Desire, Disappointment, Love and Death: Topics in Elizabeth Maconchy’s Chamber Operas The Sofa and The Departure

Masterarbeit

zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades Master of Arts (MA) im interuniversitären Masterstudium Musikologie Studienkennzahl: B 066 836

an der Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz

vorgelegt von

SOPHIA LEITHOLD

Matrikelnummer: 00911668

Betreuer: Univ.Prof. Dr.phil. Andreas Dorschel MA

Institut für Musikästhetik Kunstuniversität Graz

Graz, Mai 2018

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0 Abstract

Elizabeth Maconchy (1907-1994) was an English composer, whose long career of writing music and active participation in the European music scene made her one of the most interesting figures of British composing in the 20 th century. She is best known for her cycle of thirteen string quartets and has composed music from different genres, including chamber music, orchestral works, vocal music and music theatre. Maconchy’s chamber operas The Sofa (1959) and The Departure (1962) are the focus of this thesis as it identifies the central topics of both operas and investigates their musical development. The main topic of the satirical and comedic Sofa is erotic desire and the analysis of the music of the opera shows that one motif is strongly associated with it. This inspires an exploration of the appearances of the two versions of this motif and their significance as well as the implications that their use may convey. The Departure is a tragedy and a counterpart to The Sofa , both in story and atmosphere. The central conflict of this opera is the death of the protagonist and her departure from this world. The music will be examined by identifying the key motifs and devices paired with the main topics and tracing their influence on the progression of the opera. The final section of the thesis will look at the operas side by side and present both the differences and similarities in the musical treatment of the main topics as well as the inherent musical and emotional quality.

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Elizabeth Maconchy (1907-1994) war eine englische Komponistin, deren lange Laufbahn als Musikschaffende und aktive Teilnahme in der europäischen Musikszene sie als eine der interessantesten Personen des britischen Komponierens im 20. Jahrhundert auszeichnet. Ihre 13 Streichquartette sind sicherlich ihre bekanntesten Werke, aber sie hat außerdem mit den verschiedensten Gattungen, wie zum Beispiel Kammermusik, Orchestermusik, Vokalmusik und Musiktheater gearbeitet. Maconchys Kammeropern The Sofa (1959) und The Departure (1962) sind der Mittelpunkt dieser Arbeit, die sich den zentralen inhaltlichen Themen beider Opern und deren musikalischer Umsetzung widmet. Das Hauptthema des satirischen und spielerischen Sofas ist erotisches Verlangen, und die Analyse der Musik der Oper zeigt, dass ein Motiv besonders stark mit diesem Thema zusammenhängt. Daher werden die Momente, in denen die zwei Versionen des Motivs in der Oper erscheinen und deren Bedeutung sowie die inhaltlichen Folgen, die ihre Verwendung impliziert, untersucht. The Departure ist eine Tragödie und ein Gegenstück zu The Sofa , sowohl hinsichtlich des Inhalts als auch der Stimmung. Der zentrale Konflikt dieser Oper ist der Tod der Protagonistin und ihr Abschied von dieser Welt. Die Musik wird durch die Identifikation der Hauptmotive und –mittel, die mit den inhaltlichen Themen verbunden sind, behandelt, und deren Einfluss auf den Verlauf der Oper nachvollzogen. Der letzte Abschnitt der Arbeit stellt die beiden Opern einander gegenüber, und zeigt dadurch die Unterschiede und Ähnlichkeiten in Hinblick auf die musikalische Umsetzung der Kernthemen – und damit auch die inhärente musikalische und emotionale Qualität – auf.

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Table of Contents

0 Abstract ...... 3

1 Introduction ...... 7

2 Maconchy’s Life and Work ...... 9

2.1 Early Life ...... 9

2.2 Maconchy’s Time at the R.C.M ...... 10

2.3 Life after College: Contraction of Tuberculosis and the War ...... 12

2.4 Post-War Period ...... 16

2.5 Late Years ...... 17

3 The Sofa ...... 19

3.1 Between Longing and Frustration ...... 21

3.2 “This time my patience cannot still endure, you know my magic art is swift and sure.” – The Grandmother, the Witch ...... 25

3.3 Erotic Desire – The Musical and Thematic Centre of the Opera ...... 27

3.4 Fulfilment or Disappointment? ...... 34

4 The Departure ...... 36

4.1 The Drama ...... 36

4.1.1 Beginnings of the Collaboration ...... 36

4.1.2 The Storyline of The Departure ...... 38

4.2 The Music ...... 43

4.2.1 Funeral Music: Motif, Rhythm, Gregorian chant ...... 44

4.2.2 Mysterious Music – Julia’s Motif ...... 48

4.2.3 “But what has happened?” – Steps on the Way to Realisation ...... 50

4.2.4 “Remember our life together”: A Summer Ball and a Lullaby ...... 54

4.2.5 “We must know our death”: Acceptance and Departure ...... 56

4.3 Transformation: The Necessary Process of Accepting Death ...... 61

5 Conclusion ...... 65 5

6 Bibliography ...... 69

6.1 Web Resources ...... 70

6.2 Archive Resources ...... 70

6.3 Music Resources ...... 72

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1 Introduction

“Being a composer is a life-sentence from which there is no escape.” 1

Such was the self-conception of the composer Elizabeth Violet Maconchy DBE (1907-1994), whose long career of writing music and active participation in the European music scene made her one of the most interesting figures of British composing in the 20 th century. She is best known for her cycle of thirteen string quartets and has composed music from different genres, including chamber music, orchestral works, vocal music and music theatre.

The Sofa (1959) and The Departure (1962) are two of Maconchy’s three chamber operas. As the third opera The Three Strangers was not performed until 1968, The Sofa and The Departure are designed as two pieces of a puzzle to fill a playbill for one evening. This thesis aims to identify the central topics of both operas and investigate their musical development. To compare The Sofa and The Departure is to look at opposites: The first is a satirical and witty comedy and the second is a nuanced and emotional tragedy. While both operas include elements of the supernatural and other surprising plot points, this thesis argues that they rather focus on interpersonal relationships and individual (non-)developments.

To provide a background for deliberations about the two operas, the following chapter explores important factors of Maconchy’s biography. It will cover the stages of her development from a musically gifted child to a rising star at college, the obstacles in her way like World War II and her health issues and her steady need for and success in composing music.

The opera The Sofa is the main focus of chapter three. After examining the circumstances of the creation of the opera leading up to its first performance, the basic aspects of the satirical story and the libretto are explored. One character is highlighted as diametrically opposed to the others, before the central topic of the opera – erotic desire – and its connection to a musical motif is discussed. The investigation of the development of the music throughout the opera includes an exploration of the appearances of the two versions of this motif and their significance as well as the implications that their use may convey.

Chapter four is dedicated to the second opera, The Departure . Beginning a journey into the realms of drama as opposed to the playfulness of The Sofa , the collaboration that led to the

1 Elizabeth Maconchy, “A Composer Speaks”, in: Composer 42 (Winter 1971-1972), 29. 7 creation of the opera is investigated before presenting some ideas that influenced it. Furthermore, this section provides an overview of the structure and important moments in the libretto and proposes a way of looking at the main conflict of the story – the protagonist’s death. The music will be examined by identifying the key motifs and devices and tracing their influence on the progression of the opera.

The final section of the thesis will look at the operas side by side – as they were conceived to be. Both the differences and similarities in the musical treatment of the main topics as well as the inherent musical and emotional quality of the operas will be presented.

While Maconchy’s achievements speak for themselves, her work is not as acknowledged today as it should be, though there are certainly some attempts to change this. When the Centre for Gender Studies and the Institute of Music Aesthetics at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz held a symposium about Maconchy in October 2014 2, the foundation for the first book about the composer was laid: The findings of this conference will be published in March 2018 3, hopefully renewing interest in Maconchy’s music, which it deserves. Though an interest that will result in further research and performances of her music is absolutely to be desired, Maconchy’s music serves a higher purpose:

Who does the composer write for? Not, I am certain, to fulfil the needs of the public or for any other disinterested public-spirited purpose. He may write a work for a particular artist or a particular ensemble or even a particular occasion, and this can be stimulating to his imagination and a valid source of inspiration: but ultimately the work is written for its own sake, or his own sake, which is the same thing. 4

2 The conference had the title: “ ʻPassionately intellectual, intellectually passionate’: Elizabeth Maconchy (1907- 1994)”. It was held between 24 and 25 October 2014 and was organised by Christa Brüstle and Andreas Dorschel. 3 The book will be published in the series Studien zur Wertungsforschung . Christa Brüstle and Danielle Sofer (eds.), ‘ Passionately intellectual, intellectually passionate’: Elizabeth Maconchy (1907-1994) , Vienna – London – New York, 2018 (forthcoming). 4 Elizabeth Maconchy, “A Composer Speaks”, in: Composer 42 (Winter 1971-1972), 28. 8

