UBCOperaTONIC

LLOYD DYKK —Fear, paranoia, and prejudice have kindred dynamics and they define what happens in Arthur Miller’s witch-hunt play The Crucible, virtually laying a blueprint for a 1950s political witch hunt.

The time of the play’s creation was ripe for allegories about witchcraft, since Joseph McCarthy and his House Un-American Activities Committee stooges were themselves unwittingly creating a breeding ground for the hysteria of popular opinion. The play saw the light of day in 1952 and in 1961 the opera, which the American composer Robert Ward based on it, came out at New York’s City Opera. The opera has been widely produced in the United States, largely by unpaid university casts like the one mounting the present production at UBC. Student casts are about the only ones that can afford to do justice to so large a production with so many players.

The opera won a Pulitzer Prize, but there’s something poignant about Ward’s early success because little that he went on to write captured any attention—certainly his seven other operas nor his miscellany of orchestral works didn’t. (Ward, born in Cleveland in 1917, was initially going to be here for the production but cancelled.)

The Crucible makes for a long evening and one not without its problems. The music has an all-but-inevitable Aaron Copland–esque, rough-hewn Americanness—Ward studied under Copland—but too much of it sounds tonally diffuse. Still, there are lovely patches, such as the powerful septet in Act 1, and a number of four-square American hymnlike tunes serve to locate the feeling of the opera just where it should be. These felt like oases in a desert.

Also, I think it’s too long. It can’t have been easy for Bernard Stambler to fashion a libretto from Miller’s typically profuse verbiage but even so, what he’s made of it could definitely stand some cutting.

Yet the production, under the direction of Nancy Hermiston, is sound and it looks good. There’s an early American vernacular in its appearance, if not always in the way the actors speak their lines.

As for acting and singing, there’s some very fine work coming out of UBC these days, as this production proves. Reverend Parris isn’t an especially big part but Tony Luca Caruso made it seem big with every gesture and note perfectly placed, and he absolutely looked the part.

Ditto Heather Molloy’s Elizabeth Proctor: this is a majorly promising voice, as are Eden Tremayne (Mary Warren), Heny Janawati (Tituba), and Francesca Corrado (Rebecca Nurse). I was hoping to say The Crucible makes a better opera than a play. It doesn’t. But it was worth seeing it try.

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SHADAN SAUL GUERRERO —As much as I love the spotlight (and believe me I do since I am a soprano!) I would like to take a moment to let the reader know that all of our productions would not be possible without the assistance of a trio of very important people: our coaches!!

Yes, we all know about the voice teachers and conductors and directors but what about the coach? Who is he? And what are his magical powers? You might laugh but coaches are magical! They have a way of teaching us singers all those things we are taught in our voice lessons and sometimes are not able to do right off the bat.  They not only correct our musical mistakes (yes we have some before performance but only a few) but most of all they help us develop the wonderful range of color with which we paint our characters. Coaches –good coaches (and we have some amazing ones)– bring out the best in a singer. They are the ones that through diction, musical detail and vocal knowledge as well as being fantastic pianists teach us singers to reach into our souls and sing the voice of our characters.

UBC has three superb coaches: Richard Epp —who with his wonderful love of vowels and wit bestows his wisdom upon us young singers. David Boothroyd —who teaches us how to make our emotion blossom within the boundaries of meter and perfect rhythms. Michael Onwood —who through his passionate playing and detail to line, perfect diction teaches us how to sing the true voice of a character, teaching us to get to the core and truth of the character.

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REBECCA PAULDING —Tuesday nights are usually pretty quiet on the UBC campus, but last Tuesday night was an exception.  British baritone Simon Keenlyside and his co-recitalist, pianist Malcolm Martineau, stormed the Chan Centre presented by the Vancouver Recital Society, giving the responsive audience a night to remember.  This night also marked Keenlyside’s debut performance in Vancouver, and I was one of the many who experienced some of the most beautiful and rapturous singing ever to descend upon the critical ears and watchful eyes of young and old alike.

Keenlyside is often praised for his dynamic vocal ability.  Although his lyric baritone veers on the lighter side at times, there is “power to spare when he needs it, and an extensive range of beguiling colours” (David Gordon Duke – Vancouver Sun).   Keenlyside’s dramatic and sensitive interpretation of each piece was echoed in Malcolm Martineau’s playing.  Martineau gave just the right amount of tonal support for each phrase, which created a marvelous relationship between singer and pianist.  The mighty duo took the audience on an intimate journey of Mahler, Butterworth, Strauss, Duparc and Debussy.  Keenlyside’s conversation with the audience before launching into his “A Shropshire Lad” set gave new meaning to the English poems, and displayed his passion and dedication in communicating the text.  Martineau’s great attention to detail, and ability to dramatically elaborate during interludes, was clearly evident during Debussy’s “Les Angelus” as well as “Nuit d’étoiles.”  Keenlyside’s physical interpretation was quite natural and somewhat casual, although never distracting from the exquisite poetry or his beautifully spun pianissimo.  Because of this, audience members felt like they were happening upon something totally organic and natural – like a “living room atmosphere.”  Keenlyside and Martineau maintained this “illusion of casual spontaneity” (Duke, Vancouver Sun) throughout the entire evening – which brought about the three standing ovations and encores.  For those who for some reason or other, missed out on this extraordinary display of British talent, a recording was made and will be played by CBC radio on a later date.

