UT Opera Offers ‘Middlemarch in Spring’ April 13-15 at the Bijou

 

The University of Tennessee Opera Theatre is taking a break this spring from the staples of the 18th and 19th Century repertoire and is instead exploring the joys and adventure of a contemporary chamber opera based on well known 19th Century literature. Their choice is an interesting one: Middlemarch in Spring, a recent work based on the George Eliot novel Middlemarch, with music by Allen Shearer and a libretto by Claudia Stevens. The work premiered in San Francisco at Z Space in March 2015 and has received additional performances at Charlottesville Opera (formerly Ash Lawn Opera) last year.

Those familiar with the Eliot novel may wonder just how a reasonably lengthy novel with a complex storyline succeeds as an adaptation to a two act opera. Librettist Stevens accomplished this by centering her operatic story on the character of Dorothea Brooke, deleting the parallel storyline of Dr. Lydgate and his wife Rosamond. This allows the plot to focus on the contemporary issues of the privileges of the “haves” versus the “have-nots”, and of greed and self-interest in socio-political contexts. The addition of the word “Spring” in the title indicates not only the focus on a passionate love story but also on political turmoil that feels somehow familiar.

The opera’s two acts are divided into three scenes each with titles that illuminate their significance to the storyline: “The Brookes,” “Honeymoon,” “The Key to All Mythologies,” “Codicil,” “Political,” and “What Everything Costs.”

There are six characters in Middlemarch in Spring, with the four UTOT performances split over a double cast of singers with covers:

Dorothea Brooke: Kayla Beard and Elena Stabile (covers – Elizabeth Stovall and Madeline Hamrick)

Celia Brooke: Leslie Ostransky and Kathryn Shepas (covers – Emily Simmons and Anna Young)

Mr. Brooke: Breyon Ewing

Will Ladislaw: Lee Brandt and Joshua Allen

Edward Casaubon: Ian Bolden and Griffin Hogan Tracey

Sir James Chettam: Brad Summers and James Berkeley Wilson

Although Shearer’s original scoring called for an instrumental ensemble of 11 players, UT Opera will be using a somewhat expanded chamber orchestra with 20 players under conductor Kevin Class.

James Marvel, UT Opera director, is staging Middlemarch in Spring. “My direction has sought to underscore the deeper and darker themes inherent within the piece. If I were to have directed the piece in England, I might have chosen a more restrained style, but this treatment is intentionally more demonstrably emotive specifically for an American audience.”

The composer and librettist will be in Knoxville for the production; the Saturday evening performance will include a pre-opera discussion with Shearer and Stevens from 7 – 7:40 PM. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. for this discussion.