Opera Philadelphia's The Seasons: Earth to Mankind, Come In

The Seasons is the type of factor that may occur when gifted and inventive folks get collectively and have a shared curiosity.  The group will broaden as a imaginative and prescient and its wants materialize and are available into focus, on this case, the manufacturing of a brand new baroque opera centered on the climate.  The assembled group is extraordinary. Let’s check out the opening credit in this system guide for The Seasons (my feedback in parentheses):

Music by Antonio Vivaldi (a draftee by the inventive group, keep in mind the 1700s, although Vivaldi got here to reward the seasons, to not bury them)

Primarily based on “The 4 Seasons” with extra arias and ensembles by Vivaldi (the opera runs an hour longer than Vivaldi’s well-known 4 violin concertos that embrace Spring, Summer season, Autumn, and Winter)

Libretto by Sarah Ruhl (additionally a poet, playwright, and essayist)

Co-conceived by Anthony Roth Costanzo (performer for the primary time whereas additionally normal director/president of Opera Philadelphia) and Sarah Ruhl in collaboration with Pam Tanowitz (choreographer) and Zack Winokur (director)

Developed by SCENE and AMOK

 Then, the contributor listing goes on (earlier than I get to the singer-actors within the opera):

 Conductor – Corrado Rovaris

Music Director: Stephen Stub

Musical advisor: Grant Herreid

Dance Rehearsal Director – Mark Crousillat

Costume Designer – Carlos Soto

Co-costume Designer – Victoria Bek

Co-set Designer – Jack Forman

Co-set Designer – Mimi Lien

Lighting Designer – John Torres

 Properly, what has this group wrought, and does it work in efficiency?  First, let’s set the stage, there are 5 characters gathered at a farm to let the climate and nature spark their creativity, and a further 5 dancers, plus an orchestra and youngsters’s refrain – it’s an opera constructed of current Vivaldi music and arias with a contemporary story and new phrases (and contains some intelligent, environmentally pleasant particular results).  The plan is disrupted because the seasons seem out of order and are marked with climate extremes, as The Cosmic Weatherman foretells within the prologue.  The imaginative and prescient is grand and well timed, the connection between folks and the climate.

 The Poet – Anthony Roth Costanzo

The Farmer – Abigail Raiford

The Cosmic Weatherman – John Mburu

The Performing Artist – Whitney Morrison

Painter – Kangmin Justin Kim

The Choreographer – Megan Moore

Dancers:  Maggie Cloud, Mark Crousillat, Taylor Labruzzo, Brian Lawson, Stephanie Terasaki, Anson Zwingelberg

Whereas each the phrases and music are important to an opera’s success, my private favourite is the music.  If the music is nice, I can forgive lots.  Vivaldi’s music is nice.  Although finest recognized for his musical compositions, he additionally wrote what’s estimated to be over 40 operas, not usually carried out in the present day and lots of misplaced to historical past.  I’ve loved “The 4 Seasons” for many of my life, merely as an excellent hear with energetic and exquisite music.  In getting ready for this opera, I found that the music was composed to replicate sonnets written for every season, maybe by Vivaldi himself.  Vivaldi was making an attempt one thing comparatively new, attaching human sensorial impression to orchestral music, to listen to his music and really feel a connection to the climate.  As OP’s The Seasons is chamber-sized, the Perelman Theater was chosen because the venue, whose pit was crammed with twenty members of the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra, led by Maestro Corrado Rovaris.  The music appeared performed to perfection, absolutely displaying the fantastic thing about Vivaldi’s music and arias whereas including emotion to scenes on stage with out distracting from the motion on stage or competing with the singing.  Kudos to solo violinist Max Tan for wonderful enjoying, and librettist Ruhl is to be cheered for making her story and phrases match so nicely with Vivaldi’s music. 

In the event you like baroque music and melisma in your arias, this opera is for you.  OP assembled an impressive group of singers for this manufacturing, led by world celebrity countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo.  A number of of his arias have been breathtakingly stunning as Vivaldi’s vocal works present an ideal showcase for the arresting emotional presence that’s conveyed by his extraordinary voice.  He’s additionally an completed actor and stage presence who gave a convincing portrait of a troubled poet who falls for The Painter, performed by gifted countertenor Kangmin Justin Kim, who sang nicely as he yields to his emotions and a sizzling relationship with the poet.  There have been many comedian touches within the opera, with soprano Abigail Raiford’s farmer making a salad whereas recording a video for Instagram being a hilarious spotlight; her voice and singing have been additionally highlights.  Whereas these characters in Ruhl’s phrases have been extra attentive to the climate inside them than outdoors them, The Performer, performed by soprano Whitney Morrison, had a clear-eyed view of the altering seasons (“What the hell is it doing snowing in summer time!”).  She sang fantastically, expressing anger and concern, imploring the others to hitch her on the watercraft she had put collectively from rubbish.  Maybe essentially the most sympathetic character was The Choreographer, performed by mezzo-soprano Megan Moore, who was not but able to decide to a relationship with the Farmer due to a latest breakup.  She sang nicely with affecting emotion and have become a particular level of disappointment.

