 2009 production, Benjamin Britten's Owen Wingrave is exemplary of that tradition.
One is struck almost immediately by the design of COT's production; it's much more elaborate than COT subscribers are accustomed to seeing. Further, set elements move on and off the stage at frequent intervals providing a very fluid setting for the unfolding story. At some points, the movement of some very large set pieces almost seems chaotic. Then, suddenly, the entire scene congeals into a coherent whole with set pieces, singers and actors precisely placed and blocked to advance the story.
Another interesting feature of the production is the use of two supernumeraries whose performance is absolutely essential to the telling of the story. The characters are named simply Father and Boy in the program and are played by Blake Montgomery and Mason Baker respectively. They appear immediately as the curtain rises representing ghosts. They have no speaking parts and yet appear repeatedly throughout the opera as Owen Wingrave struggles with his own self-acceptance. They dominate the stage whenever they appear.
Britten's music is, after all, 20th Century British; Britten's atonality is not my own first choice for an enjoyable evening of music. It is also very difficult for the singers, who must literally memorize and place every note where it belongs with almost no clues based on traditional musical forms. On the other hand, it's impossible to tell if they've incorrectly sung a passage unless one has a score to reference. Occasionally, Britten resorts to a twelve-tone string, but I couldn't identify a twelve-tone string if my life depended on it, so such compositional gymnastics are wasted on me. In Act II, as Owen comes to terms with himself, Britten switches to lyrical, diatonic style, demonstrating that he actually can write major and minor triads when it suits his purposes.
COT is always careful to select superb, rising, young singers for its productions, and Owen Wingrave is no exception. Matt Boehler in the role of Spencer Coyle is especially strong, as is Robin Leggate in the role of Sir Philip Wingrave. Brenda Harris is worthy of mention for both singing and acting the role of Mrs. Julian. Mary Jane Johnson's portrayal of Miss Wingrave also deserves mention.
Finally, the story: Director Ken Cazan's program notes call the opera a distinctly anti-war piece. This is true, but only at the most superficial level. It is true that the character Owen Wingrave refuses to follow the family tradition of becoming an officer and soldier, but closer analysis will reveal that Owen is much more complex than a simple pacifist. He is both courageous and strong in his resolve to pursue his own path away from a military career despite his family's nearly brutal insistence that he uphold the family honor and traditions. But at several points he condemns military men and governments who command them and would have them all executed. These are hardly the words of a pacifist and only illustrate the fact that Owen is perfectly willing to inflict death and destruction providing they advance his own agenda. No, this is not about anti-war and pacifism.
In the final analysis, Owen Wingrave is about one man's search for, and coming to terms with his own plans for his own destiny in the face of brutal opposition from his family. It explores the notion of duty: what is it and to whom is it owed? What are the consequences of nonconformity? When are we justified in taking control of our own destinies, even when that entails depriving others of real or imagined benefits? The questions raised by the opera are both profound and numerous and in the end, none are answered. There are, after all, no answers to these questions; there are only personal decisions in the context of personal life experiences. Each individual must face these questions, to a greater or lesser degree, and answer them for himself.
The production is superb; the opera is superb; the experience made me sit in my seat for nearly five minutes after the rest of the audience had departed, just turning these kinds of thoughts over in my mind. Soon, of course, I realized that I wasn't about to discover answers to these kinds of questions and I left.
Highly recommended.
One is struck almost immediately by the design of COT's production; it's much more elaborate than COT subscribers are accustomed to seeing. Further, set elements move on and off the stage at frequent intervals providing a very fluid setting for the unfolding story. At some points, the movement of some very large set pieces almost seems chaotic. Then, suddenly, the entire scene congeals into a coherent whole with set pieces, singers and actors precisely placed and blocked to advance the story.
Another interesting feature of the production is the use of two supernumeraries whose performance is absolutely essential to the telling of the story. The characters are named simply Father and Boy in the program and are played by Blake Montgomery and Mason Baker respectively. They appear immediately as the curtain rises representing ghosts. They have no speaking parts and yet appear repeatedly throughout the opera as Owen Wingrave struggles with his own self-acceptance. They dominate the stage whenever they appear.
Britten's music is, after all, 20th Century British; Britten's atonality is not my own first choice for an enjoyable evening of music. It is also very difficult for the singers, who must literally memorize and place every note where it belongs with almost no clues based on traditional musical forms. On the other hand, it's impossible to tell if they've incorrectly sung a passage unless one has a score to reference. Occasionally, Britten resorts to a twelve-tone string, but I couldn't identify a twelve-tone string if my life depended on it, so such compositional gymnastics are wasted on me. In Act II, as Owen comes to terms with himself, Britten switches to lyrical, diatonic style, demonstrating that he actually can write major and minor triads when it suits his purposes.
COT is always careful to select superb, rising, young singers for its productions, and Owen Wingrave is no exception. Matt Boehler in the role of Spencer Coyle is especially strong, as is Robin Leggate in the role of Sir Philip Wingrave. Brenda Harris is worthy of mention for both singing and acting the role of Mrs. Julian. Mary Jane Johnson's portrayal of Miss Wingrave also deserves mention.
Finally, the story: Director Ken Cazan's program notes call the opera a distinctly anti-war piece. This is true, but only at the most superficial level. It is true that the character Owen Wingrave refuses to follow the family tradition of becoming an officer and soldier, but closer analysis will reveal that Owen is much more complex than a simple pacifist. He is both courageous and strong in his resolve to pursue his own path away from a military career despite his family's nearly brutal insistence that he uphold the family honor and traditions. But at several points he condemns military men and governments who command them and would have them all executed. These are hardly the words of a pacifist and only illustrate the fact that Owen is perfectly willing to inflict death and destruction providing they advance his own agenda. No, this is not about anti-war and pacifism.
In the final analysis, Owen Wingrave is about one man's search for, and coming to terms with his own plans for his own destiny in the face of brutal opposition from his family. It explores the notion of duty: what is it and to whom is it owed? What are the consequences of nonconformity? When are we justified in taking control of our own destinies, even when that entails depriving others of real or imagined benefits? The questions raised by the opera are both profound and numerous and in the end, none are answered. There are, after all, no answers to these questions; there are only personal decisions in the context of personal life experiences. Each individual must face these questions, to a greater or lesser degree, and answer them for himself.
The production is superb; the opera is superb; the experience made me sit in my seat for nearly five minutes after the rest of the audience had departed, just turning these kinds of thoughts over in my mind. Soon, of course, I realized that I wasn't about to discover answers to these kinds of questions and I left.
Highly recommended.
Owen Wingrave
An Opera in Two Acts based on the short story by Henry James
By Benjamin Britten & David Matthews
Libretto by Myfawy Piper
Chamber reduction by David Matthews
Chamber reduction by David Matthews
Conducted by Steuart Bedford; Directed by Ken Cazan
Harris Theater for Music and Dance at Millennium Park, Chicago, Illinois
May 16, 20, 22, 24, 26, 2009
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