Opera. Colorful lyrics sung to memorable melodies accompanied by a full orchestra. As an art form, one conjures up elaborate sets, stunning costumes, busty divas and tenors whose voices resonate with clarity and brilliance. I love Verdi’s La Traviata or Nabbuco, Bizet’s Carmen, Moazart’s Le Nozze di Figaro or Don Giovanni and who can ever forget the Soldier’s Chorus from Gounard’s Faust or the Pilgrims Chorus from Wagner’s Tannhäuser?
Last night I attended Philip Glass’s world premier of Appomattox. Unlike most operas, it opens without an overture. Perhaps it is better that it didn’t and the first piece , sung by a diva who protrayed Julia Dent Grant, laments the sorrowful war and the effusion of blood. The music itself was sorrowful. While many of the lyrics were historically accurate, the music was uninspirational and only two pieces appealed to my auditory senses. One was the men’s chorus off-stage singing of Tenting on the Old Camp Ground. The lyrics were changed slighty but it was beautifully sung. The other was by the soldiers of the First Arkansas (Colored) as they entered Richmond. I thought the band played Dixie but hey, it’s artistic license at work here. While I’ve no ability to write a note myself, it would have been better to put the lyrics to some popular tunes of the time. Old composers took freely from folk music and popular songs to write their own. I wish Glass had.
Lee was the dignified Virginia gentleman that we think of him as. Grant was the failure slob turned hero-general. Lincoln the troubled president anxious for the reunification of the Union. In one touching scene in Richmond, an emancipated slave woman kneels before him and Lincoln raises her up, instructing her to kneel only before God. Mary was Mary and in one scene, wanted General Ord dismissed for her being seen with Julia Grant in the same carriage together. Julia’s hat was not to Mary’s liking and Mary was embarassed by it. That was about the best laugh in the opera. McClean is featured in the end as it was his house the surrender took place. He is assured by the Confederates that his house would be preseved. As we know, it was looted in the end.
Civil Rights of the 1870s and 1960s comes into Appomattox to show that all that was fought for by the USCT were not attained until much much later. The “N” word raises its ugly head too several times (and is sung by several Afro-American performers too). While historically correct, they could have used “negro” instead.
On the costumes, I must limit my comment as I’m no stitch counter. The trousers of the Union soldiers didn’t seem the right shade of blue(at least of what I’ve seen in museums). One soldier’s salute struck me as odd as his legs were shoulder width apart and not something that would be found in Hardee’s or Casey. Their long arms were flintlocks (as if anyone bothered to use their glasses) and the same replicas were carried by both sides (flintlocks are pardonable considering budgetary restraints). Not all soldiers had cap boxes but who needs caps when you’ve got flint? The set itself was very cold and metallic. The floor (above the stage) appeared like the grating you’d find on a sidewalk. Much of the backdrop had a brushed stainless look and with a long ramp, made you think you were peering inside the hull of a ship instead of looking at the streets of Richmond.
Please remember I’m no opera critic, can’t tell an A-flat from a high-C and can barely distinguish between a violin and a viola. Finally, there’s Yankee Doodle and all those other tunes.
(edited to add link) Click on this link to read what a real opera critic says:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...sn=001&sc=1000
CivilWarTalk.com -
A free and friendly Civil War community. 
Linear Mode
