It's a Wonderful Life (Opera)

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Opera dates
Title: It's a wonderful life
Shape: Opera in two acts
Original language: English
Music: Jake Heggie
Libretto : Gene Scheer
Literary source: Frank Capra : Isn't life beautiful? ,
Philip Van Doren Stern : The Greatest Gift
Premiere: 2nd December 2016
Place of premiere: Houston Grand Opera
Playing time: about 2 hours
Place and time of the action: In heaven on Christmas Eve 1945,
on earth 1916–1945
people
  • George Bailey ( tenor )
  • Clara, Engel Second Class ( Soprano )
  • Mary Bailey (soprano)
  • Mr Gower / Mr Potter ( baritone )
  • Uncle Billy (tenor)
  • Harry Bailey (baritone)
  • Ernie (baritone)
  • Mother Bailey ( mezzo-soprano )
  • Four angels first class (soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone)
  • Child roles:
    • Young George
    • Young Mary / Janie
    • Zuzu
    • Young Sam / Tommy
    • Young Harry

It's a Wonderful Life is an opera in two acts by Jake Heggie (music) with a libretto by Gene Scheer based on the film Isn't life beautiful? by Frank Capra from 1946 and its template, the short story The Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern . The world premiere took place on December 2, 2016 by the Houston Grand Opera in the Cullen Theater of the Wortham Center for the Arts in Houston.

action

first act

Prologue: Clara in heaven. Clara, a "second-class angel" who has still not earned his wings after 200 years, swings on a swing over the starlit night stage and counts. A booming voice suggests that Christmas night is a good time to count the stars. Clara explains that she is counting prayers, not stars: At this point, almost all of Bedford Falls town seems to be praying for a man named George Bailey. The voice, startled, summons a group of first-class angels to investigate the reason why Clara cannot yet look at the earth. The scene shows George Bailey, who is about to throw himself off a bridge. The angels stop the time and send Clara to earth to prevent him from doing his job.

Scene 1: George Bailey childhood. After her flight through space and time, Clara ends up in an old attic room. There she finds travel magazines and boxes with toy models of boats and airplanes. The angels explain to her that she needs to find out what George's dreams and goals are. They give her a magic hat that she can use to stop the scene if necessary for consultation. The year is 1916. Four children storm in: twelve year old George Bailey, his brother Harry, his friend Sam Wainwright and the young Mary Hatch. They fight over a sled that Mary eventually gives Harry. He drives the sledge down a hill and falls through an ice hole into a frozen lake. When he calls for help, George jumps in too. The angels explain to Clara that George saved his brother's life but lost his hearing in one ear. They show her different doors, each of which leads to different points in time in George's life. A month after Harry was rescued, Clara watches as the pharmacist, Mr. Gower, learns of his son's death through a telegram. Gower had sent young George to his son with medicine half an hour earlier - but apparently he hadn't done the job. George comes back and explains that he noticed that Gower accidentally put poison in the medicine bottle. Mary, who was also present, wrote a declaration of love to George in his magazine.

Scene 2: Bailey family attic: "Bedford Falls's Aladdin". At the age of 22, George plans to travel to Europe and then go to college. While packing, he rediscovers his old magazines and remembers his childhood dream of visiting the Colosseum and the Parthenon . He performs the Mekee-Mekee dance of the Fiji Islands for his brother . Uncle Billy brings in a large suitcase - a present from Mr. Gower. Harry, Billy and Clara are happy with George about his upcoming new life (quartet: "Goodbye Bedford Falls"). When Mother Bailey arrives, Billy remembers a call about the final dance and goes out to call back. George asks his brother to support his father during his absence and to make sure that he does not let himself be pushed around by his competitor Potter, who wants to get the entire city under his control. The mother reminds George that Mary still has a crush on him. George can hardly remember the little girl with the pigtails.

Scene 3: The high school dance event. At the school prom, Mary rejects a suitor and speaks to George. The two dance together.

