Delius-Liner-Notes-Koanga.Pdf
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
SBLX-3808 14 1-.Angel Koanga in America response: Keary's libretto was denigrated through an optical machine, in order to phere. Only the principals and a few first recording by Frank Corsaro and Delius' music highly praised. Yet get opaque darknesses and multiple color supernumeraries, representing the priest of the composer's "American" opera alack, alas, and sad to say, Miss Kemble's schemes. This process enabled us to create and his retinue, were visible during the On March 2, 1884, the ocean liner "fortune of an opera" was not to be, In the surreal, even occultish landscape sur wedding ceremony. Koanga and Palmyra "Gallia" departed Liverpool bound for fact, "Koanga" was not co be again until rounding Koanga's flight from his white scrolled hand in hand between the three America. Two weeks and a stormy crossing its American premiere in 1970, where masters, and the ensuing Voodoo rites. scrimmed areas on stage, their wander DELIUS later, she docked in New York harbor. Keary's gaucheries (revised from a revi As in the later "Village Romeo;· three ings sharply outlined by the imaginative With not a single celebrity aboard, the sion) still proliferated, while Delius, scrims served as projection surfaces - a Miss Porcher's use of side lighting. A few arrival passed unnoticed by the press but Wagner cum spiritual, utterly captivated. front, rear, and middle distance scrim - steps taken by the lovers, and the skies, for a brief item concerning George Payn More than a decade after "Koanga's" ini which could be flown in and out as the waters, the land itself c'.1anged magi KOANGA ter, the "Gallia's" bar-keep. Duly noted tial performance, the American-Negro needed. The film images would be in con cally as if celebrating the event them was the fact that this trip represented his composer Scott Joplin (1868-1917) was stant play throughout the course of the selves. The caressing sounds of the Opera in Three Acts with 500th crossing of the Atlantic. On board, to create a sister companion to "Koanga" opera, thereby creating a unique time/ off-stage chorus seemed a further mani Prologue & Epilogue and no doubt helping Paynter celebrate with his "Treemonisha;· wherein Handel space dimensional reality. A chorus of festation of natural forces (a point I Libretto by Keary, this historic event, was Frederick Delius, ian anthems jostle with "semi-savage cho forty was kept off-stage throughout the believe intended by the composer). The revised by Craig & Page making the first of two trips to America, ruses'.' In their special ways, both works opera; their voices emanated from four landscape became an ominous place of enroure to claiming ownership of some EUGENE HOLMES are transcendental views of racial tensions speakers strategically placed in the Lisner flapping herons' wings and shadowy un orange groves in Solano Grove, Florida. and aspirations. Audicorium. A suggestion of great dis derbrush at the moment of Palmyra's ab CLAUDIA LINDSEY A similar passage into the American Transcendental is a key word toward tance was obtained and controlled elec duction and Koanga's curse. The Voodoo Raimund Herincx • Keith Erwen wilderness had been accomplished a half understanding the overwhelming success tronically. Minimal sets and props were sequence in Act II -began with the distant Jean Allister • Simon Estes century earlier by a famous compatriot of of "Koanga" at its Washington, D .C., pre in evidence : a platform representing the voices of the male chorus sounding an London Symphony Orchestra the fledgling composer, the actress Fanny miere. "Koanga" is typically Delian and slave block, and several cane chairs were tiphonally inside the auditorium, signal & John Alldis Choir Kemble. In her "Journal of A Residence so sui generis. However filled with tra the sole stage properties. A scrim covered ing the slow gathering of hostile forces. SIR CHARLES GROVES cond. on A Georgia Plantation" (1838-1839) ditional operatic forms, it remains more the orchestra pit, as in "Romeo;· to help The ancient rites were mimed and danced Side One she struck a prophetic note, when she tone poem than opera. In "Koanga;· sustain visual clarity. The Bayreuth-like between the from and rear scrims only. ( 30:29) described the singing of the Negro slaves: Delius' pantheism is as strong a dramatis absence of music stands, etcetera, in The infra-red and the white negative ef Prologue & Act I "The high voices, all in unison, and the persona as any of the opera's characters. creased the poetic illusion. Four young fects of the film intensified the blood admirable time and true accent with Perhaps time has been charitable to this black dancers officiated the Voodoo cere ritual on stage. A touchy, even kirsch