2 Maconchy’s Life and Work

2.1 Early Life

Elizabeth Violet Maconchy was born on 19 March 1907 in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire. 5 Although born in England, Maconchy considered herself Irish, as both of her parents, Violet Mary (née Poë) and Gerald Maconchy, were of Irish descent. Maconchy was the second of three daughters and spent a happy childhood in Buckinghamshire, with the family often travelling to Ireland to visit her maternal grandparents in Santry Court. In 1917, the Maconchy family moved to Howth, near Dublin. 6 Although there was no real history of music in her family – only her father played the piano a little – Maconchy was interested in music from a very young age. She started playing the piano and picking out tunes by herself at the age of six and took lessons in piano and composition 7 in Dublin after the family relocated to Ireland. 8 Maconchy’s unwavering interest in music seems even more astonishing if one considers how little possibilities of experiences with music where available to her at the time: Dublin had no orchestra, opera or chamber ensemble and commercial radio had not yet been established. 9 Despite these circumstances, Maconchy’s musical talent was outstanding and recognised by her Dublin teachers who advised her to continue her studies at the Royal College of Music (R.C.M.) in London. When Maconchy’s father tragically died of tuberculosis in 1922, her mother decided to move back to England and settle in London soon afterwards, which made it possible for Maconchy to enter the R.C.M. in 1923. 10

5 As Erica Siegel has pointed out there are discrepancies regarding Maconchy’s birthplace, with many sources (Grove Music Online , MUGI online etc.) naming Broxbourne, Hertfordshire instead of Hoddesdon. However, Maconchy’s daughter Nicola LeFanu has identified Hoddesdon as the correct place (see Erica Siegel, “What a delicious, what a malicious imputation!” Gender and Politics in the Reception of Elizabeth Maconchy’s The Sofa, MA-Thesis, University of California Riverside 2012, 4.). 6 Nicola Le Fanu, Elizabeth Maconchy DBE (1907-1997): Some biographical and musical notes [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classRev/2007/Oct07/Maconchy_LeFanu.htm, 02.01.2017]. 7 Her teachers were most likely Edith Boxwell (piano) and John Francis Larchet (composition), as noted in: Erica Siegel, “What a delicious, what a malicious imputation!” Gender and Politics in the Reception of Elizabeth Maconchy’s The Sofa, MA-Thesis, University of California Riverside 2012, 5. 8 Nicola Le Fanu, Elizabeth Maconchy DBE (1907-1997): Some biographical and musical notes [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classRev/2007/Oct07/Maconchy_LeFanu.htm, 02.01.2017]. 9 Ailie Blunnie, Passion and Intellect in the Music of Elizabeth Maconchy DBE (1907-1994) , MA-Thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth 2010, 2f. 10 Nicola Le Fanu, Elizabeth Maconchy DBE (1907-1997): Some biographical and musical notes [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classRev/2007/Oct07/Maconchy_LeFanu.htm, 02.01.2017].

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2.2 Maconchy’s Time at the R.C.M

Attending the college gave Maconchy the chance to experience a life full of different musical influences and inspirations. In 1971, she remembered this time as follows:

I came to the Royal College of Music from Ireland when I was sixteen […] I had been writing music since I was six, but knew very little other music except what I could play on the piano, and I had only once heard an orchestra. So coming to London as a music student was a first plunge into life, and once I had found my feet I enjoyed my time at the R.C.M. immensely. 11

Initially, Maconchy studied composition with Irish composer Charles Wood, piano with Arthur Alexander, and counterpoint with Charles Herbert Kitson. In 1925, she changed to study composition with the well-known Ralph Vaughan Williams, who would become a lifelong supporter and friend. Regarding her start in Vaughan Williams’ class, Maconchy noted that “it was like turning on a light” 12 . She described this period as follows:

He didn’t do conventional teaching at all. He rather inspired one to write. Like all his pupils I copied his style because it was a very catchy style founded on English Folksong, but, after about six months, partly as a result of discovering Bartók’s music which was a great influence on me, I was able to snap out of it and I think I can say I then found my own voice. 13

During this time, Maconchy became acquainted with the music of composers like Debussy, Ravel, Stravinsky, Janá ček and Bartók, whereby she was especially fascinated by the latter. These experiences certainly had a great impact on Maconchy and the development of her musical style, a development that Vaughan Williams strongly supported. Indeed, Maconchy always emphasised that Vaughan Williams encouraged his pupils to find their individual style rather than focus on conventional teaching methods. In her article “Vaughan Williams as a Teacher”, Maconchy wrote:

[…]The reason for this apparent lack of method was his complete rejection of ready-made solutions. All through his life he chose the laborious method of ‘working out his own salvation’ – his own phrase. And this is what he encouraged his pupils to do. His teaching, though he never said it in so many words – was always directed towards his pupils think for themselves in their own musical language. He fully recognised the importance of adequate

11 Elizabeth Maconchy, “A Composer Speaks”, in: Composer 42 (Winter 1971-1972), 25. 12 Nicola Le Fanu, Elizabeth Maconchy DBE (1907-1997): Some biographical and musical notes [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classRev/2007/Oct07/Maconchy_LeFanu.htm, 02.01.2017]. 13 Caroline Heslop, “Contemporary Composers: Elizabeth Maconchy” , in: Music Teacher 66/4 (1987), 23. 10

technique, but for him the purpose of technique was how to give the clearest expression to the musical ideas of each individual composer in his own way. 14

In 1927, Maconchy began the composition of her first violin sonata and Piano Concertino which “[…] were already in a musical language far removed from mainstream English music, and indicate growing familiarity with European new music […]”. 15 Maconchy quickly developed an excellent reputation at the R.C.M and received numerous performances of her works through college concerts.16 Her colleagues included the composers Grace Williams, Elizabeth Lutyens, Dorothy Gow and Ina Boyle as well as the violinist Anne Macnaghten, with all of whom she maintained lifelong contact and friendships. This atmosphere proved to be very nourishing for Maconchy’s music. Her progress at the R.C.M was rapid and she received numerous prizes, including the Blumenthal Scholarship. 17 However, in 1929, she was denied the prestigious Mendelssohn prize and later cited that the head of the College at the time, Sir Hugh Allen, told her the following: “If we give you the Mendelssohn Scholarship you will only get married and never write another note.” 18 When Maconchy left the R.C.M., her final term report was full of praise. Using his famous phrase, Vaughan Williams wrote: “Very sorry to lose her – but I can teach her no more – she will work for her own salvation & will go far.” 19 During her time at the R.C.M, Maconchy always wished to travel abroad to study composition at one of the musical centres on the European continent. This was encouraged by Vaughan Williams and he recommended Prague. Shortly before leaving the R.C.M., Maconchy was awarded the Octavia Travelling Scholarship and decided to use these funds to travel first to Vienna and then to Prague, where she studied composition with K.B. Jirák. 20 A year later, on her 23 rd birthday, she returned to Prague to attend her Piano Concertino that was played by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra,

14 Elizabeth Maconchy, “ Vaughan Williams as a Teacher”, in: Composer 2 (1959), 18-19. 15 Nicola Le Fanu, Elizabeth Maconchy DBE (1907-1997): Some biographical and musical notes [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classRev/2007/Oct07/Maconchy_LeFanu.htm, 02.01.2017]. 16 Erica Siegel, “What a delicious, what a malicious imputation!” Gender and Politics in the Reception of Elizabeth Maconchy’s The Sofa, MA-Thesis, University of California Riverside 2012, 6. 17 Letter from the Royal College of Music to Elizabeth Maconchy dated September 15 1927. Elizabeth Maconchy Archive, St. Hilda’s College Oxford, P.P.1 H.I. 18 Elizabeth Maconchy, “A Composer Speaks”, in: Composer 42 (Winter 1971-1972), 25. 19 Maconchy’s final term report from the R.C.M., Midsummer term 1929. Elizabeth Maconchy Archive, St. Hilda’s College Oxford, P.P.1 H.I. 20 Ailie Blunnie, Passion and Intellect in the Music of Elizabeth Maconchy DBE (1907-1994) , MA-Thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth 2010, 3. 11 with Jirák conducting and Erwin Schulhoff as the soloist, which marked one of her great successes. 21

2.3 Life after College: Contraction of Tuberculosis and the War

After leaving the R.C.M., Maconchy found herself confronted with the difficulty of finding out what to do next: “In London in the 1920s no-one had given a thought to helping a composer to establish himself – still less herself – or even to learn the craft of composition by hearing his work performed.” 22 Maconchy decided that it was time to act and send a score to Sir Henry Wood after she returned from Prague. 23 This proved fruitful for Maconchy’s piece The Land , a vivid and multifaceted orchestral suite consisting of four movements that was performed at the Promenade Concerts in August 1930 to great acclaim. 24 Herbert Hughes wrote in his review of The Land for The Daily Telegraph entitled “Girl Composer’s Triumph”: “Not only is this one of the best pieces of orchestral music written by any woman in recent years, but by far the most important and interesting work produced, so far, at the Promenade Concerts during the present season.” 25 This was a remarkable success for a young composer and should have been a stepping stone to more and greater opportunities. However, this was not the case. As Maconchy later remarked:

