Leonard Bernstein 1918–1990 a Quiet Place
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LEONARD BERNSTEIN 1918–1990 A QUIET PLACE Opera in three acts · Opéra en trois actes Music by · Musique de Leonard Bernstein Libretto by · Livret de Stephen Wadsworth (1953) Libretto and orchestration adapted by · Livret et orchestration adaptés par Garth Edwin Sunderland Dede ...................................... CLAUDIA BOYLE soprano François ................................ JOSEPH KAISER tenor · ténor Junior ........................... GORDON BINTNER baritone · baryton Sam ............................. LUCAS MEACHEM baritone · baryton Funeral Director · Directeur funéraire . RUPERT CHARLESWORTH tenor · ténor Bill ............................... DANIEL BELCHER baritone · baryton Susie .................................. ANNIE ROSEN mezzo-soprano Doc .................................... STEVEN HUMES bass · basse Mrs. Doc ................................ MAIJA SKILLE mezzo-soprano Analyst · Analyste ........................... JOHN TESSIER tenor · ténor Mourners · Cortège funèbre OSM Chorus · Chœur de l’OSM Chorus Master · Chef de chœur: Andrew Megill* Orchestre symphonique de Montréal KENT NAGANO Leonard Bernstein 2 Vocal advisor and casting · Conseiller vocal et distribution: Jean-Pierre Brossmann CONTENTS · TABLE Répétiteur for the soloists · pour les solistes: Donald Wages Cue points · Points de repérage 4 First performance by Kent Nagano and Ensemble Modern in November 2013, in Berlin. The OSM presented this version in Montreal on 15 August 2014. Création à Berlin en novembre 2013 par Kent Nagano et Ensemble Modern. Kent Nagano on Leonard Bernstein and 5 L’OSM a présenté cette version à Montréal le 15 août 2014. A Quiet Place Interview by Marc Wieser *The chorus master chair is generously sponsored by Mrs. F. Ann Birks, in loving memory of Barrie Drummond Birks. · Le poste de chef de chœur est généreusement parrainé par Mme F. Ann Birks, Adapting A Quiet Place 6 en mémoire de Barrie Drummond Birks. Garth Edwin Sunderland A Quiet Place: Synopsis of the 2013 Version 8 Kent Nagano à propos de Leonard Bernstein et de A Quiet Place 9 Interview par Marc Wieser L’adaptation de A Quiet Place 12 Garth Edwin Sunderland A Quiet Place: Argument de la version 2013 14 OSM Musicians · Les musiciens de l’OSM 15 The OSM Chorus · Chœur de l’OSM 16 Libretto · Livret 19 3 Timing Libretto Timing Libretto Page Page ACT I · ACTE I ACT II · ACTE II 1 Prologue: The path of truth is plain and safe Chorus 3.37 19 ^ Aria: “I Wish I Could Sleep” Sam 3.56 44 2 Dialogue One: I am sorry, ma’am Funeral Director, Mrs. Doc 1.17 21 Scene 3 Dialogue Two: She wasn’t exactly what you would call 3.31 22 & What are you doing? Dede, Sam, François, Junior 4.12 45 a beautiful woman * But first I’d like to sing you a little song 3.57 50 Chorus, Doc, Susie, Mrs. Doc, Analyst, Funeral Director, Bill Junior, François, Dede, Sam 4 Dialogue Three: Dede! Darling, how’ve you been? Susie, Dede 26 ( I coming closer Junior, François, Dede, Sam 3.30 56 Arietta: Fantastic, great! Dede 1.23 26 ) Aria: “I’ve Been Afraid” François 4.41 59 5 Dialogue Four: You’re so like her Susie, Dede, Chorus 1.56 26 6 Dialogue Five: Uh, Susie, this is… — You must be François 0.38 28 ACT III · ACTE III Dede, Susie, François, Bill, Doc, Chorus ¡ Prelude · Prélude 4.37 60 7 Dialogue Six: Oh, François, come Bill, François, Chorus 1.31 29 ™ Aria (Dede): Morning Dede 2.52 60 8 Dialogue Seven: Welcome to the family 0.45 31 # Scene: The one and only cereal Junior, Dede 3.37 60 Mrs. Doc, François, Chorus ¢ Tag #1: Ha! — Absence makes the heart grow fonder! Dede, Junior 64 9 Dialogue Eight: Say, who’s that character 1.18 32 Trio: …around. Happy twenty-first birthday 2.28 64 Analyst, Funeral Director, Chorus Junior, Dede, François, Sam 0 Dialogue Nine: Dede, where’s your brother? 1.54 33 ∞ Tag #2: Watch it! — Watch out! Junior, Dede, François, Sam 2.25 67 Susie, Dede, Bill, Analyst, François, Funeral Director, Mrs. Doc, Chorus § Aria: “Oh, François, Please” Sam 2.01 70 ! Readings: Who can find a virtuous woman?Doc, Mrs. Doc, Dede, 34 ¶ Aria (François): “Dear Loved Ones…“ François, Sam, Dede, Junior 70 Bill, Susie, François, Junior, Funeral Director, Analyst, Chorus Laughing Chorus · Chœur rieur Dede, François, Junior, Sam 2.32 71 Chorale: God has his ways 5.43 39 • Scene: I like it here! Junior, Sam, Dede, François 4.25 71 Doc, Mrs. Doc, Bill, Susie, Funeral Director, Analyst, Chorus ª Aria (François): “Stop. You Will Not Take Another Step!” 3.57 77 @ Aria: “You’re Late” Sam 4.47 39 François, Sam, Junior £ Trio: Dear Daddy… — Daddy dear Junior, Dede, François 3.24 41 º Aria (Junior): “You See, Daddy, That Death Does Bring Some Relief” 79 $ Finale: Merry Christmas to you too, asshole 2.29 42 Junior, Sam, François, Dede Junior, Sam, Dede, François Finale: I don’t know what this is Sam, François, Dede 5.26 80 % Postlude 