left – The Efficiency Artist (Whitney Morrison). proper – The Farmer (Abigail Raiford). Picture by Steve Pisano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

The Cosmic Weatherman, sung by bass-baritone John Mburu, appeared at the start, a number of occasions throughout the opera, and on the finish to proclaim the damaging interval that local weather change had introduced upon the world and exhorting his listeners to battle, leaving little question concerning the message this opera wished to convey.  A ray of hope amongst losses was provided on the finish when the Commonwealth Youth Choir sang an ensemble piece by Vivaldi fantastically beneath Program Director/Conductor Dominique DeSilva.

The dance aspect, enriching the opera with its portrayal of the climate occasions, was one in every of its most pleasurable points.  The synchronized ballet and particular person performances have been in the precise temper, flowed easily with grace and pinpoint execution, and have been visually stunning.  The opera featured an impressive flute solo by Emi Ferguson whereas dancing on stage with the dancers.  It took me awhile to imagine {that a} dancer was the flutist enjoying the piece with such stunning execution.  Her efficiency was mesmerizing and joyous. 

The staging of the opera used easy units, with a display within the rear, and dropdowns overhead, illuminating place and temper by use of particular results of lighting, projections, and snowflakes and bubbles, used successfully for essentially the most half, barely distracting at occasions – massive cleaning soap bubbles.  Co-creator Costanzo labored with Jack Forman, an MIT doctoral scholar in supplies science, to have particular results that have been environmentally pleasant and protected for the gamers on stage, reminiscent of making snow showers from cleaning soap.  The lighting and projections have been used successfully to painting the seasons gone fallacious.  My favourite was the icicles that hung from strings concerning the stage in several transferring patterns, significantly as an adornment for Costanzo’s soulful singing.  When the opera premiered at Boston Lyric Opera in March, technical points prevented lots of the deliberate particular results from being employed.

The Seasons’ creative leisure was excellent in most regards, and the opera can simply be beneficial for these excessive factors alone.  How nicely it delivered its message of preoccupation whereas outdoors catastrophe looms is open to query, and admittedly, I struggled with this subject.  Director Winokur did an excellent job of structuring the opera’s stream and using the particular results.  Seasons and their climate patterns are a problem to painting on stage, even with the assistance of Vivaldi’s music and the dancing.  The director and libretto did a wonderful job describing the climate inside and outdoors the characters, however for me, much less nicely in portraying the emotional connection between the 2.  The climate was already disjointed because the characters appeared, not one thing new; we didn’t get an opportunity to really feel their connection to nature and its therapeutic results.  If one reads the synopsis, the climate occasions have been there that ought to have emphasised the risk that was constructing, a climate change evoking a lover’s quarrel and a winter storm elevating survival as a problem.  There have been a whole lot of climate occasions, maybe too many, packed into the final third of the opera that maybe wanted extra dramatic growth.  Additionally, within the libretto far more was defined than I may soak up watching and listening with a lot happening, music, singing, performing, and particular results as a number of climate occasions exerted themselves.  Viewing this, for no matter causes, I used to be extra involved with what was occurring to the characters within the second than experiencing a way of loss and impending doom; the emotional middle of the opera was the climate inside, for me.  

The Seasons was a pleasure to attend, and I undoubtedly wouldn’t wish to have missed this extraordinary meeting of expertise. I’m undecided that viewing the opera will awaken many from what librettist Ruhl describes as their helpless numbness when confronting local weather change.  My spouse disagrees, and the Cosmic Weatherman did his finest to boost consciousness – and I hope I’m fallacious.  Personally, I went dwelling feeling extremely entertained by the nice music, singing, dancing, and compelling particular person tales in addition to the atmospheric snowflakes and bubbles. However maybe, my sense of doom over the longer term arising from international warming was already substantial, and my sense of helplessness too robust for the Cosmic Weatherman alone to penetrate.

The Fan Expertise: Performances of The Seasons have been scheduled for December 19, 20, and 21 within the Perelman Theater and have been bought out.  The opera was sung in English, Italian, and Latin with supertitles in English.  The opera lasted a little bit over two hours, together with a 20-minute intermission.  A pre-opera dialogue was held one hour previous to efficiency with Lily Kass and visitor Jack Forman.

Subsequent up for Opera Philadelphia is the world premiere of Issues in Sue on February 4, 5, 6, and eight. Choose your value ticketing as little as $11 for any seat stays in impact this season.