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A Study of Short Works in the Opera Repertory and Their Viability in an Educational Forum (2014) Directed by Dr

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A Study of Short Works in the Opera Repertory and Their Viability in an Educational Forum (2014) Directed by Dr HOWELL, JOURDAN LAINE, D.M.A., The Mini-Opera Concept: A Study of Short Works in the Opera Repertory and their Viability in an Educational Forum (2014) Directed by Dr. Robert Wells and Dr. Kailan Rubinoff. 88 pp. I. Role: March 29th, and March 30th, 2014, 7:30 p.m. and April 1st, 2014, 2:00 p.m., Aycock Auditorium, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Elvira, Don Giovanni (Mozart). II. Solo Recital: April 19th, 2013, 7:30 p.m., Recital Hall, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The Clan of the Lichens (Abbie Betenis), “Non disperar” and “V’adoro pupille” from Giulio Cesare (Handel), Three Irish Folksong Settings for Flute and Voice (John Corigliano), Jägerlied (Brahms), Ach Mutter, liebe Mutter (Brahms), Walpurgisnacht (Brahms), Nuit d’espagne (Jules Massenet), Guitare (Georges Bizet), Le Bachelier de Salamanque (Albert Roussel). III. Solo Recital: The Sweetness of my Dreams (Jocelyn Hagen), Canciones para niños (Xavier Montsalvatge), La regatta veneziana and Le Pesca (Giacomo Rossini), “Celle qui vient” from Thaïs (Jules Massenet), “Evening Prayer” from Hansel und Gretel (Englebert Humperdink), Wiegenlied (Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms, Richard Strauss), What if… and Jabberwocky (Lee Hoiby), If you become the moon (Kevin Helppie) IV. Lecture Recital: October 20th, 2014, 5:30 p.m. Recital Hall, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The Worst One Ever (Gary Belshaw), excerpts from La Pizza del Destino (Steve Cohen), Review (Jeremy Beck). V. D.M.A. Research Project. THE MINI-OPERA CONCEPT: A STUDY OF SHORT WORKS IN THE OPERA REPERTORY AND THEIR VIABILITY ON THE EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL STAGES. The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate the merit of mini-operas as a tool for pedagogic study through the discussion of Gary Belshaw’s The Worst One Ever, Steve Cohen’s La pizza del Destino, and Jeremy Beck’s Review. These works were chosen because they presented specific pedagogic challenges in three areas of study vital to the success of operatic stage performance: vocal technique, acting (theater arts), and operatic stage direction. In addition to their relevance for the training of university-level opera singers, these works were written in the last five decades. This is of importance for two reasons, the first being that the study and performance of these mini-operas supports the effort of composers who are currently contributing to the advancement of the repertoire. Second, students are encouraged to learn and present works that strive to develop the operatic repertoire. THE MINI-OPERA CONCEPT: A STUDY OF SHORT WORKS IN THE OPERA REPERTORY AND THEIR VIABILITY IN AN EDUCATIONAL FORUM by Jourdan Laine Howell A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Musical Arts Greensboro 2014 Approved by ________________________________ Committee Co-Chair ________________________________ Committee Co-Chair Dedicated to those who offered aid and understanding throughout the doctoral process – you are appreciated beyond measure. “I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I’m frightened of the old ones.” - John Cage ii APPROVAL PAGE This dissertation has been approved by the following committee of the Faculty of The Graduate School at The University of North Caroline at Greensboro. Committee Co-Chair_______________________________ Committee Co-Chair _______________________________ Committee Members _______________________________ _______________________________ ____________________________ Date of Acceptance by Committee _________________________ Date of Final Oral Examination iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Sincere thanks to Dr. Robert Wells, Dr. Kailan Rubinoff, Dr. Carla LeFevre, and Dr. Robert Bracey for their commitment to my success. Thank you to Jeremy Beck, Gary Belshaw, and Steve Cohen for the permission to study and learn from their mini-operas. Thank you as well to Jason Barrios, Meris Gadaleto, Evangelia Leontis, Caroline Oliveira, Matthew Reese, Sarah Love Taylor, Radha Upton, Jacob Wright, and Blayne Ziegenfuss for participating in the lecture recital that accompanied this paper. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................. vii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1 Defining Mini-Opera ................................................................................... 1 Mini-Opera in Historical Context ................................................................ 