Anthropocene
| Opera dates | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Anthropocene |
| Shape: | Opera in three acts |
| Original language: | English |
| Music: | Stuart MacRae |
| Libretto : | Louise Welsh |
| Premiere: | January 24, 2019 |
| Place of premiere: | Theater Royal , Glasgow |
| Playing time: | about 2 hours |
| Place and time of the action: | Present, in the north of Greenland |
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Anthropocene is a three act opera by Stuart MacRae (music) with a libretto by Louise Welsh . It premiered on January 24, 2019 at the Theater Royal , Glasgow.
action
first act
The action of the opera takes place shortly before the end of the arctic summer in northern Greenland on the research vessel Anthropocene. An expedition financed by the major entrepreneur Harry King is researching the origins of life in the ice there. In addition to King himself, the members include the expedition leader Professor Prentice and her husband Charles, the captain Ross, the marine engineer Vasco and King's daughter Daisy as a photographer. The journalist Miles accompanies the expedition to report on the progress.
While King praises himself and his ship for his venture, Prentice, Ross and Vasco worry about the unusually rapidly falling temperatures. There is a risk that the ship will freeze in the ice and become unable to maneuver. Vasco therefore urges you to leave immediately. With Charles, Daisy and Miles still on the ice to take samples, Prentice has to make a decision: She doesn't want to abandon her husband any more than King wants to abandon his daughter. She hesitates too long and the ship freezes. The others return a little later. They bring a block of ice with a frozen human body on board - the reason for their delay.
King and his daughter admire the northern lights. As the expedition members take a closer look at the block of ice, the frozen person's eyes move. Vasco takes an ax to free her. It is a young woman who is gradually coming back to life.
Miles calls his editor Sara via satellite to exclusively tell her about the significant find. Ross and Vasco are confident that the ship will remain intact until the sea thaws. The young woman is meanwhile recovering in the infirmary, where Prentice, Charles and King look after her and give her their names. After a few stammering attempts, she utters her first word: "Ice" - that is apparently her name. On the phone, Miles continues to praise his story of the century. However, Sara is more interested in a report on the tycoon trapped in the ice. Since this story would be jeopardized by an early rescue of King, Miles sabotages the radio by removing an important component. Prentice discovers that Ice's body survived the time in the ice unscathed - a scientific impossibility. Suddenly, Ice jumps up and runs out of the infirmary on deck, where she meets Miles. Prentice enthusiastically tells the others about her discovery: Ice could be a key to extending human life. Vasco reminds that Ice itself has a right to protection and should not be endangered by the investigations.
Daisy tells Vasco on guard about a dream in which she identified with Ice. Vasco wants to try to repair the defective radio. He and Daisy get closer. After Daisy leaves, Vasco starts work. Miles interrupts him and makes fun of his relationship with the entrepreneur's daughter. A brief fight ensues in which Vasco finds the missing component at Miles. He now knows of its intentions. In his panic, Miles kills the engineer and throws him overboard.
Second act
A few weeks later, Prentice tries to teach Ice some basic geography. Ice explains to her that only blood can melt the ice. The team puzzles over the whereabouts of Vasco. King considers him a traitor and a spy for his competitors. He accuses Ross of having endangered the expedition by his attitude. He thinks Vasco destroyed the radio. Ross, however, insists that Vasco is honest and now certainly dead. Daisy thinks she saw him on the ice in the distance. Miles asks her if his face was bloody. Charles accuses her of hallucinating.
Miles longs for home. The supplies are gradually running out and the suffering on board has become unbearable. To enable the rescue, he wants to pretend to have found the missing component. In this way, he can become the “hero of the day” despite his feelings of guilt.
Third act
Prentice tells her husband that she dreamed of her empty office. Meanwhile she regrets not listening to Vasco: You would have had to leave without Charles and the others. Charles reminds them of the importance of their find, which would put them on a par with Isaac Newton , Marie Curie or Charles Darwin . Prentice points out that if they die in the ice, no one will find out.
Ross notices the signs of a storm. All items must be secured in a hurry.
The storm severely damaged the ship. It is no longer seaworthy. Miles has a vision of the ghostly Vasco. Ross has now become suspicious of him. He remembers Miles' question about whether Vasco's face was bloody and asks him directly if he killed him. Miles denies this. Instead, he blames Ice and a "strange magic" it caused for the disaster. Daisy rejects that.
Ice tells the story of her death. As now, there had been a sudden cold snap and her people were trapped in the ice. In times of need she was chosen as a victim. With vows of love, she held her mother while her father made the sacrifice. Her blood melted the ice and saved her family. By being freed from the ice block, the victim has now been reversed and a new victim has to be elected. When Ross then demands the death of the killer Miles, the latter shows the missing part of the radio and claims that Vasco lost it during his escape. King tears it out of his hands enthusiastically, but then drops it. It breaks.
In their hopelessness they all turn against Miles, who now confesses his act. Despite pleading that it was an accident, Prentice wants to kill him to make up for her earlier hesitation. Ice explains, however, that the sacrifice should not be carried out in this brutal way, but should be done with tenderness, as was the case with her. Still, Miles is killed. Ice flees in horror onto the ice.
