The Dangerous Liaisons
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CONRAD SUSA The Dangerous Liaisons Libretto by PHILIP LITTELL based on the novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos MANHATTAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC OPERA THEATER George Manahan, conductor Dona D. Vaughn, stage director THE DANGEROUS LIAISONS Music.......................... ....Conrad Susa Libretto............................Philip Littell Conductor..............George Manahan Director....................Dona D. Vaughn Set Design........................Erhard Rom Costume Design...........Tracy Dorman Lighting Design...........Tyler Micoleau Wig/Makeup Design..........Dave Bova Sound Design............PalmerHefferan Assistant Conductor......David Gilbert Chorus Master...........Miriam Charney Head of Opera Musical Studies.....................William Tracy Vocal Coach.....June Marano-Murphy Vocal Coach...........Elizabeth Rodgers Diction Coach...........Kathryn LaBouff Producer................Gordon Ostrowski Associate Producer...Daniel Benavent Stage Manager...............Peggy Imbrie CAST: Merteuil...........................Anna Dugan Valmont.....................Timothy Murray Tourvel........................ Abigail Shapiro Cécile...................................Janet Todd Rosemonde..................Noragh Devlin Volanges.....................Brittany Nickell Danceny..........................Oliver Sewell Émilie......................Brittany Bellacosa Bertrand......................Michael Gracco Victoire.............................Amy Welten Azolan....................Christian Thurston Julie.................................Ashley Alden CHORUS Soprano: Ashley Alden, Eleanor Coleman, Stephanie Johnson, Sarah Mikulski, Julie Salvas, Jamie Cherisse Sampana. Alto: Marie-Gabrielle Arco, Brittany Bellacosa, Xiaohan Chen, Robert Orbach, Rachel Stewart, Yunlei Xie, Amy Yarham. Tenor: Yuan Fang, Matthew Hernandez, Philippe L’esperance, Joshua Sanders, Shuo Wang. Baritone/Bass: Justin Austin, Martin Case, Michael Gracco, Nicholas Smith, Christian Thurston. Conrad Susa Philip Littell Composer (1935-2013) Librettist PROGRAM NOTE had already decided on the casting: baritone Thomas Based on Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ scandalous Hampson as the Don Giovanni-like rake Valmont, 1782 novel, a tale of decadence and revenge told soprano Renée Fleming as the devout Madame de entirely in letters, the plot of The Dangerous Liaisons Tourvel, and mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade as revolves around the vengeful widow Marquise de the scheming Madame de Merteuil. He managed Merteuil, who has managed to keep her reputation to secure them and other stars and presented the despite her many amorous affairs, and her sometime package as a “gift from Heaven” to Susa and Philip lover the Vicomte de Valmont, a well-born rake who Littell, the young actor-writer from Los Angeles whom does her bidding. The ripple effect of their schemes he had engaged as librettist. Composer and librettist and amorous exploits results in the deaths of both worked closely together from the beginning of 1992, Valmont and the woman he truly loves, the saintly already knowing the spectacular voices that would Madame de Tourvel. bring the work to life. Susa and Littell began by It was the story’s “devastating whirlpool of malign studying Laclos’s novel and Hampton’s play and seductions and intrigues” that Lotfi Mansouri, general watching all three films on the subject to date— director of the San Francisco Opera, thought would Roger Vadim’s 1959 French film Les liaisons danger- make a powerful opera— a dark Così fan tutte— euses, Stephen Frears’s Dangerous Liaisons (1988) when he was pursuing a new work for his company. and Miloš Forman’s Valmont (1989). Even before commissioning Conrad Susa (1935- Though a singer from a musical family and ex- 2013), Mansouri, who had seen Christopher Hampton’s perienced in theater and cabaret, Littell was a first- riveting Les Liaisons Dangéreuses on Broadway in time opera librettist. He came up with a masterful 1987, had tried to secure the playwright as librettist, libretto in a timely manner. Susa particularly noted but Hampton was unavailable. Meanwhile Mansouri how “singable” Littell’s words were and how little ✧3✧ needed to be changed. Susa’s music is tonal—His NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR melodies admirably suit the voices and the natural I have been fascinated by flow of the words. His score is divided into “num- the original novel (written bers,” but there is a seamless flow between arias, by Pierre Choderlos de recitatives, duets, and larger ensembles. Laclos and published in Susa had help with the orchestration from 1782) ever since it was Donald Ontiveros and MSM’s own Manly Romero a class assignment my from Susa’s carefully annotated