Monday, July 26, 2010

Score Study: Impressions of Character for Act II (based on a second reading of the libretto)

L’elisir d’amore

Act II



Act II commences with Belcore reaffirming his preoccupation with women and wine, and Adina’s wish to torment Nemorino. 

Dulcamara’s duet with Adina is, of course, an appropriate commentary on the relationship between Adina and Nemorino; albeit accidentally selected by the character.  Explore the diction directions given by Castel regarding Tredenti.  Dulcamara relishes in the compliments of the crowd and feels perfectly comfortable in proclaiming himself a “professor [master] of all the arts” (including singing). 

The arrival of the notary makes Belcore happy, but Adina’s only verbal reaction is again being angrily upset that Nemorino is not there.  It seems almost surprising that Belcore is attentive enough to notice something is not quite right with her, although he does not pursue any further when she answers that nothing is wrong.  There might be an opportunity for comic indifference on Belcore’s part here.

Although he arrives after the Adina and Belcore have left with the notary, Nemorino did, in fact, see the notary and arrives distraught.  With “voi qui, dottore!”, is Nemorino surprised to see the doctor, or simply relieved?

Dulcamara obviously sees the opportunity for another sale of elixir, but more importantly feels a pressure to get himself away as quickly as possible.  Obviously the prospect of making the sale before his getaway is more enticing than simply telling Nemorino he has no more elixir, or that it cannot work so quickly. 

Why does Belcore enter alone?  Obviously he is puzzled and unhappy that Adina has asked to postpone until the evening, but it begs the question as to how that scene unfolded.  The two left with the notary and a crowd of well wishers, so what happened and how did it transpire?  Just how embarrassed, angry, humiliated…is Belcore at this moment?  If nothing else, his ego has surely taken a critical blow, despite being convinced still that Adina loves him.  Perhaps in his interaction with Nemorino he does see an opportunity to make himself feel better by feeling he may bully the idiot boy.  When describing the joys of consorting with the “vivandieres”, how much is a persuasion tactic and how much is genuine on Belcore’s part?  Considering how easily Belcore lets Adina go later, it seems he must be perfectly happy with the lifestyle he is describing to Nemorino.

Discuss with Michael whether or not to insert “sai scrivere?/No./Bestia!”  It is not necessary, but could be used to better define the emotional state of the characters in the moment.

When Nemorino says “you don’t know who has caused me to take this step”, etc.., is he speaking to Belcore?  Does Belcore really have no idea of Nemorino’s obsession with Adina?  He seems not to care about it, but if Belcore is known so well to all in the town, including Nemorino and Adina then surely he must be aware.  After all, Belcore just said “I’ve recruited my rival.”  Perhaps this is Nemorino’s own naïveté at play again.

Giannetta’s dialogue in this opera does not give us a lot of information about her, so most will have to be provided with imagination and the construction of a back-story.  She tells her friends to keep secret the fact that Nemorino has become wealthy, obviously because she intends to make a play for him now herself.  Yes, she does not appear to be threatened enough by her friends to want to keep it secret from them. 

Very interesting that Dulcamara, of all people, is the first to think the most logical explanation for Nemorino’s sudden popularity is his elixir for Bordeaux.

Giannetta and the other girls seem to display a bit of venom toward Adina once they realize she remains their primary rival for Nemorino’s affections.  Seems obvious as to why, but interesting to see “costei s’immagina d’aver l’omaggio”.  Seems a bit catty.

In the dialogue between Dulcamara and Adina, is Dulcamara convinced now of the power of his elixir or not?  He seems to be, but he is also trying to make a sale.  When she fails to fall for it, he does say “she is more clever than you.”  Adina, rightfully, knows that the “elixir [which owns Nemorino’s heart] is her face and in her eyes”.  She seems truly relieved to know that Nemorino still swoons for her only, but her sudden proclamations of love for him hardly can succeed in making us forget all she has said before. 

