The Roles of “Mothers” N Opera As Exemplified by Fides (Meyerbeer’S, Le Prophete); Kostelnika (Janaek’S, Jenufa); Mrs
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THE ROLES OF “MOTHERS” N OPERA AS EXEMPLIFIED BY FIDES (MEYERBEER’S, LE PROPHETE); KOSTELNIKA (JANAEK’S, JENUFA); MRS. PATRICK DE ROCHER (HEGGIE’S, DEAD MAN WALKING) by CAROLINE HILDA HARDER B. Mus., Western Washington University, 1989 M. Mus., Western Washington University, 1991 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES (Voice Performance) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) August 2009 © Caroline Hilda Harder, 2009 ABSTRACT Mothers in operatic piots are mostly absent; when present, they are generally sung by a mezzo-soprano and are considered “supporting” roles. This dissertation attempts to eluci date what led to the scarcity of mothers as important characters in opera, and to the apparent stereotyping of the role with the mezzo-soprano voice type. Chapter 1 introduces the topic, while chapter 2 explores the aesthetics of the singing voice throughout various periods during which the “preferred vocal ideal” changed, as vocal ranges were equated with the personifi cation and stereotyping of certain character types. Influences which affected the evolution of plot paradigms are also investigated. A summary of opera libretti from the seventeenth to the twentieth century supports historical evidence drawn from the above context and identifies the mother characters in these operas (see Appendix A). Chapters 3, 4, and 5 offer three case studies of the treatment of operatic “mothers” who are central to the plot of the operas in which they, respectively, appear: Fids from Giacomo Meyerbeer’s Le Prophète, Kostelniëka from Janáek’s Jenufa, and Mrs. Patrick De Rocher from Jake Heggi&s Dead Man Walking. Each includes an investigation of the opera’s context, the dramatic study of the mother character, an analysis of the musical settings of the drama, and performance aspects. A brief interview with Jake Heggie is included in Appendix B. This study concludes that the presence/absence of the mother character is influenced by vocal aesthetics as conventionalized by Metastasian opera seria plots, and by subsequent opera plot conventions formulated through socio-cultural values. Despite the difference in time, place and musical style among the operas studied, the problems and feelings of the mother character have not changed much from the nineteenth century to the twentieth. Whether sung by a mezzo-soprano, or, occasionally, by a soprano, a timeless stereotype of the mother character emerges: a woman tormented between the love for her children and her moral duties. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ii TABLE OF CONTENTS iv LIST OF EXAMPLES v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vi DEDICATION vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 Chapter Summary 4 Literature Review 6 CHAPTER 2: AESTHETICS AND OPERA PLOT PARADIGMS 9 The Aesthetics of the Voice 10 Opera Plot Developments 16 CHAPTER 3: MEYERBEER’S “LE PROPHETE” AND THE ROLE OF FIDES 28 Context of the Opera 30 The Character of Fidès and her music 34 CHAPTER 4: THE ROLE OF KOSTELNI(iKA iN JANAEK’S “JEN(JFA” 63 The Context of the Opera 65 Janáek’s Speech Melody (napèvky m1uv) 68 Kostelnika (Sacristan) 75 CHAPTER 5: THE ROLE OF MRS. PATRICK DE ROCHER, IN JAKE HEGGIE’S “DEAD MAN WALKING” 105 Plot Synopsis 105 The Context of the Opera 106 Characteristics of Heggie’ s compositional style 110 Mrs. Patrick De Rocher 114 The Music of Mrs. Patrick De Rocher 116 CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSIONS 155 APPENDICES 172 APPENDIX A 172 APPENDIX B 178 V LIST OF EXAMPLES 3.1: Meyerbeer, Le Prophète, Act II, Fidès’ Arioso (#10), mm. 1-13 39 3.2: Meyerbeer, Le Prophète, Act II, Scene et Quatuor (#11), mm. 156-165 40 3.3: Meyerbeer, Le Prophète, Act II, Arioso (#10), mm. 14-30 41 3.4: Meyerbeer, Le Prophète, Act II, Scene et Quatuor (#1 1), mm. 166-173 42 3.5: Meyerbeer, Le Prophète, Act II, Arioso (#10), mm. 44-57 46 3.6: Meyerbeer, Le Prophète, Act IV, Compliante (#22), mm. 9-24 47 3.7: Meyerbeer, Le Prophète, Act IV, Compliante (#22), mm. 4 1-48 48 3.8: Meyerbeer, Le Prophète, Act IV, Finale, a) Couplet et morceau, (#25) C (Jean) mm. 196-211 50 b) L’ Exorcisme (#25) D (Fidès), mm. 42-50 51 3.9: Meyerbeer, Le Prophète, Act V, Cavatine et Air (#27) mm. 20-32 54 3.10: Meyerbeer, Le Prophète, Act V, Cavatine et Air (#27) mm. 66-74 55 3.11: Meyerbeer, Le Prophète, Act V, Scene et Grand Duo (#28) mm. 21-28 58 3.12: Meyerbeer, Le Prophète, Act V, Scene et Grand Duo (#28) mm. 70-80 59 4. a., b.: Janáek Speech Melodies 72-73 4.1: Janáek,Jenzfà, Act