It [ The Land ] received, though I say it, staggeringly good press notices – but that was all. No- one gave me a commission, or a grant, or a chatty interview, or another performance. It did not even seem strange at the time – it appeared that this was the composer’s lot, and that writing music must be its own reward. 26

One week before its premiere, Maconchy married William LeFanu (1904-1995). LeFanu was an Irish historian and worked as a medical librarian for the Royal College of Surgeons in

21 Nicola Le Fanu, Elizabeth Maconchy DBE (1907-1997): Some biographical and musical notes [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classRev/2007/Oct07/Maconchy_LeFanu.htm, 02.01.2017]. 22 Elizabeth Maconchy, “A Composer Speaks”, in: Composer 42 (Winter 1971-1972), 25. 23 Elizabeth Maconchy, “A Composer Speaks”, in: Composer 42 (Winter 1971-1972), 25. 24 Hugo Cole and Jennifer Doctor, “Maconchy, Dame Elizabeth ”, in: Grove Music online [http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.oxfordmusiconline.han.kug.ac.at/subscriber/article/grove/music/17374, 02.01.2017]. 25 Herbert Hughes, “Girl Composer’s Triumph”, in: The Daily Telegraph (1 September, 1930). Elizabeth Maconchy Archive, St. Hilda’s College Oxford, P.P.1 H.I. 26 Elizabeth Maconchy, A Composer Speaks , in: Composer 42 (Winter 1971-1972), 25. 12

London. While she officially adopted the surname LeFanu, the composer kept using Maconchy as her artist name throughout her career. Fortunately, Maconchy’s husband supported her as a composer. As she once mentioned in an interview: “Things would have been a lot harder […] if I hadn’t married a man sympathetic to my work.” 27 In November 1930, three of Maconchy’s songs were published by Oxford University Press: Ophelia’s Song (1926), Meditation for his Mistress (1928) and Have you seen but a bright lily grow (1929). However, these seemed to be the only of Maconchy’s works that the publishers were interested in at the time: “Publishers would not consider seriously publishing anything by a young woman – except possibly some little songs.” 28 One of the few rare performance opportunities was the Macnaghten-Lemare concerts, a series of concerts founded by Maconchy’s friends, the violinist Anne Macnaghten and the conductor Iris Lemare, to promote contemporary classical music. Maconchy’s string quintet was performed at one of the first concerts of the series and after that, her music was often included in the programs. 29 Maconchy and her husband first settled in London but around a year after their wedding, Maconchy was diagnosed with tuberculosis – the same disease that had killed her father. The doctors advised her to move to Switzerland but Maconchy did not consider this as an option, for it would probably have meant the end of her career as a composer. Instead, she and her husband moved to the English countryside, first to Brighton before eventually settling in Kent. There, they rearranged their life to spend most of their time outdoors and even slept in an open-sided hut in their garden. These living arrangements helped ease Maconchy’s symptoms and she eventually regained her strength after about three years. 30 Being isolated from London’s musical life was hard to bear, but Maconchy managed to stay in touch and never stopped composing, even when her health was troubling her. About 56 pieces of her music – including, among others, choral, orchestral and chamber works – date from before 1939. 31 Eleven of her works were performed at the Macnaghten-Lemare concerts throughout the 1930s, for instance her ballet Great Agrippa (1933) or her first String Quartet

27 Robert Maycock, “Inheriting the land”, in: The Listener (12 March 1987), 30. 28 Elizabeth Maconchy, A Composer Speaks , in: Composer 42 (Winter 1971-1972), 25. 29 Sophie Fuller, “ Elizabeth Maconchy”, in: The Pandora Guide to Women Composers: Britain and the United States, 1629-present , ed. by Sophie Fuller, London 1994, 199. 30 Nicola Le Fanu, Elizabeth Maconchy DBE (1907-1997): Some biographical and musical notes [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classRev/2007/Oct07/Maconchy_LeFanu.htm, 02.01.2017] and Ailie Blunnie, Passion and Intellect in the Music of Elizabeth Maconchy DBE (1907-1994), MA-Thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth 2010, 28. 31 Ailie Blunnie, Passion and Intellect in the Music of Elizabeth Maconchy DBE (1907-1994), MA-Thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth 2010, 42. 13

(1933). 32 Moreover, Maconchy won a Daily Telegraph Prize for her Oboe Quintet, her Piano Concerto was played at the Proms in 1936 and her music was performed at the International Society for Contemporary Music Festivals in Prague and Paris in 1935 and 1937 as well as at concerts in Poland, Belgium, Hungary, 33 Germany, the USA and Australia. 34 Due to the increasingly instable political situation in Europe, performances had to be cancelled in 1938 and 1939 in Eastern Europe and Austria. The ballet Puck Fair was first performed in Ireland in 1940 with Maconchy being absent, first in a two piano version and later with an orchestration by Maconchy’s friend Ina Boyle. Later, Maconchy revised this orchestration, composed a concert suite on the music and the ballet became one of her most successful works. 35 It was during this time that Maconchy “became politically active as far as her health permitted, raising funds for the Republican cause when the Spanish Civil War began and running a section of the Left Book club. She was also involved in helping her Jewish friends in Prague to escape.” 36 Furthermore, Maconchy and her husband supported the then 17-year- old daughter of a Czech family that Maconchy had met and befriended in Prague. The girl lived with LeFanu and Maconchy for approximately a year and a half before reuniting with her parents and moving to America. 37 As previously mentioned, Maconchy started to compose string quartets in the 1930s – the first one being premiered in 1933 at the Macnaghten-Lemare concerts, the second one in 1934 at the International Society for Contemporary Music Festival in Paris and the third one in 1938 at a BBC contemporary music concert in London. This series of string quartets should prove to be central to Maconchy’s musical legacy and comprises a total of 13 quartets composed throughout her life. 38 On 24 October 1939, Maconchy’s first child, Elizabeth Anna, was born. Maconchy had travelled to Dublin for her daughter’s birth because of the threat of a German invasion. The

32 Nicola Le Fanu, Elizabeth Maconchy DBE (1907-1997): Some biographical and musical notes [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classRev/2007/Oct07/Maconchy_LeFanu.htm, 02.01.2017]. 33 Sophie Fuller, “Elizabeth Maconchy”, in: The Pandora Guide to Women Composers: Britain and the United States, 1629-present , ed. by Sophie Fuller, London 1994, 199. 34 Hugo Cole and Jennifer Doctor, Maconchy, Dame Elizabeth , in: Grove Music online [http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.oxfordmusiconline.han.kug.ac.at/subscriber/article/grove/music/17374, 02.01.2017]. 35 Nicola Le Fanu, Elizabeth Maconchy DBE (1907-1997): Some biographical and musical notes [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classRev/2007/Oct07/Maconchy_LeFanu.htm, 02.01.2017]. 36 Nicola Le Fanu, Elizabeth Maconchy DBE (1907-1997): Some biographical and musical notes [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classRev/2007/Oct07/Maconchy_LeFanu.htm, 02.01.2017]. 37 Ailie Blunnie, Passion and Intellect in the Music of Elizabeth Maconchy DBE (1907-1994), MA-Thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth 2010, 102-104. 38 Sophie Fuller, Elizabeth Maconchy , in: The Pandora Guide to Women Composers: Britain and the United States, 1629-present , ed. by Sophie Fuller, London 1994, 199. 14 following year, Maconchy re-joined her husband in Kent before they were evacuated – together with the contents of the library her husband was responsible for – to Shropshire in 1941. Meanwhile, Maconchy’s sister had also succumbed to tuberculosis and was living in Switzerland together with their mother. Tragically, both of them died there during the war. 39 There were certainly many hardships for Maconchy during these times. In addition to the grief of losing her mother and sister, she was isolated from her friends because of the evacuation and had to care for an infant without close family there to help her. However, she remained determined to make the best of her situation and “strove to make time every day for composing, while also growing a vegetable garden and cooking and preserving to eke out rations.”40 With this busy schedule, Maconchy’s consequent dedication to composing seems even more astounding, and it appears that she even experimented with new methods during this time:

It was during the war that she wrote a number of serial works, giving herself what she called ‘a course in twelve note method’. However, she withdrew these pieces and did not embrace serialism; her language was concise and economic and she already derived all her harmonic and melodic material from an initial donnée; further constraint would not benefit her. 41

