This new release from BIS Records is a live recording from
staged performances given on 6th, 7th and 13th
February 2013 at Artists for Humanity EpiCentre, Boston, USA by Boston Lyric
Opera http://blo.org conducted by David Angus www.david-angus.com with David Kravitz (baritone) www.davidkravitz.com in the role of Abraham, Michelle Trainor
(soprano) www.michelletrainor.com as Hagar and Christine Abraham (soprano) www.linkedin.com/pub/christine-abraham/5/560/7b5
as Sarah with David McFerrin (baritone) www.davidmcferrin.com , Neal Ferreira
(tenor) www.nealferreira.com and Samuel Levine (tenor) http://samuellevinetenor.com as the
Three Travellers.
 |
| BIS - 2129 |
Clemency was written in 2009-10 for five singers and string orchestra to a libretto by Michael Symmons Roberts. It is in five scenes and lasts for around 42 minutes. Though set in the present day, Clemency takes its theme from the Biblical story, in the Book of Genesis, of Abraham and Sarah who are visited by Three Travellers who represent the divine presence on earth yet, due to their unpredictability leave Abraham and Sarah wondering whether they were angels of mercy or vengeance.
For Boston Lyric Opera’s production, the opera’s North
American premiere, due to the relatively short duration of the work, it was
decided to pair it with Franz Schubert’s Hagar’s
Lament, prefacing it with a shortened version of the chant from the opening
of the opera. Hagar’s Lament or Hagar’s Klage, D.5, Schubert’s very first song,
takes an original German text by Clemens August Schüking, here sung in English.
We open with Introduction:
Abraham’s Chant a striking vocal chant from baritone David Kravitz, before
the orchestra enters for Hagar’s Lament. Soprano Michelle Trainor as Hagar, a
traveller sings ‘Here on a hill of burning sand I sit, and just across from me
lies my dying child’. She is soon joined by the piano of Brett Hodgdon www.linkedin.com/pub/brett-hodgdon/7/915/ba8
in this most appropriate of Schubert
songs, with Trainor in fine voice, full of passion and emotion, with beautifully
clear diction and moving from fierce emotion to a sudden lighter Schubertian
vein with consummate ease. David McFerrin as one of the travellers has three
short lines including the poignant ‘May blessing be upon the head of this
child’ before the orchestra enters as Hagar cries, ‘Jehova, Jehova, Jehova,
cast your gaze on us.’ The piano continues alone accompanying before another
brief orchestral passage when Hagar sings, ‘But alas, what did the child do to
deserve so much suffering’, concluding on an orchestral passage and running
neatly into the start of the opera with Scene
1 (Sarah, Abraham)
Scene 1 opens with a fuller version Abraham’s Chant, a fine link to bind the whole production together.
Again David Kravitz is superb bringing a Jewish inflection before rising into
the text ‘O Lord, who set the planets turn…I serve until you call me home.’
This leads to a Duet:
‘What is the measure of our years’ where the orchestra joins in some of
MacMillan’s distinctive and most appealing writing. Abraham is joined by
soprano, Christine Abraham as Sarah as they weave this lovely duet of great depth
and given a deep orchestral accompaniment.
In Scene 2 (Sarah,
Abraham, Travellers) Abraham greets the three mysterious Travellers singing
‘No-one can walk far in this heat, Rest here until the cool night’, Kravitz
showing his fine range and flexibility. A dramatic orchestral passage leads to
a striking line for the three Travellers indicating the strange nature of the
figures. There is some really fine orchestral writing full of drama and emotion
as Abraham makes his welcome. A slightly subdued three Travellers; baritone,
David McFerrin tenors Neal Ferreira and
Samuel Levine announce a child for Sarah who laughs and sings over them ‘My
skin is lined, my spine is racked, no child could feed from these old sacks.’ There
is some very fine singing from all three of the Travellers before Abraham asks
‘Who are you Sirs? To speak for God?’
An orchestral passage, full of Eastern flavour, leads to the
Travellers in their ‘Reverie’ as they sing ‘Gold has lost its light’ seemingly
predicting the future suffering of the Jewish people. This is a tremendous
performance from McFerrin, Ferreira and Levine with the orchestra adding to the
increasing passion and drama. How MacMillan weaves his orchestral forces around
the singers is brilliantly done, rising to a tremendous pitch on the words
‘Once-tender mothers have boiled their own sons and eaten their flesh’ before a
hushed ‘This is the ruin of our people.’ The orchestra leads off dramatically,
swirling around and leading to another fine passage as the Travellers utter
chant like phrases slowly descending in power as Abraham and Sarah join in a
beautiful duet ‘Who are these angels?’ only to be quickly overridden by the
Travellers.
However, Abraham and Sarah again sing the duet accompanied
by a lovely solo violin theme. The Travellers again chant, building in power
against an increasingly agitated orchestra in a tremendous section. Before the
end of the scene Abraham and Sarah become more agitated in the singing of
‘Where have they come from’.
The strings of the Boston Lyric Opera orchestra continue
with their agitated theme, often pounding out phrases where Sarah, sings the dramatic
‘Three strangers bring a gift to me…Where time was lost, Believe, I live…’. Hovering
between excitement and manic drama, the orchestra drives on with Christine
Abraham achieving some very fine high notes. The music quietens as we are led
into Scene 3 (Sarah, Abraham, Travellers,
Hagar).
Abraham asks quietly and tensely, ‘Who are you?’ They make no
satisfactory reply, saying,’ Goodbye. Now we have work to do.’ Abraham, with
increasing concern, asks ‘Dressed and armed like that? What for?’ As the Travellers
tell of terrible deeds that will occur, Michelle Trainor as Hagar, sings ‘This
is terrible’. A fretful Sarah sings ‘No answer, no answer, no answer, Sirs?’ to
which the Travellers, picking up their bags to leave sing, ‘‘Your tree is
beautiful, its shade, A pool for thirst.’
As we are taken into Scene
4 (Sarah, Abraham, Travellers) Sarah runs in front of the Travellers as
they try to leave. The Travellers sing, ‘We
cannot discuss our plans…’ Sarah tells them,’ But now you talk like murderers!’
A scurrying orchestra accompanies the questions that Abraham and Sarah put to
the Travellers concerning how many acts of selflessness would save the towns, rising
in drama and desperation with fine singing and a terrific melodic string
passage that leads into Scene 5 (Sarah)
This scene gives us Sarah’s lament: ‘Months from now, with a
babe in my arms…I will sing, among the leaves, new songs of gratitude and
terror, rescue and loss…’ a lovely, beautiful but intense aria, brilliantly
sung, revealing Christine Abraham’s lovely
rich lower range as well as her superb upper range.
Though I still have my doubts about the inclusion of
Schubert’s song, the MacMillan opera is superb, always gripping, often
uncomfortable. The sound is not always sympathetic to the voice and piano alone
but, otherwise, this is a very clear and fine recording of a live performance. There
is some stage noise as would be expected.
There are excellent booklet notes and full English texts.
No comments:
Post a Comment