I, R. 65, mm. 1-5 80 4.2: Janáèek, Jenzfa, Act I, R. 66, mm. 1-9 83 4.3: Janáëek, Jenzifa, Act I, R. 69:11 — R. 70, mm. 1-8 85 4.4: Janáek, Jenzfa, Act I, R. 74: m.13 — R. 75, mm. 1-3 87 4.5: Janá&k, Jen4fa, Act II, R. 63, mm. 8-12 93 4.6: Janáek,Jenüfi, Act II, R. 63:13 —R. 64, mm. 1-7 93 4.7: Janá&k, Jen4fa, Act II, R. 61, mm. 1-3 96 4.8: Janá&k, Jenzfa, Act II, R. 68, mm. 3-5 97 4.9 Janáek, Jenifa, Act II, R. 71, mm. 1-4 100 4.10: Janáèek, Jenzfa, Act III, R. 56:8 — R. 57, mm. 1-3 100 5.1: Heggie, Dead Man Walking, Act I, Prelude, mm.28-3 5 119, 120 5.2: Heggie, Dead Man Walking, Act I, Scene 7, mm. 1552-1572 121,122 5.3: Heggie, Dead Man Walking, Act I, Scene 7, mm. 1573-1606 126-129 5.4: Heggie, Dead Man Walking, Act I, Scene 7, mm. 1607-1627 130-132 5.5: Heggie, Dead Man Walking, Act I, Scene 2, mm. 405-407 133 5.6: Heggie, Dead Man Walking, Act I, Scene 7, mm. 1628-1636 134 5.7: Heggie, Dead Man Walking, Act I, Scene 7, mm. 1684-1698 137-139 5.8: Heggie, Dead Man Walking, Act!, Scene 7, mm. 1709-1713 141 5:9: Heggie, Dead Man Walking, Act II, Scene 4, mm. 923-931 146 5:10: Heggie, Dead Man Walking, Act II, Scene 4, mm. 932-947 148-150 5:11: Heggie, Dead Man Walking, Act II, Scene 4, mm. 948-957 151-152 vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS When I first chose this subject and took on this project, I had no idea of its magnitude and scope. I could not have completed it without the help of several people. First, I owe a debt of gratitude to my graduate committee. In particular, I wish to thank Dr. Vera Micznik, my Academic Research Supervisor, for wading through everything I wrote and offering her sage advice and her guidance in seeing this project to its fruition. Her time and expertise have been greatly appreciated. She has gone above and beyond her call of duty. As well, I am grateful for the affirmation, support, and valuable insights of Professor Nancy Hermiston, my Supervisor and Voice Adviser. Professor Roeloff Oostwoud’s input into the project as a committee member was also appreciated. I also wish to thank Jake Heggie for taking the time to correspond with me, answer my questions, and as well, for his letter of consent from Bent Pen Music, Inc., to allow scanning of musical examples from his opera, Dead Man Walking. Finally, I am greatly indebted to my family for their unwavering support and practical help, especially during computer-related crises. In particular, I owe much gratitude to my husband, Manfred, for assiduously reading through each of my drafts, and for his moral sup port, and encouragement. Gloria Dei. VII DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to my family: my husband Manfred, and our children and grand children; and also in memory of my sister, Anita (Rahn) Born (nee Lind) (1946-2003) 1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Mothers as operatic characters are mostly absent from operatic plots, and when present are most often performed by mezzo-sopranos and typically considered “supporting” or “bit” roles.’ On the rare occasions when the mother is a lead or a supporting role, she is characterized through one of the stereotypes associated with the mezzo-soprano voice: bitches, and 2 One case in point is the mother and witch in Humper “witches, britches.” 3 same person is often cast in the Jekyll and Hyde dinck’s Hansel und Gretel, where the position as both the mother and the witch, raising her to the status of a lead character. She is a mean mother given to hysteria, threatening the children with beatings (from their father) and driving them away from the security of home. Although the same casting of the role of mother and witch is often due to monetary concerns, in the plot neither the witch with her chameleon nature and evil machinations, nor the mother, serves as a positive female role model for the children. As a “bitch” stereotype, Klytenmästra from Richard Strauss’s Elektra also comes to mind. Considered to be a lead character, she carries on an affair while her husband is at war and then together with her lover murders her husband on his return. Her son is exiled and her categorization of roles used by Canadian Actors’ Equity Association in order to determine pay scale is Lead, Featured, Supporting, Bit, or Chorus Bit. 2 This is a singer’s expression, often used jokingly particularly among mezzo-sopranos. “Britches” refers to cross-dressing roles and will not be examined in detail in this document. 3An adaptation from a nineteenth century Grimm’s Fairy-tale where the step-mother wishes for the children’s demise due to family’s poor economic status and lack of food, and forces the father to abandon his children deep in the forest.