Even though she was mostly isolated from musical life during the war, Maconchy found the methods and motivation to keep composing. An extensive correspondence with her friend and composer Grace Williams survives, starting as early as 1927 and becoming more frequent during the war. These letters show that both composers tried to compensate the lack of direct musical exchange by sending each other bits of their music, seeking advice and discussing practical problems like the lack of commissions, etc. This correspondence was continued until Williams’ death in 1977. 42

39 Nicola Le Fanu, Elizabeth Maconchy DBE (1907-1997): Some biographical and musical notes [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classRev/2007/Oct07/Maconchy_LeFanu.htm, 02.01.2017]. 40 Nicola Le Fanu, Elizabeth Maconchy DBE (1907-1997): Some biographical and musical notes [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classRev/2007/Oct07/Maconchy_LeFanu.htm, 02.01.2017]. 41 Nicola Le Fanu, Elizabeth Maconchy DBE (1907-1997): Some biographical and musical notes [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classRev/2007/Oct07/Maconchy_LeFanu.htm, 02.01.2017]. 42 Sophie Fuller and Jenny Doctor have been working on an edition of these letters for Ashgate for many years. This edition has yet to be released and the current status of the project is unknown – there are many possible release dates to be found in the literature – but according to Amazon, the edition will be published on 5 December 2018 [https://www.amazon.de/Correspondence-Between-Elizabeth-Maconchy- Williams/dp/140942412X/ ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483698988&sr=8-1&, 02.01.2017]. 15

2.4 Post-War Period

After the war, Maconchy and her family could not move back to their cottage in Kent, for it had been destroyed by the bombings during the war. Therefore, they moved to Essex, where the advantages of a close proximity to London, where the work lives of Maconchy and LeFanu were based, and a mild climate benefited Maconchy’s health stability. They first settled in Wickham Bishops, where Maconchy gave birth to her second daughter Nicola Frances – who would later become a composer herself – on 28 April 1947. Later, the now family of four moved a few kilometres west to Boreham, where Maconchy lived until shortly before her death. 43 Maconchy managed to keep her working routine stable and continued to write many pieces of music in the years after the war. Works like the Concertino for Clarinet (1945), her fifth and sixth string quartet (1948 and 1950), her second piano concertino (1949), the Nocturne for orchestra (1950) and a symphony for double string orchestra (1952) date from this time. These accomplishments, however, did not come without difficulties:

Yet this substantial output did not mean that composing came easily to her. In the three years after the war, she worked on a symphony which she withdrew after its first performance. Her letters to Grace Williams reveal the extent of her self-criticism and her dissatisfaction with herself and the symphony. These were not easy years for her; she felt isolated, living in the country with no ‘extended family’ to help her with two young children. It was very different from the international success she had had before the war. Nor were the post war years easy for any women, a phenomenon noted by a number of historians. 44

In 1948, Maconchy’s work received some recognition; she was awarded the Edwin Edvans prize for her fifth string quartet and her orchestral overture Proud Thames won the London City Council prize for the best Coronation Overture composed for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. in 1952. Another milestone was the broadcast of all six string quartets that had existed until then by the BBC. As a result, she received a lot of acknowledgement from prominent figures of British musical life. 45 Maconchy went on to compose her seventh string quartet in 1956. Despite having considerable experience in the genre, it seems that this was the point in Maconchy’s musical

43 Ailie Blunnie, Passion and Intellect in the Music of Elizabeth Maconchy DBE (1907-1994), MA-Thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth 2010, 104f. 44 Nicola Le Fanu, Elizabeth Maconchy DBE (1907-1997): Some biographical and musical notes [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classRev/2007/Oct07/Maconchy_LeFanu.htm, 02.01.2017]. 45 Elizabeth Maconchy Archive, St. Hilda’s College Oxford, P.P.1 unlisted/1. 16 career where she experienced a creative block and was not able to write music for some time. However, Maconchy resolved this block by trying out a genre she had little experience in: In 1957, she started to compose her first opera The Sofa , which is based on a libretto written by Ralph Vaughan Williams’ second wife, the poet Ursula Vaughan Williams. This opera will be the main focus of chapter three of this thesis. Evidently, Maconchy found composing a chamber opera satisfying, for she started working on her second opera The Three Strangers in 1958. For this opera, Maconchy devised the libretto herself after a short story by Thomas Hardy, and it was first performed in 1968. The third opera, The Departure that was completed in 1961 and premiered in that same year is based on a libretto by the poet Anne Ridler (see chapter four).

2.5 Late Years

The performances of her works in the 1950s certainly helped put Maconchy back in the position of a public figure, but the fact that her children were grown up also gave her more flexibility. This process was finalized when Maconchy became the first female chair of the Composer’s Guild of Great Britain. Her duties for the Guild – which was founded in 1944 “to further the artistic and professional interests of British composers”46 – included representation abroad, as she did in Canada (1961) and Russia (1962), as well as serving on advisory panels for the BBC and the Arts Council of Great Britain. 47 In addition, Maconchy became an active member and chair of the executive committee of the Society for the Promotion of New Music (SPNM) that was founded to support and promote young unestablished composers in Britain and is still recognised as the most important organisation dedicated to this cause today. 48 Helping young composers start their career was a personal concern of Maconchy, which is why she gave encouragement and advice to many young composers who wrote to her and sent her their works. 49

46 “Composer’s Guild of Great Britain”, in: Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online [http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.oxfordmusiconline.han.kug.ac.at/subscriber/article/grove/music/06214, 02.01.2017]. 47 Ailie Blunnie, Passion and Intellect in the Music of Elizabeth Maconchy DBE (1907-1994), MA-Thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth 2010, 111. 48 Anthony Payne, “Society for the Promotion of New Music”, in: Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online [http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.oxfordmusiconline.han.kug.ac.at/subscriber/article/grove/music/26075, 02.01.2017]. 49 Nicola Le Fanu, Elizabeth Maconchy DBE (1907-1997): Some biographical and musical notes [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classRev/2007/Oct07/Maconchy_LeFanu.htm, 02.01.2017]. 17

The three chamber operas were only the beginning of what would be a period in which Maconchy composed most of her vocal works. Many of these pieces were commissioned 50 and some were conceived especially for amateur ensembles. These dramatic pieces include The Birds (1968) – an extravaganza for young people, Johnny and the Mohawks (1970) and The King of the Golden River (1975) – two children’s operas, The Jesse Tree (1970) – a masque in one act and the dramatic cantata Héloise and Aberlard (1978). Nocturnal (1965) – a choral piece based on three poems – also dates from this period. Yet, besides working on music for voice, Maconchy also focused on instrumental music. She further expanded her cycle of string quartets by composing numbers 8 (1966) to 13 (1984). Other notable works include Epyllion (1973) for solo cello and string ensemble, My Dark Heart (1981) for soprano and six instruments and Music for Strings (1983). Her dedication to music and work for British musical life in general brought Maconchy further honours: After her friend Benjamin Britten died in 1976, Maconchy was elected President of the SPNM. In 1977, she received an Honorary Fellowship from St. Hilda’s College in Oxford and was named Commander of the British Empire (CBE), which was followed by Dame of the British Empire (DBE) ten years later. Her seventieth, eightieth and eighty-fifth birthdays were all celebrated with numerous performances of her works. In 1986, Maconchy stopped composing due to her old age and her failing health. 51 She spent the last four years of her long life at the St. Clemens Nursing Home in Norwich, where she died on 11 November 1994. 52

This summary of the composer’s life illustrates the story of a person who was gifted with great musical talent and a driving need to express it, defying all obstacles. Maconchy refused to be held back by her health issues or the prejudices that surrounded women composers. In the following chapters, the discussion of her chamber operas The Sofa and The Departure will examine the compositional style she used for this music and her personal ideas that emerge in the operas.

50 Nicola Le Fanu, Elizabeth Maconchy DBE (1907-1997): Some biographical and musical notes [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classRev/2007/Oct07/Maconchy_LeFanu.htm, 02.01.2017]. 51 Nicola Le Fanu, Elizabeth Maconchy DBE (1907-1997): Some biographical and musical notes [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classRev/2007/Oct07/Maconchy_LeFanu.htm, 02.01.2017]. 52 Erica Siegel, “What a delicious, what a malicious imputation!” Gender and Politics in the Reception of Elizabeth Maconchy’s The Sofa, MA-Thesis, University of California Riverside 2012, 4.). 18

3 The Sofa

It is sometimes presumed that one main motivation that drives human beings is sexual desire. This is certainly true for some of the main characters in Elizabeth Maconchy’s opera The Sofa (1959). The composition, which is based on a libretto written by Ursula Vaughan Williams, deals with erotic longing as well as disappointment, love and magic in a witty and inventive manner.

This chapter examines the relation between a rather absurd plot and the intriguing and sometimes surprising music as well as the role that erotic desire plays for the unfolding of these components. After a more general overview of the opera, a certain magic character will be put under closer examination and a musical motif that is strongly associated with desire will be explained and traced throughout the piece, leading to a clearer understanding of the themes this opera deals with.