Nemorino does, at least momentarily, enjoy the idea that, for once, he has made Adina feel a pang of jealousy.  He wishes to continue playing the indifferent one until she confesses her love to him.  It works. 

Once Belcore dismisses Adina, Dulcamara is quick to jump on an opportunity to sell the elixir.  Does Belcore fall go for it as all the villagers do?  If he did, it could be an excellent underlining of his “true” insecurity.  Perhaps, in the flurry of activity, to ask Dulcamara to discretely slip him a bottle.[?]  Dulcamara, in fact, replies to Belcore’s comment that the world is full of thousands of women by saying “Ve lo dara questo elisir d’amore [they will be given to you with this elixir of love]”.  This is obviously directed to Belcore.  Dulcamara then continues the pitch by saying the elixir makes even the most hideous creatures attractive.  Is this also intended as a subtle shot at Belcore??? I hope so!

Q:  In the subsequent praises of Dulcamara, what does Adina mean when she said “per lui solo io son felice!” ?  It is clear that Nemorino credits the doctor for his winning of Adina, but Adina never seemed to believe in the elixir.  Is she basically thanking the doctor for giving Nemorino the self-confidence that she has now fallen in love with?  Possible. 

Belcore’s final blast might disinherit the idea of him secretly buying a bottle of the elixir for himself, but not necessarily.  He may still wish to reap the advantages of the potion while still cursing Dulcamara for foiling his plans to wed Adina.







            

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Score Study: Impressions of Character for Act I (based on a second reading of the libretto)

L’elisir d’amore

Now that a general overview of each character has been drawn, a second reading of the libretto should reveal more detail about the characters and their interactions with one another.  In this process, we are adding levels of understanding by being more aware of the details we encounter in the dialogue and stage direction.  It should be noted that, once again, we are reading ONLY the libretto and not consulting the score.  Once we have uncovered our understanding of these characters through their words, we will then turn to the score to reconcile or rethink our observations based on the composer's interpretation of text and circumstances.

 Notes for Act I

Nemorino: Hopeless romantic.  Generally lacking in self-confidence considering his self-deprecating remarks (eg. “I’m always an idiot”, “I’m not good enough”).  What is the extent of previous interaction between N. and Adina? She obviously knows who he is and something about him since she speaks to him with familiarity and knows about his rich uncle. 

Adina:  Clearly independent, well educated and well spoken.  She is intentionally the “photo-negative” of Nemorino.  So perhaps this can be played up in various ways (clothing, body-language, general appearance, diction [?]).  The opening scene establishes the contrast between these two in that he confesses to being “un idiota” and she, in fact, is engrossed in reading (and telling) the story of Tristan. 

Q:  To what extent, and in what manner, should Nemorino’s own lack of confidence be exhibited in how he sings?

Q:  Any significance in the words “belta crudele” in Adina’s reference to Isolda? A. is, in fact, reading – so the words are not her own.  Still, in this brief passage, Isolda is called “cruel” twice.  Surely meant to reflect Adina’s own character, but probably should not be unnaturally emphasized.

Belcore:  What to make of his apparent knowledge of Greek mythology?  Do the villagers understand his reference?  Is it a legitimate knowledge, or simply a nugget he uses for self-serving purposes?  His arrogance certainly knows no bounds and so it is easier to assume he is not particularly well read; although he is literate.

Adina’s first reaction to Belcore is a sarcastic “e modesto” to the chorus.  I suspect, however, that Giannetta and the chorus are more awestruck by Belcore’s flash than really aware of Adina’s attitude.  Therefore, their “si, davvero” should be with full enthusiasm.

Belcore’s ego is enormous; but he seems far less refined than he believes.  His aria should, perhaps, be full of flash and testosterone, but maintain its rough edges. 

Double entendre on “non v’ha bell ache resista alla vista d’un cimiero”?  Examine this musically to see.

