THE HERO
Some years ago, when Leonard Bernstein was still discussing such things, I asked if he considered his West Side Story to be an opera. “No,” he said. “And for one very simple reason: the most dramatic moment in the show–where Maria delivers her indictments to all involved in the tragedy–is spoken, not sung.” If we accept Bernstein’s definition of opera as drama that is completely sung, then works such as Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera are operas, not musicals.
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
With that in mind, how do we label the works of Gian Carlo Menotti? Using Bernstein’s definition, Menotti’s works are clearly operas. Supporting that claim are two facts: they are scored for trained voices, and in terms of vocal line they owe much to the Italian verismo tradition. Beyond that, there is not much that is operatic about the works of Menotti. They emphasize recitatives rather than arias, and their subject matter and libretti–always the composer’s own–are usually contemporary and given journalistic rather than poetic treatment.
The Chicago Chamber Opera production, luckily, features a fine assemblage of local talent. Baritone Jan Jarvis played the befuddled sleeping man with great style, always looking as if he just got up and doesn’t know what’s going on. He sang well and was always clearly understandable. Soprano Carol Loverde, as his cousin, had her usual bright, attractive voice and a stage presence to match. Unfortunately, her beautiful singing often got in the way of her being understood. Likewise, the performance of mezzo-soprano Susan Hofflander was splendid, but she was difficult to understand. Buffo tenor William Watson as Dr. Brainkoff and baritone John Payonk as the mayor were both in good voice. Payonk stole the show with his feeble attempts to entertain the townspeople with his corny one-liners.