As mentioned in the previous chapter, Maconchy started her career as a professional composer in the early 1930s after very successful years at the R.C.M. She had seemingly found her place in the contemporary music scene of Great Britain. However, her contraction of tuberculosis and following move to Kent as well as the limited broadcast and performance opportunities during the war and the post-war years weakened her position as a composer. After being isolated from fellow musicians, experiencing episodes of depression and wanting to give up composition, the 1955 broadcast of all of her then existing six string quartets by the BBC resulted in a broader recognition of Maconchy’s music. Her former compositional productiveness returned and eventually led her to explore new territories. 53

Maconchy experienced a type of musical emancipation in the mid-1950s. She continued to juggle composing and other professional commitments with family life but now underwent a reassessment of the direction her music would take: “I felt I got a bit stuck – that I’d been writing the same sort of forms for too long […] So I made a break away from chamber music and abstract music in general and wrote my three one-act operas.” 54

This change of genre certainly was a challenge for the composer, but it also was a chance to further her musical language and use her sense for dramatic development in a new way. For

53 Rhiannon Mathias, Lutyens, Maconchy, Williams and twentieth-century British music: a blest trio of sirens , London 2012, 203. 54 Rhiannon Mathias, Lutyens, Maconchy, Williams and twentieth-century British music: a blest trio of sirens , London 2012, 208. 19 this purpose, she chose three quite contrasting libretti. The Departure and The Three Strangers (1958-67) deal with dark subject matters and mysteries: The Departure is a tragedy and will be discussed in chapter four. The Three Strangers is set on a stormy night at a remote cottage with a party of people wondering which of the three arriving strangers is an escaped prisoner. The Sofa (1955-57), on the other hand, is a far more cheerful affair.

The plot of The Sofa is based on a French farce written by the author Claude Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon that was published in 1792 under the title Le Sopha, conte moral . It is unclear whether the use of this novel was suggested by Maconchy’s husband William LeFanu or by Ralph Vaughan Williams. 55 However, the satirical and rather absurd spirit proved very fitting for a suggestive libretto that is rich in colourful phrases, wordplays and clever jokes. Furthermore, the music has its ways of delivering the ironic and multifaceted sentiment of the plot.

The Sofa must have come as a surprise to those who had viewed Maconchy primarily as a composer of uncompromising string quartets. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine how her complete break from chamber music could have been better achieved. Scored for eight solo singers, chorus and chamber ensemble, her irreverent, high-voltage score is filled with original tunes and rhythmic dynamism, the music underlining and enhancing the improbable twists and turns of the plot with ease. 56

The one-act opera with a running time of approximately 40 minutes was premiered on 13 December 1959 by the New Opera Company at Sadler’s Wells Theatre. The composition was done without a commission and, unfortunately, Maconchy never received a commission for a full-scale opera; a circumstance that was maybe due to a crisis of contemporary British opera or the prejudices against operas by female composers in general. 57 Be that as it may, it certainly wasn’t easy to find a suitable performance opportunity. The New Opera Company, founded to “give productions of works which might subsequently be considered suitable for professional production,” 58 proved fitting for Maconchy’s first opera. Further stagings include

55 Erica Siegel, “What a delicious, what a malicious imputation!” Gender and Politics in the Reception of Elizabeth Maconchy’s The Sofa, MA-Thesis, University of California Riverside 2012, 35. See also: Rhiannon Mathias, Lutyens, Maconchy, Williams and twentieth-century British music: a blest trio of sirens , London 2012, 210. 56 Rhiannon Mathias, Lutyens, Maconchy, Williams and twentieth-century British music: a blest trio of sirens , London 2012, 210. 57 Nicola LeFanu, ‘Three Welcome Strangers’, Opera (November 2007), 24. http://opera.archive.netcopy.co.uk/article/november-2007/24/three-welcome-strangers, (22.06.2016). 58 Original program from the 1959 production of The Sofa by the New Opera Company, Elizabeth Maconchy Archive, St. Hilda’s College Oxford, P.P.1 H.I. 20 one at the 1967 Camden Festival, three performances of all three of Maconchy’s chamber operas in 1977 by the Opera Nova at the Middlesbrough Little Theatre and the performances of The Sofa and The Departure in 2007 by the Independent Opera Company at Sadler’s Wells that also resulted in a recording. 59

The first performance of The Sofa was met with mixed reviews. With hardly any exceptions, the music was generally well received (“surprisingly well written for voices” 60 , “for the most part the musical invention was lively and apt” 61 ), one review even suggesting “that this composer may have it in her to bring forth one day a full-length comic opera”. 62 Sometimes shocked by the rather explicit scene (“‘The Sofa’ is unique in that it includes the only attempt I have ever seen to present the act of copulation in the public stage” 63 ), the reviewers also discussed whether the music represented this content satisfyingly: “For what is basically so erotic a subject, her music is altogether too amiable and innocent,” 64 – an argument that may not withstand closer examination.

3.1 Between Longing and Frustration

The following explores the story of The Sofa , a comic tale with characters that circle around a few key themes: “The plot of Maconchy’s opera revolves around the various sexual intrigues which take place on a single piece of furniture.” 65

59 Elizabeth Maconchy, The Sofa, The Departure . Independent Opera at Sadler’s Wells, conducted by Dominic Wheeler. Chandos, CD CHANS 10508, 2009. 60 ---, “Double Bill by New Opera Workshop”, in: The Times (14 December 1959). Elizabeth Maconchy Archive, St. Hilda’s College Oxford, PP 1 unlisted/6. 61 Edmund Tracey “Two New Operas” The Observer (20 December 1959). Elizabeth Maconchy Archive, St. Hilda’s College Oxford, PP 1 unlisted/6. 62 Morso Carner ‘Opera Workshop’ Time and Tide 40 (26 December 1959), 1431-1432, 1431. Elizabeth Maconchy Archive, St. Hilda’s College Oxford, PP 1 unlisted/6. 63 ---, “Double Bill by New Opera Workshop”, in: The Times (December 14 1959). Elizabeth Maconchy Archive, St. Hilda’s College Oxford, PP 1 unlisted/6. 64 Donald Charles Peter Mitchel, “Sofa as Hero of Iconic Plot”, in: Daily Telegraph (14 December 1959). Elizabeth Maconchy Archive, St. Hilda’s College Oxford, PP 1 unlisted/8. 65 Rhiannon Mathias, Lutyens, Maconchy, Williams and twentieth-century British music: a blest trio of sirens , London 2012, 209. 21

Table 1: List of characters in The Sofa

Dominic, a Prince Tenor Monique, a young woman Soprano The Grandmother, a witch Contralto Three young girls: Lucille, Laura and Yolande Soprano, Soprano, Contralto The Suitor Tenor Edward, an Englishman Bass-baritone Friends of the Prince attending the ball Chorus

Dominic, the protagonist of The Sofa , is a young prince who enjoys an excessive lifestyle. During a ball he tries to seduce a young woman by the name of Monique on a sofa in the anteroom. At first, she rejects Dominic’s advances in a coquettish manner, thereby prompting him to lament about his (financial) dependence on his Grandmother, who has magical abilities. Surprisingly, the young prince’s complaining does not move Monique as much as his charm. Just as she is about to give in to him, his Grandmother arrives and is enraged. Startled, Monique leaves the room, while the Grandmother begins a furious speech, scolding Dominic for his behaviour. Determined to teach her irresponsible grandson a lesson, she summons her powers and turns him into a sofa. As a result, he is forced to remain in this form until “love’s consummation” (bar 4 after Fig. 25) takes place on top of him. 66

After Dominic’s transformation is complete, three girls, Lucille, Laura and Yolande, enter the anteroom and discuss their summer romances. Next, three young men come in, two of them leading Laura and Yolande off to dance. Lucille stays behind with her suitor. They are rather quick to express their love for each other and the Sofa/Dominic senses his chance to be released, hoping that Lucille and the Suitor will have sex: “So far, so good” 67 (bar 2-7 after Fig. 52). Yet, the Suitor’s intentions are perfectly honourable: He reveals a diamond engagement ring and puts it on Lucille’s finger, while “the Sofa sings in furious disappointment” (stage direction, Fig. 58).