Great difficulty in connecting to characters with any depth in this work.  Perfect example being Belcore’s marriage proposal after first seeing Adina, AND considering she hasn’t yet said a single word to him directly.  Perhaps some believability if we assume they are not meeting for the first time but, perhaps, he flirts with her on a regular basis and this whole act is really nothing new.  In fact, there might be some good opportunity then to allow his pleadings of love to be a bit more exaggerated. However, Adina’s reaction with “vedete di quest’uomini…non e si facile Adina a conquistar” almost suggests she is not so accustomed to this from Belcore.  I think this relationship can be played in different ways, so need to get a read from S.D. regarding this.  Still, why does Adina say she’d like to think over his proposal, rather than just saying ‘no’, if she really is indifferent to him?

Nemorino admits that he is too timid to approach Adina and is in awe of Belcore’s confidence and swagger.

Ah! The chorus and Giannetta seem to be well aware of Belcore’s “act” as they comment it would be crazy if Adina (the clever old fox) actually fell for it.  SO – revise the thought about their earlier “si, davvero”.

Belcore is so confident about himself that her simple agreement to allow his soldiers to rest in the shade and offer him something to drink implies, to him, her devotion to him “io gia sono della famiglia”.

Nemorino does take up the courage to talk to her, with his “usual sighs”….so what is it he believes himself to be so ‘timid’ about?  He is not too shy to talk to her, so it must be more his lack of self-confidence that he sees Belcore displaying.

How does Adina speak to him?  Is it with a genuine annoyance or something more playful?  If it is annoyance, is it due to him or to an annoyance with Belcore that she snaps at Nemorino?  I suppose she must, at the very least, bit a bit tired of Nemorino as, in all likelihood, these really are the same words and sentiments.  Take ‘no’ for an answer already!

Adina speaks very frankly to Nemorino.  She really can’t be accused of lying or manipulating him.  This is, I suppose, an admirable trait and explains why she must get tired of his constant approaches.  But despite this, she is rather passive-aggressive and takes the opportunity to not only suggest his efforts are in vain, but to deliberately hurt him by suggesting he could never woo her like Belcore.

Adina tells Nemorino that she cannot be satisfied; and that there isn’t “a whim that doesn’t die as soon as it is aroused.”  N. attentively asks her why that is.  It may be the most probing question anyone asks in this opera!  Does Adina’s attitudes regarding her “fickle” and “unfaithful” nature reflect her true awareness of herself or is it just her way of telling Nemorino to “give up loving me”?  Assuming Adina is not genuinely familiar with the principles of Love, Freedom and Aloneness, her advice to love as she does (a new love each day), is surely intended to reveal her as only fickle and lacking a substantial love in her life.  It is possible, if Nemorino is to be played with any depth, that he does recognize that behind such a wall as A. is putting up, there is an opportunity if he can truly grant her something she has not experienced. 

Nevertheless, Adina is an independent woman:  educated, articulate, wealthy, beautiful.  It makes sense that she feels no need to commit herself to a man (even in the day and age) in order to feel complete. At the very least, he seems to have perseverance (stubbornness) on his side.

Entrance of Dulcamara:  The theatrics of his entrance must be as ‘big’ as his personality.  No place for subtlety.

Dulcamara’s first address, in all likelihood, would have a circus-like ring master quality.  Well rehearsed, flashy, etc..   With such colorful and carefully chosen words, surely the color of the language itself needs to be exploited as much as possible. 

Dulcamara has little respect for the people of this, his native region; and even less for Nemorino (“a bigger dimwit I’ve never encountered”).  It’s not entirely clear why Dulcamara would think N. to be unique simply for asking for a love-potion.  Surely amongst all the fake remedies and cure-alls he peddles to people everywhere, this is not the silliest thing for which he’s ever been asked.