Scene 4: Old Granville's house: “I'm Gonna See the World”. George and Mary leave the party and run to a derelict old house. Because it's raining, they enter. George tells her about his dreams. The two throw stones and think of their wishes. Uncle Billy appears to take George home: his father has had a stroke.

Scene 5: Mr. Potter's office: "Wait and Save". After the death of George's father, George and Uncle Billy enter Potter's office, who makes them an offer to take over his company "Building & Loan". This company with its people-friendly methods is only a dream, not a profitable business. George firmly refuses the offer. He doesn't want Potter to do business at the poor people's expense. In order to be able to continue running his father's company in his favor, George decides to stay in town. Harry is now attending college instead. He promises to return after graduation so that George can also study afterwards. Clara is appalled that George’s dreams are not coming true.

Scene 6: Mary and Harry at College: "Four Years". While Harry and Mary are successfully studying, George and Uncle Billy are laboriously taking care of the Building & Loan. They have to fend off hostile takeover attempts and at the same time secure the salaries of their employees. Meanwhile, Mary meets with George's old friend Sam Wainwright. Harry becomes engaged to Helen and wants to go on a world tour with her. Clara stops the scene with her hat and complains about this development.

Scene 7: Harry's homecoming. After the wedding, Harry introduces his bride to his brother and Uncle Billy (duet: "A Rainbow at Midnight"). He is no longer interested in the company. George realizes that he will be bound to the city forever and will have to give up his dreams.

Scene 8: Mary's house: "I'm Gonna Love You 'til the Day I Die". Mary broke her connection with Sam and has returned to Bedford Falls. She is now sure that she loves George. He also confesses his love to her. They kiss.

Second act

Scene 1: George and Mary's wedding day. Many friends appear at the wedding celebration. They sing and dance the Mekee-Mekee. In the end, the couple say goodbye to take their friend Ernie's taxi to their honeymoon. On the way you pass the Building & Loan building and notice a large angry crowd. George stops the car to ask why.

Scene 2: The Bank Run of 1929. After the stock market crash , investors try to secure their money deposits with Building & Loan. However, there is not enough cash in the house. Potter offers to buy the deposits at half price. To prevent this and to calm the crowd until the bank opens, George sacrifices the money saved for the honeymoon. For the sake of him, customers are initially satisfied with a small part of their money. However, George and Mary have to do without the trip.

Scene 3: George and Mary's house: "Changes and Blessings". The couple moved into the old Granville house with their three children. It is still in need of renovation, but Mary is confident. Because of George's generosity, many poor people can live much better in the city than they would have in a Potter apartment. 24 new houses have been built in “Bailey Park” in the last few months. Clara reads resident Martini's letter of thanks (a letter: "Thank You, Mr. Bailey").

Scene 4: Mr. Potter's office: "I Want to Hire You, George". Potter called George over to offer him a well-paying job. Since George knows that Potter wants to clear his competition out of the way, he refuses.

Scene 5: The Second World War: "One Country, One Dream". In 1941 President Roosevelts announced America's entry into the war on the radio. The angels report to Clara about what is going on: George stays at home because of his bad ear. His brother Harry becomes a fighter pilot. He succeeds in saving a troop transport by shooting down a kamikaze aircraft. Roosevelt invites him to the White House for the honor.

Scene 6: Christmas Eve: “What a Day!” George, Ernie and Martini celebrate Harry's success. It's snowing.

Scene 7: Uncle Billy loses the bank deposit. Uncle Billy enters the bank building with a newspaper in hand. He is also enthusiastic about Harry's honor, which is reported in the newspaper. Lost in thought, he fills out a bill for a bank deposit of $ 8,000 (equivalent in 2017 about $ 100,000). Then he notices Mr. Potter and shows him the newspaper report. While they are talking, Potter unnoticed takes the note that had slipped between the pages of the newspaper. Only when Billy wants to bring it to the counter shortly afterwards, he notices the loss and goes to George to inform him about it. Scandals, bankruptcy and prison can result. George is desperate.

