Review

By John Hammel, The Mozart to Motorhead Show

Saturday mornings from 7-10 A.M.

WNTI, 91.9 F.M. www.wnti.org,

The Eglantine

An Opera In One Act

Music by Sam Belich

Liberetto by Keith Green & Sam Belich

The Actor’s Temple West 47th Street, NYC. N.Y.

August 4, 2005

Rachel Hanau; Elizabeth Perryman, soprano;

Thomas Frodhi; C. David Morrow, baritone

Customer/Police Lieutenant; Jay Gould, bass/baritone

Jurgen Hanau; Hal C. Beasley, tenor

Rudi Hanau; Andrew Gomes, boy soprano

Willi Hanau; Tere Preciado, soprano

Gerson; Michael Bragg, tenor

The Eglantine is a harrowing tale of survival and emotional betrayal on multiple levels. It requires of its heroine, Rachel, to make courageous albeit horrific personal decisions, which enable her to survive in spirit if not in fact physically. The title of the opera is taken from the name of a variety of wild rose found in northern Europe. In spite of it’s blander appearance in relation to other members of the rose family, The Eglantine is a hardy member of the botanical species synstylae blooming almost continuously until early frost. It is also noted for its adaptability and ease of transplantation.

The story of the opera opens on a city street towards the end of a work day. German policemen are searching for escaped Jewish prisoners. The local populace blame the Jews for ALL of their troubles. A small girl finds a man hiding and the police take him away before the mob can harm him. Rachel, a laundress busy working in her basement, is brought a gift of food by the kindly Thomas Frohdi, a Danish doctor. He makes overt reference to her religion by including matzoh in his bundle of food. The Customer/Policeman enters and inquires whether either of them has seen any escapees. After he departs, Dr. Frohdi presents Rachel with forged documents in order for her and her two small children to leave the country to safety. Rachel though is reluctant to leave, as it would mean leaving her absent (although abusive) husband Jurgen, a wealthy industrialist and Nazi sympathizer, who has been protecting her through his political connections.

Rachel’s father and family had disowned her for marrying Jurgen. This is a case of great consternation for Rachel and a source of irritation in their marriage. Although Rachel, has helped Jurgen to achieve his status by exposing Jews in hiding, she is left with very little. Jurgen subsequently informs Rachel that in spite of their own marriage he intends to marry his employer’s daughter and expects Rachel to continue to help him or she and the boys will be exposed to the authorities. She lunges at him and he brutalizes her before leaving.

A half starved man, Gershon, breaks into Rachel’s apartment and she confronts him. Her beneficent nature wins out and she offers him food. Touched by her gentility he tells her his horrific story of imprisonment in the Nazi camps. His father gassed and he shipped around as a slave laborer. He heard of a woman who betrayed other Jews including her own family. Believing this woman to be his own sister, he seeks vengeance. Overcome with horror and remorse at what she has unwittingly done she reveals herself as that woman, begging him to end her life. Rachel also explains that she did these things to avoid her own children being sent to the camps, (and in a later aria reveals that she would do so again if need be). Dr. Frohdi bursts in but too late to save himself or Gershon.

Rachel, now alone, says Mourner’s Kaddish. She knows now she can no longer collaborate nor let her children suffer the horrors of the camps. Together with the children she celebrates Passover night. She poisons the children with a brewed tea and lullabies them to sleep. Once they have died she gently places them in their beds. Jurgen returns and tells her that what happened earlier, the suicide of Dr. Frohdi and the shooting of Gershon are what happens to those who refuse to cooperate with the Nazi’s. Rachel informs him she has one more name for him; her own. Jurgen realizes what she has done and sinks defeated by his two dead sons. Rachel walks up the stairs, the yellow star she has affixed to her clothing, captured in a pin spotlight as the opera ends.

Mr. Belich has constructed a powerful work both musically and with his and Mr. Green’s libretto. This is a great story and one that begs to be heard and seen. He has billed it as a one-act opera but needs to make a decision as to whether this is truly a one act work or should simply be adapted in a full length two act opus. I had no problem sitting through the entire evening of approximately two and a half hours with a break as I found both the music and story highly compelling. Mr. Belich sculpts his lines with great tonal clarity and sweep, something that had been lacking until fairly recently in modern opera. He writes demandingly for the voice, i.e., a rather high tessitura for both tenor roles and most certainly the role of Rachel, and also calls upon his singers to sing through multiple registers from the depths to the heights. I believe he needs to slightly modify his text at certain points to accommodate the vocal requirement most particularly two of the floating high piannisimo’s demanded of his heroine.

There is a bit of “catch the influence” in the writing but nothing of any great consequence that cannot be ironed out with very little effort by someone as obviously talented as Mr. Belich. There needs to be a smoothing out of the overly didactic quality of writing in Gershon’s great explanatory aria in Rachel’s basement apartment. Mr. Belich could also equalize out some of the shifts in style that permeate the work. There is the obvious religious quality of the Mourner’s Kaddish, which is finely juxtaposed with the music preceding and following it, but there is some sudden transitioning from a Broadway style to opera and back again. Nothing that is too jarring and cannot be surmounted with relative ease.

All in all the performance by the ensemble was excellent. For a world premiere work as demanding in counterpoint and fugal composition, they handled their jobs with aplomb. The solo spots out of the chorus were organic and flowing.

The soloists were uneven with the two tenors, Jurgen and Gershon having some difficulty with the tessitura and vocal movement from the chest and into the upper register of the voice. Mr. Beasley’s voice (Jurgen) was a bit light and didn’t resonate enough through his registers. Poor placement and pushing through the middle would often result in husky singing by the end of a longer piece. Michael Bragg was problematic. He has a beautiful instrument but struggled mightily with his high notes. I observed poor posture and breathing which most certainly contributed to Mr. Bragg’s inconsistency. A shame as the note’s are there and he’s cheating himself and the public of a fine instrument and artistic sensibility.

The role of the Customer/Policeman, was handled by Jay Gould, with very good acting ability, and with a sonorous bass/baritone. C. David Morrow’s Dr. Frodhi was up to the task with good acting and a very good vocal quality that was marred by a distracting wobble that seemingly came from out of nowhere.

The Rachel of Elizabeth Perryman was fully satisfying on all levels. Her acting was fine and her singing was full and resonant throughout. Ms. Perryman has richness to her lyric soprano with very even temper throughout her vocal register and very pleasing timbre. She displayed exquisite control of her technique whether floating her high tones or allowing them to cascade forth with fulsome amplitude. With all of the requisite opportunities and breaks, Ms. Perryman is capable of having a wonderful and deserved career.

This was an enjoyable mid-Summer’s night out to hear a new opera from the pen of a capably proficient composer and a team of dedicated performers.