When Nemorino and Adina encounter each other again, he exhibits the modest confidence that belief in the elixir instills.  He doesn’t approach Adina as usual, since he recognizes that “tomorrow she will love him”.  However, this unusual behavior on his part disturbs Adina.  Despite the fact that she claimed to be so bored and annoyed by his constant approaches (which she likely was), she reveals now openly that she has a need to be admired and the center of his attention.  The first time he does not approach her, it rather enrages her, causing her to vow that he will have to feel the “weight of his chains heavier than ever before.”  The girl seems to have some issues.  She cannot ignore his apparent indifference and must confront him about it – even challenging him as to whether or not he can follow her advice to actually forget his love for her.

Belcore really betrays his nature when one of his first references to himself is that he uses “pointed weapons in both love and war”.  Seems to say it all. 

*Nemorino observes “E qua il seccator”, implying a familiarity with Belcore.  Castel figuratively translates this as “that nuisance is here again.”  This answers my earlier question as to whether or not Belcore is already known to Adina and everyone else.  Obviously he is a regular, which explains much of the dynamic between Belcore and Adina.  This is nothing new.  [I did not observe this line during my first read-through of the libretto!]

Q:  Is Adina convinced that Nemorino is pretending not to be interested, or genuinely concerned that he really has lost interest?  She confesses her inability to hide her anger over it any longer while, at the same time, Nemorino demonstrates his annoyance with Belcore’s arrogance:  “Gradasso!”

The love-triangle of this preceding scene does seem to define the characters within it.  Adina reveals her need to be the center of attention, even from Nemorino.  She cares nothing for Nemorino’s feelings, only whether or not his suffering is for her.  She takes pride and delight in causing him pain.  Nemorino may or may not be aware of Adina’s nature, but he is convinced of his own Love for her.  His own naïveté is what builds him up.  Belcore is concerned with neither Adina nor Nemorino as much as with admiring himself.

After Gianetta informs Belcore that he and his men must move out in the morning, Nemorino observes that “Adina is upset.”  Adina says nothing, so this must be some sort of visual reaction to the news. 

Adina takes her only pleasure in seeing that Nemorino does become upset when Belcore suggests they should marry ‘today’.  This just fuels Adina, and so she agrees (only to torment N.).

Belcore shows his extreme agitation with Nemorino once N. does beg Adina to postpone until tomorrow.  Belcore knows of no way to deal with Nemorino other than threatening to beat him if he does not go away.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Score Study: First Impressions of Character (based on first read of libretto)

One useful tool in preparing an opera is to read through the libretto at least twice.  After (or during) each read, make notes on the character in order to give yourself a general understanding of what these people are like.  More details should be expected with each read and, of course,  you will develop these characters throughout your study and staging process.  The following are an examples of the minimal impressions you should have after a first read-through of the entire text.


Nemorino: a young peasant: tenor

Whiny, weak.  His peasantry is revealed not only through the fact that he cannot read, but also through his naivety.  His Love is genuine (as much as can be expected in this story) in that his heart never waivers from his affection for Adina, even once all the women of the village throw themselves at him.  Unlike Adina, he does not actually enjoy making her jealous or respond to his indifference.  Instead, he keeps up such an appearance only because he sees it is working to win her affection.  Maybe he’s not a COMPLETE idiot. (?)  Perhaps he realizes, to some extent, that her sickness allows her to love the one who seems to despise her, so he rolls with it just until she finally tells him she loves him. 

 

Adina: a wealthy farm owner: soprano

Unlike Nemorino, Adina exhibits no real redeeming qualities.  She truly delights in making Nemorino suffer. Admitting as much repeatedly, she not only enjoys viewing his anguish over her, but also in actively creating circumstances with which to cause him pain.  Once he feigns indifference to her (and especially once all the other girls take an interest in him), she then reverses her feelings to desire him – even confessing that she must love the one who despises her.  Really nothing likeable about her.  We see nothing of what Nemorino could be in love with, other than physical beauty, I suppose. 

Her interaction with Belcore is ONLY for the purpose of torturing Nemorino.  She actually pays no attention to Belcore’s wishes.