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LEAH GISELLE FIELD —Audition season is upon us, and students at the ends of their degree programs are knee-deep in application packages for opera company young artists programs, graduate study, competitions, and summer programs. One of the competition highlights for senior UBC Opera students is the first round of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, taking place at the Vancouver Academy of Music on Sunday, 6 November. Several of us will be singing this year in the hopes of moving on to the second round of competition in Seattle, then the semi-finals in New York City, and ultimately the finals on stage of the Met, supported by their world-renowned orchestra. Each singer comes to the first round of competition with five arias prepared, chooses what they’d like to sing first, and then waits to see what the panel will ask for next. From that sample of two arias judges will choose which singers move on to the next round of this prestigious competition.  Come out to support UBC Opera talent and see who’ll move forward in the footsteps of UBC Opera alumni Rhoslyn Jones, Phillipe Castagner, and of course, Simone Osborne —who will be singing the lead role of Juliet in Vancouver Opera’s upcoming production.

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MATTHEW CHITTICK —Over the past few months, I have spent many hours on Robert Ward’s opera The Crucible. This is a hauntingly beautiful opera based on Arthur Miller’s play of the same name. Most days of the week, I find myself on the stage of the Old Aud, in the shoes of Giles Corey, an old, outspoken farmer from Salem, Massachusetts, in the year of 1692.

Giles Corey is a fascinating character, and I’ve had a great opportunity to do some digging into the historical person himself. Historically, Giles Corey was accused of witchcraft by Ann Putnam, Jr., Mercy Lewis, and Abigail Williams. When tried in court the first time, he refused to plead and was subsequently committed to jail until the next trial a few months later. Again, at this trial, he refused to plead. The legal remedy at the time for refusing to plead was pressing. This is a process where the prisoner is stripped, has a heavy board placed on their chest. Rocks or boulders were then placed on the board, to as great a weight as the prisoner could bear. The prisoner was then to be fed 3 morsels of food on the first day, and three draughts of standing water the second day. This continued until the prisoner either confessed or died.

After two days, Giles was questioned again, from under the weight of the rocks. In answer to all the questions, he simply said “more weight.” This is the only known instance of pressing in New England.

It has been a great experience delving into the character of Giles Corey: this outspoken, hot tempered man, who is at the same time noble and honourable. Trying to recreate the kind of person he might have been, and trying to do it justice, is a daunting task, but I’m enjoying the challenge. With such a wonderful cast of singers around me, it’s impossible not to enjoy it. I think, however, that I’ll skip out on learning what it feels like to be pressed.

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UBC Opera along with Mahony and Sons is giving away two tickets and a 100 gift card to The Crucible! Enter to win through the Georgia Straight Contest page. This prize has a value of 170 dollars! The Georgia Straight is UBC Opera’s media sponsor (check out our advertisements in this week’s and upcoming issues)

Need some help with the skill testing question? Check out the wikipedia page about The Crucible. The contest expires on Wednesday October 26th —so hurry!

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UBC Opera director and University Marshal Nancy Hermiston was honored at The Opera Canada Awards (The Rubies) on Oct. 5 in Toronto, along with Russell Braun and Jacqueline Desmarais in recognition of her outstanding achievements on stage and behind the scenes. She is also a past winner of the Dorothy Somerset Award (2008) and the Killam Teaching Prize (2009/10 academic year). Established in 1999, the Opera Canada Awards celebrate excellence on the stage and behind the scenes by recognizing individual achievements on an annual basis.

Hermiston’s operatic career has taken her throughout Canada, the United States and Europe. Her New York début took place in Carnegie Hall with Marilyn Horne and Mario Bernardi. Her European début led to a permanent engagement with the prestigious Nürnberg Opera. She has held numerous appointments as a voice teacher, as stage director at the Meistersinger Konservatorium, Nürnberg, and at the University of Toronto opera and performance divisions. She founded the UBC Opera Ensemble in 1995 with her appointment as Head of the Voice and Opera divisions in the UBC School of Music.

Congratulations Nancy!

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FRANCESCA CORRADO —My day consists of heading to school for classes, working in the costume shop in the Old Auditorium and running to rehearsals. Does that sound busy? Yes, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. The Crucible is unique for me because I am singing the role of Rebecca Nurse as well as assisting Patricia Smith with the costumes for our production. People often take for granted the manpower needed for the behind the scenes life of a production. Some of the successes of an opera are the blending of beautiful voices and visually stimulating costumes. Working with Patricia has enlightened me on the fine details of costuming that go into making a character more authentic as the audience is transported back in time. I love being onstage but the behind the scenes aspect to a production has always been an interest of mine. I am truly fortunate to have the opportunity to experience life on both sides of the stage. While on summer vacation, I researched the character of Rebecca Nurse, and I discovered she was an actual person who lived during a time when you could be killed for staying true to your beliefs. The Crucible is a chilling and powerful production that should not be missed!

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