3 Scottish Opera’s Five:15 and Baden-Baden 1927 ....................................... 4 Making Distinctions: One-Act Opera, Operetta, and Anti-opera ............... 7 II. WHY STUDY MINI-OPERA? ................................................................................. 9 Learning from Mini-Opera .......................................................................... 9 Benefits of Mini-Opera Study ................................................................... 10 Challenges of Mini-Opera Study ............................................................... 14 Establishing a Criteria Set ......................................................................... 16 III. GARY BELSHAW’S THE WORST ONE EVER ........................................................ 18 Brief Background of Belshaw and The Worst One Ever ............................ 18 Criteria Set ................................................................................................ 20 Analyzing The Worst One Ever: Vocal Technique ..................................... 23 Conclusions ............................................................................................... 32 IV. STEVE COHEN’S LA PIZZA DEL DESTINO ............................................................ 34 Brief Background of Cohen and La Pizza del Destino ............................... 34 Criteria Set ................................................................................................ 36 Analyzing La Pizza del Destino: Acting Technique .................................... 41 Conclusions ............................................................................................... 47 V. JEREMY BECK’S REVIEW .................................................................................... 49 Brief Background of Beck and Review ...................................................... 49 Criteria Set ................................................................................................ 52 v Analyzing Review: Stage Direction ............................................................ 57 Conclusions ............................................................................................... 67 VI. CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................... 69 BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................................. 71 APPENDIX A. LIST OF SELECTED WORKS FROM THE MINI-OPERA REPERTORY .............. 74 APPENDIX B. JUILLIARD DEGREE PLAN, JACOBS SCHOOL COURSES .............................. 77 APPENDIX C. VOCAL PASSAGGI AND REGISTERS ......................................................... 79 vi LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1. Gary Belshaw, Range and Tessitura of Roles, The Worst One Ever ................... 23 Figure 2. Gary Belshaw, mm. 80-82, The Worst One Ever ................................................ 26 Figure 3. Gary Belshaw, mm. 347-350, The Worst One Ever ............................................ 27 Figure 4. Gary Belshaw, mm. 445-448, The Worst One Ever ............................................ 28 Figure 5. Gary Belshaw, mm. 89-92, The Worst One Ever ................................................ 29 Figure 6. Gary Belshaw, mm. 108-117, The Worst One Ever ............................................ 30 Figure 7. Steve Cohen, Range and Tessitura of Roles, La Pizza del Destino ..................... 39 Figure 8. Steve Cohen, mm. 101-108, La Pizza del Destino .............................................. 40 Figure 9. Steve Cohen and Joseph Renard, Libretto Text, La Pizza del Destino ............... 42 Figure 10. Steve Cohen, mm. 54-61, La Pizza del Destino ................................................ 43 Figure 11. Steve Cohen, mm. 84-86, La Pizza del Destino ................................................ 44 Figure 12. Steve Cohen, mm. 109-117, La Pizza del Destino ............................................ 45 Figure 13. Jeremy Beck, Range and Tessitura of Roles, Review ....................................... 54 Figure 14. Jeremy Beck, mm. 62-64, Review .................................................................... 56 Figure 15. Jeremy Beck, mm. 212-215, Review ................................................................ 57 Figure 16. Jeremy Beck, mm. 136-145 and 177-181, Review ........................................... 62 Figure 17. Jeremy Beck, mm. 40-50, Review .................................................................... 66 vii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Defining Mini-Opera In 2008 Scottish Opera launched an exploratory project titled Five:15– Operas Made in Scotland. The FIVE:15 project partnered five established composers with five established writers and/or librettists and asked them to compose an operatic event lasting roughly fifteen minutes
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