 

Belcore:  a sergeant:  baritone

Pompous ass!  One woman is as good as the next, as far as he is concerned.  In respect to a sense of self-worth, he and Adina sort of deserve each other.  Obviously he is determined to take advantage of her physical attributes by wanting to marry her tonight, even though the regiment is moving out in the morning.  Still, he actually believes Adina loves him – which is why he is perplexed when she asks that the ceremony be postponed until morning.  Although he is working, and selling, he does tell Nemorino that, all in all, he seems like a good lad.  Probably a testament to character considering his position as a regimental leader (i.e., being able to assess character, at least somewhat).  Still, he has and shows no respect for Nemorino whatsoever.  This is consistent with his out-of-control ego.  Once Adina declares love for Nemorino, he just says “no problem. I’ll have thousands of other women to choose from.”

 

Is he a “dumb jock” type?  Must have some sense/wits about him as a leader.  A bully, nonetheless.

 

Dulcamara:  an itinerant quack doctor:  basso-buffo

A traveling salesman who, in this story at least, gets away with it.  Definitely enjoys being the center of attention and takes great pride in being able to outwit/con most people.  Perhaps he is actually a bit disturbed when he acknowledges that, perhaps, Adina is even more clever than him?  I think he takes a genuine interest in the love story with Nemorino; but only more as a curiosity to amuse himself.  Yet, despite his own intelligence, he is the first to really believe his Elixir has some power in the end.

 

 

Giannetta:  a peasant girl:  soprano

Seems very young.  Perhaps experienced in Love, but not necessarily.  Is more fascinated by status and wealth than anything else.  With the townsfolk, is quick to ridicule Nemorino for being dimwitted, and the first to praise him once she realizes he’s come into a large inheritance.  Probably not very experienced beyond casual affairs. She’s likely very attractive and aware of it, but relatively shallow do to her age and lack of any real responsibilities.

L'Elisir d'amore: An Introduction to Role Preparation



Role Preparation:

Preparing an opera role requires much more than just learning notes and words and singing the music well.  The world of opera has change a lot in recent years, and audiences around the world demand much more than beautiful voices.  For that reason, more stage directors from theatre and film are being asked to stage operas because audiences want to see characters that can move and act in a believable way.  The days when a singer could just stand in place and sing an aria are of the past.  So, in order to fit into the future of the opera world, singers must develop their acting abilities and learn to develop their characters with a lot of detail.

There are many things that must be studied to fully understand an opera character and be able to perform that character in a way that will be believable to an audience.   It is the singer’s job to understand how the music and the words are related.  Also, it is important to be aware of any historical aspects that may influence the way you present your character, as these may influence the musical decisions you make.


Materials needed:

Piano/Vocal score (Ricordi edition is preferred)

Full Score (any affordable edition such as Dover or Ricordi study score)

CD Recordings

Libretto which includes both the original Italian text and a good (preferably literal) translation of the text.  (Many CD recordings include a complete libretto with good translation).

 

 

Steps to Preparing Your Role:

1)  Read the libretto (not just a synopsis) in its entirety at least twice.  Do this before doing ANYTHING else!


2)  Translate the entire score

--word for word (which you will write underneath each word of the original). Translate everything your character says AS WELL AS everything your character would overhear other characters saying on stage. (In other words, don’t translate only half of a conversation!)

--in a loose translation of all that is said when you are not on stage:  even if it is not your material, you MUST understand the whole opera to be able to know your character’s place in the story and relationship to other characters.

 

3)  Listen to recordings (always listen to more than one recording!!!)

            --NOT TO LEARN THE ROLE but to get an overview of the opera.

--Follow along with your score. Pay attention to the orchestration and how it will influence/impact your vocal performance (e.g., thick orchestra vs. light orchestral color;pizzicato vs. legato playing from the strings, etc.)

            --Listen/watch videos of the opera in the original language.


4)  Historical Research

--social situation:  Understand the place your character holds in society and what that means with respect to the way you interact with social superiors, equals or underlings. (For example, if your character is a servant, does he/she bow to others? does he/she look a superior in the eyes?)