When the rescue workers finally approach, Prentice fears the consequences of their deed.
layout
orchestra
The orchestral line-up for the opera includes the following instruments:
- Woodwinds : two flutes (the second also piccolo and alto), two oboes (both also oboe d'amore and English horn ), two clarinets (2nd also bass clarinet ), two bassoons (the second also contrabassoon )
- Brass : two horns , two trumpets , two trombones
- Timpani , percussion (two players)
- harp
- Strings : ten (at least five) violins 1, eight (at least four) violins 2, six (at least three) violas , six (at least two) cellos , four (at least two) double basses
music
Composer MacRae pointed out in an interview that he used a wide range of musical styles. Some sections are completely tonal, others are completely atonal, and there are many intermediate stages. In his opinion, his score combines the traditional operatic forms of arias, duets and trios with suggestive impressionistic sections ("combines the operatic meat-and-veg of arias, duos and trios, with suggestive impressionistic tracts").
Work history
The opera Anthropocene was commissioned by the Scottisch Opera, which also premiered the work. After Remembrance Day (2009), Ghost Patrol (2012) and The Devil Inside (2016), this is the fourth collaboration between the Scottish composer Stuart MacRae and the British writer Louise Welsh and the first full-length opera between the two.
Sources of inspiration for MacRay were the films Alien and Sunshine , in which the idea of the outsider entering an isolated group was thematized, and for Welsh Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein with the final ice scene, as well as Shakespeare's play The Tempest . The Danish documentary Ekspedionen til verdens ende (German: The Expedition to the End of the World ) from 2013 also provided important ideas. Central themes of the opera are the current climate change and the motive of the victim. The name of the ship and title of the opera chosen by the Tycoon King relates to the proposed name for the present age of man as the “ Anthropocene ” and thus underlines the reference to the present.
The world premiere took place on January 24, 2019 at the Theater Royal in Glasgow. The production was by Matthew Richardson. Samal Blak was responsible for the stage and costumes. Stuart Stratford directed the Scottish Opera Orchestra. It sang Jennifer France (Ice), Jeni Bern (Professor Prentice), Stephen Gadd (Charles), Benedict Nelson (Miles), Mark Le Brocq (Harry King), Paul Whelan (Ross), Anthony Gregory (Vasco) and Sarah Champion ( Daisy). After two performances in Glasgow, the production was also shown at King's Theater Edinburgh and the Hackney Empire in London. The Internet platform Operavision provided a video recording.
The Guardian reviewer wrote that the opera combines dramatic flair, orchestral finesse and radiant vocals ("fuses dramatic flair, orchestral finesse and luminous vocals"). She could well imagine the orchestral interludes and especially the portrayal of the northern lights as the basis for an orchestral work. She only criticized the balance between the acts and the staging, which did not add much to the atmosphere. The reviewer of Bachtrack also praised the orchestration and particularly pointed out the extensive harp section and the large and unusual percussion . However, the staging would have screamed for a “bigger visual screen”. The Evening Standard reviewer was disappointed with the London screening. The plot would be suitable for a 30-minute episode of Twilight Zone , but as an opera it only progresses at "glacier pace". There is too much repetition and self-talk. In addition, the text is overloaded with symbolism.
Recordings
- 9 February 2019 - Stuart Stratford (Conductor), Matthew Richardson (Staging), Samal Blak (Stage and Costumes), Scottish Opera Orchestra.
Jennifer France (Ice), Jeni Bern (Professor Prentice), Stephen Gadd (Charles), Benedict Nelson (Miles), Mark Le Brocq (Harry King), Paul Whelan (Ross), Anthony Gregory (Vasco), Sarah Champion (Daisy) .
Video; live from the Hackney Empire in London; Recording of the world premiere production.
Video transmission at Operavision.
Web links
- Work information and video stream at Operavision, video available until November 16, 2019
Individual evidence
- ↑ Voices after the cast of the premiere. According to the composer's website, it consists of two sopranos, a mezzo-soprano, two tenors, a baritone, a bass-baritone, and a bass. The exact assignment of the deep male voices cannot be derived from this.
- ↑ a b Work information on the website of the composer Stuart MacRae, accessed on June 11, 2019.
- ↑ Ken Walton: Stuart MacRae on Anthropocene, his new show for Scottish Opera with Louise Welsh. In: The Scotsman , January 15, 2019, accessed June 11, 2019.
- ↑ a b David Smythe: Anthropocene: a timely chiller from Scottish Opera on Bachtrack, January 28, 2019, accessed June 11, 2019.
- ↑ a b c work information and video stream at Operavision, video available until November 16, 2019.
- ↑ Production information of the Scottisch Opera, accessed on June 10, 2019.
- ↑ Rowena Smith: Anthropocene review - MacRae's arctic adventure delivers operatic thrills. In: The Guardian , January 25, 2019, accessed June 11, 2019.
- ↑ Nick Kimberley: Anthropocene review: Arctic voyage is overwrought and somewhat undernourished. In: Evening Standard , February 11, 2019, accessed June 11, 2019.