short score and in sophomore year in college. constant consultation with the composer. The In 1992 it was exciting to production played for six sold-out performances. learn that San Francisco Dona D. Vaughn Stellar cast, music, and libretto all worked together Opera had commissioned Director to create an emotional impact, broadened through Conrad Susa to write an opera based upon the novel. I a PBS broadcast. Though the opera may not have was already familiar with Susa’s work, having directed become an American standard, it has received more several productions of his Transformations. I sent for a revivals than many contemporary operas—by the perusal copy of The Dangerous Liaisons shortly after Washington Opera and the opera theater depart- becoming Artistic Director of Opera here at MSM. ments of the San Francisco Conservatory, Cincinnati Alas, it sat in a drawer in my desk until this year. College Conservatory, and Banff Centre for the Arts. I must confess that having directed Transformations Along the way Susa made revisions, including divid- did little to prepare me for the very different music Susa ing the opera into three acts rather than two. wrote for The Dangerous Liaisons. Working on this opera In 2008, Bob Schuneman of E.C. Schirmer (ECS) has been a challenge to which our young singers have publications hired composer-arranger Randol Bass to responded with great enthusiasm. We all have relished make a reduction of Susa’s “massive score.” Bass had discovering the psychological depths (and shallows) of known Susa since 1975, when the older composer the opera’s characters. This production has proven to be had written a choral piece for the University of Texas an invaluable opportunity for our young singers to work where Bass was an undergraduate. “It was a labor of on stagecraft, period style, and characterization…both love for me, and took a couple of months to com- realistic and risqué. plete. I never heard the resulting score, although the I am grateful for the dedication of our music staff, reports that reached my ears were complimentary— our talented designers, our production staff, Albany including Conrad’s own assessment, which he shared Records, and especially the trust and dedication of our with me during a phone call after it was all over.” talented young students who have thrown themselves This is the version we have the pleasure of hearing wholeheartedly into this journey. on this recording. Jane Vial Jaffe Dona D. Vaughn ✧4✧ SYNOPSIS meets Cécile in the woods. They converse awkwardly ACT I. Madame de Rosemonde’s Paris country estate. on account of their affairs—hers with Valmont and Summer 1740. A rain storm has forced Madame de Danceny’s with Merteuil. Alone, Valmont boasts that all Rosemonde’s houseguests indoors. She, her nephew the women he has conquered loved him first. But he Valmont, Madame de Volanges, and Madame de Tour- realizes, to his distress, that he actually does love Tour- vel play cards. Meanwhile, Chevalier de Danceny gives vel. Coming toward him as if sleepwalking, Tourvel a harp lesson to Volanges’s daughter Cécile—they are admits that she is now lost; she succumbs to his love. secretly in love, though Cécile is engaged to the absent ACT III. Winter Gercourt, an ex-lover of the Marquise de Merteuil. The Merteuil feels that Valmont has gone too far with cynical Merteuil notes Vicomte Valmont’s desire for the Tourvel. She pens a letter, ordering him to break off his devout Tourvel, and the budding romance between relationship. Valmont reads and accepts his obligation. Danceny and Cécile. She begrudges Valmont’s getting In bed with Tourvel, Valmont uses Merteuil’s very words what he’s after and comes up with a vengeful plan. to end the affair. She is destroyed. Weeping, she asks Volanges and Merteuil warn Tourvel to be wary of to be taken to a convent. Later, Danceny is alone with Valmont, but she defends him. While Cécile and Dan- Merteuil. Unnoticed, Valmont observes the pair, then ceny practice their music, Merteuil instructs Valmont to steps forward. He bitterly reports that he has ended his seduce Cécile: Gercourt must have a “ruined” bride— affair with Tourvel. Angry, he tells Danceny about all the punishment for his rejecting Merteuil. Valmont agrees men Merteuil has toyed with. She shocks him by reveal- after she promises him renewed sexual favors. She then ing that Tourvel is dying and that she is breaking her warns Volanges that Danceny has been hiding letters bargain with Valmont: it is war. Merteuil tells Danceny in her daughter’s harp. Volanges orders Danceny out. that Cécile has miscarried Valmont’s child, and Danceny In different bedrooms at different times and places, immediately challenges him to a duel. Merteuil composes a letter to Valmont. Cécile writes Tourvel lies dying in the convent. Meanwhile, the to Merteuil revealing that Valmont has seduced her. duel takes