Scene 8: George and Mary's house: “Zuzu's Petals”. Mary and the children Janie, Tommy and Zuzu decorate the apartment for the Christmas party. George enters. In his excitement, he is rude to his family and even berates Zuzu's teacher on the phone. Mary and the children watch in horror as he searches the apartment for his life insurance.

Scene 9: Mr. Potter's office: “You're Worth More Dead than Alive”. Since his insurance is only worth $ 500, George has no choice but to ask Potter for help. But he sends him out into the snow. In his head he hears the reproachful voices of his relatives.

Scene 10: The bridge: "I Wish I'd Never Been Born". When George wants to end his life on the bridge, Clara persuades the angels to make them visible to him. Then she jumps into the water herself and calls for help. She knows that George will save her and forget his own suicidal wish. That's exactly how it happens. She introduces herself to him as his guardian angel. George wishes he had never been born. Clara takes this as an opportunity to show him the world as if it had never existed.

Scene 11: The world without George Bailey. This alternative world has no music. Hence all dialogues are spoken. George's children don't exist. After accidentally poisoning his son, Mr. Gower spent 20 years in prison, lost his apartment, drinks and now lives in the derelict Granville house. The Building & Loan was dissolved after the death of George's father. Potter has taken over the entire city and Ernie works for him. Ernie and Potter neither recognize George nor his mother. Uncle Billy was sent to a madhouse. His brother Harry died in early childhood because George could not save him from the ice. That is why the soldiers of the troop transport were killed in the war. After George learns all of this, Clara disappears, leaving him with his thoughts. He begins to pray and begs her to give him back his life.

Scene 12: George's homecoming: "Christmas Morning". George prays to God with closed eyes to bring him back to life. His daughter Janie touches his shoulder. He opens his eyes and finds himself back home with his family in time for the Christmas party. The sheriff and an "examiner" enter. Shortly afterwards, Uncle Billy appears with a large basket full of money. He tells George that Mary told a few people about the problem and then collected them all over town. Everyone would have donated for George without further questions. More people arrive to put money in the basket. Finally, Harry reads a telegram from Mr. Gower, in which the latter announces a transfer of $ 25,000. Everyone celebrates happily. Clara finally receives her well-deserved wings and is promoted to Angel First Class (Clara's wing: "A Wonderful Life"). She ascends to heaven and starts counting again - this time angels, whom she sees to her surprise everywhere (including in the audience). At the end of the opera everyone sings the Auld Lang Syne together .

layout

In contrast to the original feature film, the focus of the opera is on the story of the angel Clara (in the film Clarence) and not that of George. The plot is framed by scenes in the sky, and Clara repeatedly intervenes with a comment. The viewer experiences the work through her eyes.

A theme that keeps cropping up concerns the characters' wishes and dreams, including the " American Dream ". However, this appears in two different forms: While George tries to give the city's working people and immigrants their own apartments, his competitor Potter sees their goal in life as working hard and saving so that they can later afford property. Potter's credo consists in the sentence "Profit is the art of the future" ("Profit is the art of the future"). George realizes, however, that this is not possible when people have to spend all of their money on rent. In their opera version of the more than 70-year-old original, Heggie and Scheer create corresponding references to the modern world, such as the financial crisis from 2007 .

The scene in which Clara shows the desperate George what a world would look like without him is created by Heggie without music. The dialogues are spoken and only highlighted with electronic white noise , which creates a nightmarish mood. The Gramophone reviewer thought this trick was a stroke of genius ("conspicuous masterstroke"), while the editor of Opera News found the scene downright boring ("boring") ("George and Clara drearily talking their way through a series of encounters with hostile towns ").

Musically, with this opera, Heggie has completely arrived at the neo-romantic soundscape. It also integrates elements of the musical and, in keeping with the 1920s theme, echoes of early jazz and other music of the time. The alleged "Mekee-Mekee" dance of the Fiji Islands is an invention of Heggie, whose choreography for the premiere production was based on the Charleston and the Time Warp of the Rocky Horror Show .

orchestra

The orchestral line-up for the opera was expressly planned by the composer to be variable. 24 instrumentalists played at the premiere in Houston. For performances in larger opera houses, Heggie recommended a significantly larger string line-up.