sort Side Two mony on stage. ( 3 1: 51) which their responses are made, always composer at last, for the new media tech of scene was made palatable and even Act II make me wish that some great musical niques employed in "Koanga's" behalf The first of three performances took thrilling. With only four masked figures composer could hear these semi-savage (hitherto the property of underground place on December 18, 1970, at the Lis on stage caught in a swirl of pagan film Side Three performances. With a little skillful adap film makers alone) were successful in ab ner Auditorium on the campus of George images, an unconventional and arresting ( 22: 50) tation and instrumentation I think one or rogating the canvas lakes and forests of Washington University in Washington, interpretation of mythic realities was Act III (beginning) two barbaric chants and choruses might standard operatic procedures, and allowed D.C. The forces responsible for its suc achieved. In the score Delius has written Side Four be evoked from them that would make a the virtues of the work to shine in a fresh cess were: the media team of Ronald a liebestod for Palmyra following Koan < 29 :00) fortune of an opera'. ' perspective. Chase, Nananne Porcher, lighting de ga's murder. Besting the master of Wei Act III (conclusion) & Epilogue By 1896, Delius had left his semi The Washington Opera Society pro signer, Skip Palmer, media operator rep mar, Delius concludes her lament with a Total rimings: 1 hr.; 54:10 tropical paradise and was back in Eng duction was, in its inception, as freakish resenting Staging Techniques (and their long rhapsodic interlude for orchestra. As land. The orange trees had rotted, but the as anything in the opera's history. Forced battery of sixteen slide projectors and in the Wedding Scene, the images of land impact of those "semi-savage perfor to cancel a local premiere of Virgil three 16 mm. movie projectors), costume and sky played over the lovers' forms, mances" had endured. Casting about for Thompson's "Four Saines in Three Aces;• designer, Joseph Bella, and choreographer now stilled in death. With Palmyra's body a vehicle to contain the full measure of the Society was left to fill a vacuum Doris Jones. Heading the cast of superb at his side, Koanga remained in a half that impact, Delius hit upon a popular stuffed with contractual obligations to soloists were Eugene Holmes and Claudia sitting position, his head thrown back novel of the time, "The Grandissime;• by Negro artists. When consulted by Mr. Lindsey, both black artists-at last! The and his sightless eyes turned roward the Washington Opera Society chorus and the American George Cable. The section Hobart Spalding (then president of the void, as if melding with the filmic cosmos. on the rebellious slave, Bras-Coupe, Society) I suggested "Koanga" as a suit orchestra were under the leadership of seemed an ideal subject for an opera. able, even inspired, replacement. I as Paul Callaway, organist and choir master Delius' transcendentalism had been Being a staunch Wagnerite, not to men sured the perplexed Mr. Spalding that of the Washington Cathedral. realized and had won the day. tion a confirmed hedonist, Delius was not "Koanga" was indeed an opera and not John Coveney, Director of Artist Rela In the concert hall, two of Delius· to be content however "with a little skill the name of a boys' camp in the Adiron tions for Angel Records, described the "American" inspired masterpieces "Ap ful adaptation'.' England, at the time, was dacks. fruits of the collaboration succinctly, palachia" (1902 ) and "Sea Drift" (1903) the home of such worthies as James Barrie A play through of the score created when he wrote in his liner notes for An seem now to have taken hold. What the and Rudyard Kipling, and was playing instant euphoria, and plans were imme gel's release (SBLX-3784) of "A Village fate of "Koanga" will be remains to be ho5t to the stage-struck Henry James and diately initiated for its production. Mr. Romeo and Juliet": . .. "it was beautiful seen. Happily, "Koanga's" revival is even Cable himself. Either from lack of Ronald Chase, the brilliant sculptor and in an unearthly sort of way but at the planned for the fall of 1975 by the Opera acquaintance, or literary taste, Delius es film designer, and I, devised a scheme for same time totally real. The spell of the Society. While it may not "make a for chewed their presence and prevailed upon the work. This was accomplished mostly Delius music was heightened to an ex Charles Francis Keary (18'48-1917) to tune" for Delius, this production of his via long-distance telephone (New York traordinary degree by the warm glowing opera remains a triumph for the com fashion a suitable libretto for him. Un colors in the changing imagery of multi and San Francisco) .