--literary influences:  Is this work based on a book, a legend or some other kind of story?  If so, how is it similar, or how does it differ from the original or different versions?

--composer:  Who was Donizetti?  What do you know about him, his personality, his life?  What is his musical “style” and what is characteristic about his music?  

--librettist:  Likewise, who was the Felice Romani? Did he write this story?  If not, how did he change the original story?  What was his relationship with the composer?

 

5)  Style

--music What is the appropriate musical style for this work (for example, do we sing using  portamenti, ornamentation,cupa, etc.)?  How do you sing Donizetti differently than Puccini or Massenet?

--physicality what are the physical demands required to safely and effectively sing your role?  (For example, does your character often have to sing while fighting, or crawling on the ground?)

--costumes of the period:  How might your character be dressed on stage and how might this affect your movement/physicality. (For example, are the ladies wearing corsets? If so, how will this affect the way you breathe? Men:  Will you have heavy costumes that require extra strength or breath control?)

--artwork of the period A helpful way to learn the aesthetic of the Classical period is to look at artwork (paintings, sculptures, architecture) from that period.  Often that can tell us some things about the style, people and music.

 

*Questions to answer about your Character:  

Sometimes the libretto/story tells us many things about our characters.  However, sometimes it does not tell us everything we need to know.  When you cannot find information in the libretto, you may be required to either find the answers somewhere else OR to make up the answers for yourself.  While a big part of this program will be helping you to do this, it is important that you already begin to understand your characters as much as possible by asking yourself many of the following questions and finding the answers.  Read through the libretto, maybe the answer is there.  If not, sometimes that historical research will tell us.  If that doesn't work, then just think about your character and decide for yourself.  This will all be very important to how you move on stage, how you act and even how you will sing!

 

--Where did he/she come from?

--How old is he/she?

--What is he/she like?

--How does he/she differ from “original” character (if the work is based on pre-existing story)? 

--How does he/she change during the opera?

--Where is he/she going?

--Where/when does he/she live?

--What are the social structures, standards, expectations of the period?

--What are you based on? (a fictional character? a legend? an actual person?)

--What do the other characters think about you?

--What do you learn as the character develops?

--What does the audience know that you don’t?

--Who are some of the past great interpreters of the role?

--What was their contribution to the role and what special qualities of voice did they have to help the character?.

 

Editions:

Ricordi preferred




Suggested Readings (in Engish):

--The 10th Muse:  A Historical Study of the Opera Libretto by Patrick Smith

--Power Performance for Singers by Shirlee Emmons and Alma Thomas

--Opera as Drama by Joseph Kerman

--The Third Line by Daniel Helfgott

Monday, July 19, 2010

UTOT Brief Update

On behalf of the musical staff of UTOT, I am delighted to welcome Michael McConnell as this year’s interim Director of Opera Theatre.  As you can imagine, the summer months have not given us a lot of time to undertake such a change.  However, I can say that things have gone as smoothly as could be imagined and that we have every reason to expect a wonderful and productive year together.
 
During the past few weeks, he have discussed the repertoire for next season, taking into consideration our present circumstances and concerns.  Specifically:  voice types available to us next year, works that will be manageable by the UT orchestra next season, and works that will fit both programmatic and pedagogical objectives of a UTOT in transition.  We are pleased to announce the 2010-2011 repertoire for UT Opera Theatre:
 
Fall 2010:  Donizetti:  L’elisir d’amore
 
Spring 2011:  Britten:  Albert Herring

Once Prof. McConnell has had an opportunity to relocate to Knoxville, we will meet to discuss planning and strategies for this coming season.  I am thrilled with his foresight, attention to detail and organization and, especially, his interest in continuing to advance the educational objectives of the opera program.  I am excited to offer my assistance to him in his mission and know that we are all in for a rewarding season at UTOT.
 
 
Best wishes and safe travels!
 
See you in August