More people from the party enter the room in search of their host Dominic. They jokingly suspect that the Grandmother, “the wicked old witch” (bar 5-4 before Fig. 66), has something to do with his disappearance. However, their attention is quickly averted to singing a drinking

66 The references in this section relate to Elizabeth Maconchy, The Sofa, complete score, London 1966. 67 In an interview, Maconchy mentioned that this line was contributed by Ralph Vaughan Williams. John Skiba, “Elizabeth Maconchy in Conversation with John Skiba” Composer 63 (Spring 1978): 7-10, 9. 22 song. After the other guests have left again, Monique returns to the anteroom, now on the arm of a young Englishman named Edward. Even though it is difficult for Monique to stop his rambling about the joys of hunting, the lights are soon dimmed as Monique and Edward have their “love’s act” on the sofa. With a strike of thunder, the sofa changes back into Dominic, who angrily confronts Edward and eventually has his footmen lead him away. Once they are alone again, with the miraculously reappeared original sofa – nobody knows when and where it returned from – Monique and Dominic continue their interrupted romance.

Table 2: List of sequences in The Sofa . The naming of the numbers is not to be taken literally but should merely serve as an orientation point.

Prelude The anteroom to a ballroom in Paris, about 1860. Duet Dominic tries to seduce Monique. Bar 5 before Fig. 1 Aria Dominic describes his “unhappy situation”. Fig. 3 Recitativo Dominic and Monique discuss the Grandmother. Bar 1 before Fig. 6 Monique’s laughing cadenza. Afterwards, Monique Fig. 8 Duet gradually falls for Dominic. The Grandmother is introduced with a ‘fanfare’ and then Fig. 17 Aria scolds Dominic, Monique leaves. Recitativo The Grandmother describes her magic powers. Fig. 24 The Grandmother tells Dominic about the spell she is Duet Fig. 25 going to put on him. Aria The Grandmother casts her spell. Fig. 28 The Grandmother vanishes, accompanied by thunder and Fig. 35 Interlude lightning, followed by a blackout during which Dominic

turns into a sofa. Lucille, Laura and Yolande enter and discuss their Fig. 38 Trio summer romances. Three young men enter; two of them lead Laura and Fig. 47 Duet Yolande off to dance. Lucille and the Suitor are left alone. 2 bars before Fig. Duet The Suitor and Lucille flirt with each other. 39

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The sofa hopes that he will be released from the spell Trio soon, but the Suitor proposes to Lucille instead of Fig. 52 seducing her. Aria The Sofa throws a temper tantrum. Fig. 58 Chorus The ball guests sing about dancing and drinking and Fig. 61 wonder where Dominic is. Duet Monique and Edward are left alone. Fig. 94 Aria Edward rambles about hunting and country life. Fig. 100 Duet Monique tries to seduce Edward and after a while, he Fig. 105 understands her intentions. Interlude Monique and Edward sink into the Sofa and the lights Fig. 114 fade. Interlude The lights black out; a crash of thunder and Monique’s Fig. 116 scream can be heard. Duet Dominic reappears in his human form and has an Fig. 117 argument with an irritated Edward. Chorus The ball guests re-enter to see what the commotion is all Fig. 119 about. Edward tries to tell everyone that Dominic was the sofa. Dominic eventually has Edward thrown out by his footmen. Aria The ball guests leave and Dominic makes sure that he is Fig. 143 once again alone with Monique. Duet Dominic and Monique resume their romance and they Fig. 147 sink onto the reappeared sofa. Postlude Curtain Fig. 150

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3.2 “This time my patience cannot still endure, you know my magic art is swift and sure.” 68 – The Grandmother, the Witch

Before diving into a more detailed analysis of the opera’s music and themes, it is important to examine the Grandmother, as she is diametrically opposed to all the other characters. Dominic is a selfish young man who only cares about his lifestyle and pleasure. His female counterpart is Monique, who rather seems to be seeking romantic adventures than a happily-ever-after scenario. Furthermore, the ball guests are pictured as superficial and sometimes silly romantics, singing about their love interests and a drinking song. Therefore, this opera could be interpreted as a story solely about young people and their love affairs – if it weren’t for the Grandmother.

She enters the stage with a dramatic syncopated fanfare-structure that can only mean trouble. After voicing her anger about Dominic, calling him by all his many titles and showering him with disapproval (Does he have no ambition?), she launches into an aria. Summoning her magical powers in order to change Dominic into the sofa, the aria is strongly reminiscent of the Queen of the Night’s Aria “Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen” from Mozart’s Zauberflöte .69 This was deliberately achieved by Maconchy – who indicated that the aria is to be sung “in Queen of the Night Style” 70 – by putting the Grandmother’s coloraturas in triplet structures like those in the well-known paradigm (compare Example 1 to Example 2).

Example 1: The Grandmother’s coloraturas, bars 3-9 after Fig. 30.

68 Bars 1-5 after Fig. 24. 69 Undated draft of the synopsis of The Sofa , Elizabeth Maconchy Archive, St. Hilda’s College Oxford, PP 1 unlisted/8. 70 Undated draft of the synopsis of The Sofa , Elizabeth Maconchy Archive, St. Hilda’s College Oxford, PP 1 unlisted/8. 25

Example 2: W. A. Mozart, Die Zauberflöte, excerpt from the aria “Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen”, bars 68-73.

The Queen of the Night is a powerful character that aims to control others, demand respect and spread fear; but what is most fascinating about her music is the famously extreme pitch of the aria and the brilliance of her coloraturas. While the Grandmother is a similar character on the surface, her part is written for mezzo-soprano. Of course, the Grandmother is supposed to be old, but it is impossible for an old woman to satisfyingly or convincingly deliver a coloratura aria. The fact that Maconchy makes this work is significant for the comic dissonance in the opera and the depiction of the magical powers of the Grandmother.

The choice of punishment for Dominic is rather odd – after all, who would spontaneously think to change someone into a piece of furniture to teach them a lesson? A plot summary indicates the following reasons for the Grandmother’s decision: “In this humiliating and powerless guise, she says, he will learn how trivial are the encounters and amusements in which he dissipates his youth. His punishment is to see and hear unknown, and he will only be freed by the consummation of the act of love.” 71

Still, this statement does not satisfyingly answer the question of how witnessing two people copulating is supposed to cure a young bon vivant from pursuing attractive women. The paradox of the punishment is unmistakably confirmed by the end of the opera, when Dominic immediately falls back into his previous behaviour.

71 Undated plot summary of The Sofa , Elizabeth Maconchy Archive, St. Hilda’s College Oxford, PP1 unlisted/8. 26

3.3 Erotic Desire – The Musical and Thematic Centre of the Opera

There is one motif that is central to the music of The Sofa . Because of the scenes and the context in which it appears, I refer to it as the Erotic Motif. The argument that it is essential to the music is also supported by the fact that this musical material serves as thematic material in an Overture to The Sofa which was never used and can be seen in the Elizabeth Maconchy Archive of St. Hilda’s College in Oxford. 72 At one time, Maconchy obviously intended to set the atmosphere with the music that is the musical heart of the opera.

The first time the Erotic Motif can be heard is when Dominic tries to seduce the capricious Monique in their duet at the beginning of the opera. Dominic sings: “…yet I see you now, your cheek is darkened by a sudden glow.” (bar 2 before – bar 2 after Fig. 15). It is in this duet that the motif is introduced (see Example 3). The motif consists of an embellished A-flat in four sixteenth notes, beginning on G. When Monique responds, she uses the same motif and the same pitches (see Example 4). To further underline the importance of this motif, the voices are doubled by the viola and the flute.

Example 3: Erotic Motif, bar 2 after Fig. 15.

Example 4: Imitation of the Erotic Motiv, bars 2-3 after Fig. 15.

In this scene, Dominic desires Monique, and although she is reserved at first, she soon gives in to him. There is a notable erotic longing and tension in the whole duet, which is achieved by the text of the protagonist as well as the Erotic Motif in the music.

Later on, after Dominic has changed into a sofa, he is enraged that Lucille and her Suitor have chosen to get engaged rather than to have sex on his upholstered self: the act that would give him back his human form. The strings introduce the Erotic Motif again as the start of

72 Elizabeth Maconchy Archive, St. Hilda’s College Oxford, PP 1. D.I. 27

Dominic’s angry declaration (see Example 5). This time, the Motif consists of two half-steps up and one half-step down, beginning with D-sharp and centring on E. Shape and contour, however, remain unchanged from the initial statement in the first example, as they do in all reappearances of the motif.

Example 5: The Strings play the Erotic Motif, bars 9-10 after Fig. 58.

It has been suggested that tension, or even erotic tension, can be achieved in music by playing with the expectations of the listener. For instance, the experiencing audience will wait for a tonic in a certain melodic context, and if the arrival to this tonic is delayed, a certain degree of nervous expectancy will be built. 73 Likewise, Maconchy draws on musical symbolism. The first version of the Erotic Motif (see Example 3) creates a kind of tension with its chromatic beginning, but the whole-step grants momentary relaxation. The second form (as in Example 5) lacks even this small relief because it is purely chromatic.