Work history

Heggie's opera It's a Wonderful Life was commissioned by the Houston Grand Opera , the San Francisco Opera and the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University Bloomington ("collegiate premiere"). As with most of Heggie's other operas, the libretto is by Gene Scheer . It is based in part on the 1946 feature film Isn't Life Beautiful? by Frank Capra and his template, Philip Van Doren Stern's short story The Greatest Gift.

The six leading roles in the world premiere on December 2, 2016 by the Houston Grand Opera at the Cullen Theater of the Wortham Center for the Arts in Houston were sung by William Burden (George Bailey), Talise Trevigne (Clara), Andrea Carroll (Mary Bailey), Rod Gilfry ( Mr Gower / Mr Potter), Anthony Dean Griffey (Uncle Billy) and Joshua Hopkins (Harry Bailey). Patrick Summers has directed members of the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra and Choir. Directed by Leonard Foglia. The stage was by Robert Brill, the costumes by David C. Woolard, the lighting design by Brian Nason and the projections by Elaine J. McCarthy. There were a total of nine sold-out performances.

After the premiere, Heggie and Scheer revised the work. They removed about a tenth of the original and, in turn, expanded act two to allow for better character and plot development. In preparation for the performances of the co-producing Jacobs School of Music in November 2017, they organized a “voice master class”, a composition forum and other discussion platforms with the students. Video recordings of the performances were made available on the Internet.

Recordings

  • December 2, 2016 - Patrick Summers (conductor), Houston Grand Opera Orchestra and Choir .
    William Burden (George Bailey), Talise Trevigne (Clara), Andrea Carroll (Mary Bailey), Rod Gilfry (Mr Potter), Anthony Dean Griffey (Uncle Billy), Joshua Hopkins (Harry Bailey).
    Live recording of the world premiere.
    Pentatone PTC5186 631.
  • 11./16. November 2017 - David Neely (conductor), Leonard Foglia (director), Robert Brill (stage), David C. Woolard (costumes), Brian Nason (lighting design), Elaine J. McCarthy (projections), orchestra and choir of the Jacobs School of Music .
    Edward Atkinson / Terrence Chin-Loy (George Bailey), Cadie Jordan / Anne Slovin (Clara), Rachel Mikol / Virginia Mims (Mary Bailey), Marcus Simmons / David Tahere (Mr Potter), Justin Brunette / Andrew Flanagin (Uncle Billy) , Benjamin Seiwert / Ian Murrell (Harry Bailey).
    Video; The Jacobs School of Music took over the world premiere production.
    Internet streams with both vocal lineups on the Indiana University Bloomington website .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Table of contents (English) on the website of the Jacobs School of Music, accessed on February 3, 2018.
  2. ^ A b Matthew Van Vleet: Work information (English) on the website of the Jacobs School of Music, accessed on February 3, 2018.
  3. ↑ Edward Seckerson: CD review (English) on Gramophone , accessed on February 4, 2017.
  4. ↑ Gregory Barnett, Performance Review in Opera News Magazine , March 2017, accessed February 4, 2018.
  5. ↑ Gregory Sullivan Isaacs: Review: It's a Wonderful Life | Houston Grand Opera | Wortham Theater Center , on theaterjones.com, accessed February 4, 2018.
  6. ↑ a b information on the work (English) on the website of the composer Jake Heggie, accessed on January 30, 2018.
  7. ^ Program booklet for the performance of the Jacobs School of Music, p. 3.
  8. ^ IU Opera Theater to present collegiate premiere of 'It's a Wonderful Life' , accessed on February 4, 2018.
  9. ↑ Edward Seckerson: CD Review on Gramophone , accessed February 3, 2018
  10. ↑ Information on the Jacobs School of Music performances on the Indiana University Bloomington website , accessed February 3, 2018.