4.07 44 4 Kent Nagano on Leonard Bernstein and A Quiet Place On your relationship to the works of Leonard Bernstein: Interview by Marc Wieser, May 2016 I was able to study a number of Bernstein’s scores with him while attending his rehearsals. Perhaps the most important one for me was A Quiet Place. I was with “For Bernstein music was life — the two were synonymous, inseparable.” him as he prepared and performed the Vienna premiere and was able to learn from this deeply moving creative process. On how you came to know and work with Leonard Bernstein: Some of the most significant moments with Bernstein were the last I first met Leonard Bernstein at Tanglewood in the summer of 1984, through the conversations we had as his health was in decline. He was preoccupied with introduction of Seiji Ozawa. After nearly two years of intensive technical work as his later works — in particular MASS, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and A Quiet Ozawa’s assistant at the Boston Symphony Orchestra, he decided it was time for Place. He felt that they exemplified some of his most innovative and interesting me to learn from his own teacher — that was Bernstein. I worked with Bernstein compositional accomplishments. As I considered his early works, like West Side from that point regularly until the end of his life. Story, On the Town, Trouble in Tahiti, or Serenade, all of which were performed The context was interesting because at the same time I was working and studying fairly often, I realised that Bernstein had never stopped exploring and pushing his very closely with Pierre Boulez. At a superficial glance the two great figures might own compositional language — that his career in many ways embodies that seem to contrast sharply, as much in terms of repertoire as in personality. But the Enlightenment ideal of continual striving. most astonishing thing to me was how similar the two were, and how much overlap At that moment I made a personal decision to carefully learn those final pieces there was in their perspectives and orientations. Both had sharp, intellectual minds that were so important to him, to research and rediscover their special qualities and were profoundly well-read. They were both accomplished composers but also so that they could be carried on into the future. Who knows — with several new fluent in other disciplines, including literature, poetry and visual arts. With Bernstein performances maybe these works are finally finding their way into the repertoire. we’d often start our lessons at the piano, and finish the day by going to a museum, a film, or an exhibition. On A Quiet Place in its chamber version: After Bernstein’s death, I began to discover several exciting new dimensions in On Leonard Bernstein’s personal influence in your development as a musician A Quiet Place that I had not sensed before. A Quiet Place had a controversial debut and conductor: and, from speaking with Bernstein and those who knew him well, a complicated Leonard Bernstein had a uniquely important, lifelong influence on me. His influence composition process. It was illuminating to rediscover the work and glimpse the artistic was so vital that to this day, I still have moments of discovery where I think, “Ah, vision behind it. After in-depth study, I came to feel that a reduced orchestration of that’s what he meant!” His teachings and his mentorship were of the sort that stay A Quiet Place, similar to what one might have found in a Broadway ensemble with you for a lifetime. For Bernstein music was life — the two were synonymous, during the 1950s, would allow the spirited brilliance and poetic depth of the work to inseparable. We could slip very easily from provocative intellectual debate, to shine through — including dance rhythms and elements of American folklore. This discussions of existentialism, to personal issues, technical issues, philosophy, to would also allow casting of much lighter, agile voices, giving the added benefit that very objective analytical and theoretical exploration, and then, to subjective opinions one would be able to understand the words more easily, and therefore more easily on art. The lessons were always unique, organic, fresh, full of the unexpected, and access content of the libretto. As it turned out, Bernstein himself had arrived at the sometimes spontaneous or open to improvisation. same conviction, but had never had the chance to act on it before the end of his life. 5 A Quiet Place dealt with very contemporary themes, but they are in fact universal ADAPTING A QUIET PLACE and always coming back in cycles: generation change, individuality, cries for self- By Garth Edwin Sunderland identity, rebellion against parents. Some themes that were too easily dismissed as related to a particular moment in American social history today can be understood A Quiet Place was Leonard Bernstein’s final work for the stage.