Table 3: A comparison of the two different versions of the Erotic Motif

Version 1 Half-step ↑, whole-step ↑, whole-step ↓

Version 2 half-step ↑, half-step ↑, half-step ↓

73 See, for example, Susan McClary, Feminine Endings: Music, Gender and Sexuality . Minneapolis 1991, 45-48. 28

The first version appears when Dominic is in a state of positively anticipating his seduction of Monique. The second version marks a very frustrating and enraging moment for Dominic and can be interpreted as the diminished and disappointed brother of the first version, which is linked with developments that are positive for Dominic. This use of the different versions of the Erotic Motif remains consistent throughout the opera.

This is also true for the next emergence of the Erotic Motif in different pitches and in its second form during the entire section of Dominic’s outburst when he realises that the Suitor has just proposed to Lucille rather than seduce her. (see Example 6)

Example 6: bar 4 before – bar 1 after Fig. 59.

This short aria ends with version 2 of the motif being played twice and fortissimo by the orchestra (see Example 7). Afterwards, a polka that is strongly reminiscent of the Tritsch- Tratsch-Polka by Johann Strauß starts right away, without any musical resolution being provided whatsoever.

On the one hand, Dominic is frustrated because he has to remain a sofa, on the other hand, he is disappointed that the occasion of being alone with a somewhat naïve girl like Lucille is ‘wasted’ on a man who does not want to sleep with her immediately. Dominic makes it clear that he would have handled the opportunity differently (bar 4 after Fig. 58):

29

“And so to marriage! Where is all you should have taught her? I’m the net that should have caught her! A diamond of the finest water only leads to couch and carriage. Silly girl and foolish suitor, wasting time and wasting pleasure!”

Example 7: bars 4-1 before Fig. 61.

Dominic’s disappointment and the fact that he is still in the unlucky status of being a sofa is mirrored in the abrupt ending and quick change of subject (see Example 7).

The Erotic Motif can be heard again later, when Edward finally understands Monique’s intentions: She is basically trying to stop him from talking about his hunting activities and get him to sleep with her instead. As they sink into the Sofa together, the clarinet plays the motif in its second form set in hemiolas (Example 8). This is followed by an elaborate piccolo sequence that also uses the Motif’s second version initially in hemiolas and then transformed into an elaborate embellishment (Example 9).

Example 8: The Erotic Motif played by the clarinet, bars 1-4 after Fig. 114.

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Example 9: Extensions of the Erotic Motif played by the piccolo, bars 5-8 after Fig. 114.

After Dominic finally changes back into his human form and has the now thoroughly confused Edward led away by his footmen, he sings a love-duet with Monique. At first, Monique responds to Dominic’s flirtations with the same reluctant voicing of the original form of the Erotic Motif she uttered in their first duet at the beginning of the opera. Her restraint, however, seems rather untrustworthy, considering the way the situation unfolded the first time. In addition, the music finally supplies the awaited A-flat that was avoided before (compare Example 10 to Example 4).

Example 10: The Erotic Motif, bar 1 after Fig. 148.

Monique and Dominic’s duet starts as a dialogue with imitations, but their voices parallel and synchronise more and more as the orchestra plays the Erotic Motif that now defines this scene. The tension builds on the fitting word “delight” (see Example 11). This prominent use of the piccolo underlines the flirtatious and playful momentum of Monique’s seduction. However, the use of the second form of the Erotic Motif points to Dominic’s frustration over the fact that he has to witness how his love interest seduces another man.

31

Example 11: The conclusion of Monique and Dominic’s duet, bars 4-7 after Fig. 149.

After the two lovers have reached this climactic conclusion of their duet, the orchestra jumps directly into the very short and fast-paced ending of the opera, during which the curtain falls (see Example 12). The romantic atmosphere is completely suspended. The Erotic Motif returns in its second three-half-steps form, which is then repeated twice and in fortissimo right before the opera ends (compare with Example 7), leaving the audience awaiting a resolution that does not come. As the second version of the Erotic Motif is used, there is serious doubt as to whether Dominic experiences the pleasure he hoped for.

Example 12: The ending of the opera, bars 1-8 after Fig. 150.

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3.4 Fulfilment or Disappointment?

Erotic desire is the central theme of the opera: It is Dominic’s prime motivation and Monique is also serially flirtatious. Furthermore, the three girls talk about their love affairs and Edward is also happy to engage in a physical relationship with Monique. The only acting person that presumably has no romantic or sexual motivations is the Grandmother, due to her age. Interestingly, her choice of punishment for Dominic is also closely associated with desire. He is punished for having too many sexual relations and can only become human again if he closely witnesses a sexual act without being able to participate in it himself; that he witnesses his love interest sleeping with another man is an additional and comical twist.

The Erotic Motif is first used by Dominic and then by Monique, when Dominic thinks that they are finally about to have sex. Hence, it can be concluded that the Motif represents Dominic’s desire or even his state of arousal. The two different forms in which the Erotic Motif appears are significant. The first one is associated with situations that appear to be positive for Dominic’s desire: flirting with Monique in the first scene and their love-duet in the last scene. When Dominic is disappointed or frustrated, for instance when the Suitor proposes to Lucille instead of seducing her, or Edward has sex with Monique, Dominic’s love interest, the second, somewhat diminished form of the Erotic Motif is used. This association of the two different versions with situations that are either beneficial or non-beneficial for Dominic’s erotic wishes remains consistent throughout the opera.

As a comic opera, the standard ending one may expect of The Sofa would be a happy one – a lieto fine . Yet, Maconchy consciously rejects this idea, deciding to defy the expectations of the audience by ending the opera with an emphasis on the second form of the Erotic Motif. Therefore, the audience is not only deliberately left in a state of unresolved tension but is also in serious doubt as to whether Dominic and Monique’s encounter was fulfilling. Rather than telling the listener that the story has now found its ending, the music urges the audience to imagine how the situation will further develop, simultaneously prompting the idea of disappointment loud and clear.

This ending may not be pleasant for all audience members. One early critique stated: “A pity though that an opportunity was missed by librettist and composer for an effective curtain by

34 way of a big choral ensemble commenting on the moral (immoral?) of the tale.” 74 Moral of any kind, however, was never the point of The Sofa . While Maconchy and Vaughan Williams obviously saw sexual desire as a defining motivation of the characters, they refused to show it from a perspective that takes it very seriously or judges it as immoral behaviour. Moreover, the opera seems to enjoy the way the characters, especially Dominic, can’t help it and makes fun of them continuously, which constitutes the unique charm of this opera and the timeless actuality of its content.

74 Mosco Carner, ‘Opera Workshop’, Time and Tide 40 (26 December 1959), 1431.

35

4 The Departure

Elizabeth Maconchy composed the opera The Departure between 1960 and 1961 and was first performed on 16 December 1962 by the New Opera Company at Sadler’s Well in London. The libretto was written by Anne Ridler. In this chapter, I will first explore the stages that led to the creation of the libretto and later the opera. Certain key ideas will be presented alongside an overview of the structure of the story. Afterwards, the music will be examined by identifying important components and following their appearances throughout the progression of the opera. On the basis of these deliberations, I will show that The Departure is an insightful character study that manages to convey a complex process by only using an intimate setting and still achieves a very compelling and emotionally intriguing musical experience.

4.1 The Drama

4.1.1 Beginnings of the Collaboration

Maconchy finished The Sofa in 1957 and seems to have started searching for a suitable subject for another chamber opera soon afterwards. This counterpart would match the length of The Sofa and complete to an evening-filling double-bill. It was around this time that Maconchy started working on her second chamber opera, The Three Strangers , whereby she adapted the libretto from the tale The Three Wayfarers by Thomas Hardy. Maconchy finished The Three Strangers in 1958 but had to wait for its first performance until 5 June 1968. 75 In addition to working on this opera, Maconchy started looking for possibilities for her third chamber opera. For this purpose, Maconchy approached the English poet Anne Ridler (1912- 2001). Ridler had studied journalism and worked for T.S. Eliot at the publishing house Faber and Faber. In the 1950s, she moved to Oxford with her husband where she continued to write poetry and verse plays while also editing texts and critical studies. 76 It is unclear how the two met, but a few letters that Ridler wrote to Maconchy can be found in the Elizabeth Maconchy

75 Annika Forkert, “Elizabeth Maconchy”, in: MUGI. Musik und Gender im Internet [http://mugi.hfmt- hamburg.de/Artikel/Elizabeth_Maconchy, 10.11.2016]. 76 Robert Potts, “Obituary: Anne Ridler”, in: The Guardian (16 October 2001) [https://www.theguardian.com/news/2001/oct/16/guardianobituaries.books, 20.02.2017]. 36

Archive that reveal some information about the early stages of their collaboration, also indicating certain elements that Maconchy deemed important for the creation of her new opera.

The first of these letters that Ridler wrote to Maconchy is dated 23 July 1958 and suggests that they had only met shortly before or did not know each other very well, for Ridler still uses Maconchy’s real surname LeFanu and a more formal tone. The letter is obviously a reply to Maconchy inquiring about a subject for a libretto and sheds light on Maconchy’s key conceptions for the opera. Ridler writes: “Dear Mrs. LeFanu, I haven’t forgotten my promise to search my mind for a tragic subject for opera but nothing that seems just right has yet occurred to me […] I imagine that you want something with an element of fantasy in it, to go with your fairy story theme of the sofa.” 77 These lines show that Maconchy thought of the opera that should later become The Departure as a tragic counterpart to the comedic Sofa and that a supernatural element was planned from the beginning.

In the letter, Ridler then lists a few fairy tales which she had considered (and deemed unsatisfactory) and mentions about the tale “Clever Elsie” that it “has always seemed to me to have possibilities for psychological exploration […]”. 78 This certainly prompts the question whether Maconchy had also specifically asked Ridler for a story that allowed a psychological character study.

The correspondence continued and in another letter, dated 23 October 1958, Ridler writes: “Dear Mrs. LeFanu, I have had the thought of your libretto needs in the back of my mind all this while, and it is time that I wrote down some of my ideas […]” 79 , pledging further interest for the project and proposing more ideas. In a corner of this letter, Maconchy has written “arrived Oct 26 th (suggest meeting next weekend)” 80 . This meeting seems to have taken place, for a letter from Ridler dated 21 November 1958 addresses Maconchy as “Betty” and includes a draft scenario based on the novel Fontamara by the Italian writer Ignazio Silone, which does not seem to have been pursued further. 81

77 Letter from Anne Ridler to Elizabeth Maconchy dated 23 July 1958, Elizabeth Maconchy Archive, St. Hilda’s College Oxford, P.P.1 unlisted/8. 78 Letter from Anne Ridler to Elizabeth Maconchy dated 23 July 1958, Elizabeth Maconchy Archive, St. Hilda’s College Oxford, P.P.1 unlisted/8. 79 Letter from Anne Ridler to Elizabeth Maconchy dated 23 October 1958, Elizabeth Maconchy Archive, St. Hilda’s College Oxford, P.P.1 unlisted/8. 80 Letter from Anne Ridler to Elizabeth Maconchy dated 23 October 1958, Elizabeth Maconchy Archive, St. Hilda’s College Oxford, P.P.1 unlisted/8. 81 Letter from Anne Ridler to Elizabeth Maconchy dated 21 November 1958, Elizabeth Maconchy Archive, St. Hilda’s College Oxford, P.P.1 unlisted/8. 37

These letters show that despite discussing various subject matters, Maconchy and Ridler had some basic points that they wanted the libretto to fulfil: it should be a tragedy, should have a supernatural element and there should be the possibility of a psychological character study. These components can all be found in The Departure , and it is important to keep them in mind when trying to understand this opera.

One way or another, Ridler and Maconchy agreed on the subject of The Departure . Interestingly, despite Ridler insisting that she was “NOT good at inventing a story – not at all” 82 , it is a rather original tale. The basic inspiration is provided by an old idea to which Maconchy alludes in a synopsis of the opera: “ The Departure is a new treatment of the theme of Death and the Lady.”83 Death and the Lady – more commonly known as Death and the Maiden – is a concept that can be traced back as far as the Middle Ages and has since been featured in many artistic interpretations. In music, the most famous example of the use of this topic is Franz Schubert’s Lied Der Tod und das Mädchen (1817) and his string quartet by the same title (1824). The Lied is based on a poem by Matthias Claudius. In its first stanza, the panicking Maiden pleads Death to spare her. Death then solemnly answers her in the second stanza, trying to calm the Maiden by telling her that he is a friend and that she will sleep peacefully in his arms. As the following sections will show, Maconchy and Ridler took this small dialogue and the struggle in it and expanded and transformed it into a compelling psychological character study.

4.1.2 The Storyline of The Departure

The main aspects of the plot of The Departure can be explained rather quickly, as can be seen in the following synopsis written by Maconchy:

At the opening, the heroine [Julia] is at her dressing-table, hurriedly trying to get ready for her husband’s [Mark] return: she is late, and cannot lay her hands on anything she wants. Distant music of a funeral procession is heard, drawing nearer and then fading. She looks out of the window and sees her husband in the procession, and wonders why she herself is not with him. Presently he comes into the room, and walks past without seeing her: it is as though a stranger looked from behind his eyes. He kneels down by the bed. She calls to him to turn to her, and at

82 Letter from Anne Ridler to Elizabeth Maconchy dated 21 November 1958, Elizabeth Maconchy Archive, St. Hilda’s College Oxford, P.P.1 unlisted/8. 83 Elizabeth Maconchy, “The Departure”, in: Composers’ Forum (December 1962), 8. 38

last he seems to hear her, and turning speaks her name: On the word, she remembers the car- drive they took together, and the crash in which she herself was killed. She is a ghost to him; it was her own death for which she was confusedly trying to get ready; and the stranger who looks out from behind her husband’s eyes is Death, since death to her is simply the parting from him. They recall scenes in their past happy life, and then, in spite of his pleading, she has to leave him and go on into the darkness. If they are to meet again, it is far off, beyond the Alps of loss. The opera ends on their parting – ‘Depart. Depart.’ 84

Regarding its content, the plot of the opera is structured in three thirds and each contains a key stage of the progression of the story. This can be seen in the following table, which also serves as a compact overview of the structure of The Departure .

Table 1: An overview of the plot of The Departure

First third: Prelude

Julia is Julia tries to get ready for Mark’s return “I shall never Bar 4 before confused. but is unable to find her belongings. The be ready in Fig. 2 85 Outside, the funeral procession can be heard in the time.” funeral background, Julia is listening to it. procession takes Julia feels strange. “Weightless Fig. 7 place. beyond the margin of our air”

The thought of Mark and his return “But Mark, I Bar 4 after temporarily calms Julia. know he is Fig. 8 coming”

Julia is agitated because she cannot “But why is Bar 4 after remember the look of Mark’s face. this?” Fig. 10

When the procession returns, Julia is “Vanum est Bar 2 before certain of Mark’s immediate return. vobis” Fig. 12

84 Undated synopsis of The Departure , Elizabeth Maconchy Archive, St. Hilda’s College Oxford, P.P.1 unlisted/8. 85 All measurement references in this chapter refer to: Elizabeth Machonchy, The Departure , complete score, London 1961. 39

Julia sees Mark through the window with “And all these Bar 1 after their friends. She is confused as to why are our Fig. 14 she is not with him. She calls out but friends” Mark does not react.

Julia is unnerved because Mark looks like “He looked Bar 4 after a stranger to her. She wishes to be safe like a stranger” Fig. 16 again in his arms.

Second third: Mark returns home but seems to ignore “You are here Fig. 19 Mark returns Julia. Julia thinks she sees a strange look at last” home, Julia in his eyes. remembers her Julia recalls their first meeting in a “Lift your Bar 2 before death. garden in London. head” Fig. 21

Mark recognises Julia’s presence. “Julia, are you Bar 5 after trying to speak Fig. 24 to me?”

Julia remembers the car crash and that it “Julia” Bar 6 after cost her life. Fig. 25

Mark is able to see Julia. “Death” Bar 5 after Fig. 27

Julia realises that the stranger she saw in “Where is that Bar 6 after Mark’s eyes was Death. Death” Fig. 29

Mark and Julia wish that they could turn “O, why did Fig. 31 back time so they could avoid the we go to drive accident. that day”

Mark wants Julia to stay with him. He “Don’t leave Bar 3 after asks her to remember the summer ball. me” Fig. 33

Mark asks Julia to stay for their son’s “But our child Bar 1 before sake. She replies that she will see their lives still” Fig. 37 child forever.

Third third: Julia realises that she has to recognise her “Then do not Fig. 41 Julia comes to death or she would be a prisoner of the leave me” past. Mark urges her to stay, to live in the

40 terms with her past with him but Julia knows their time death and together is coming to an end. departs. The Funeral Music returns but only Julia “Levavi oculos Fig. 47 can hear it and interprets it as Death meos” calling for her to depart.

Mark does not hear the music and panics “But I hear Bar 2 after because he senses that Julia is leaving. nothing” Fig. 51 Julia is making her way over “a black abyss” and gradually vanishes from sight.

Julia departs. “Amen” Fig. 54

While at first sight, it may seem like the opera mainly revolves around a couple and their tragic loss, the heroine Julia is at the centre of the story of this opera and the main conflict is her struggle to overcome death. Of course, her husband Mark is an important counterpart, yet the story does not focus on their relationship alone. Regarding this subject, Maconchy wrote: “It is in more than one sense a woman’s opera. It seeks to express through music the emotional history of a woman’s life – youth, love, the shared joy of marriage, and children and then death. The death which she must go to alone. Julia’s death provides the frame for the recapitulation of her life.” 86 It is important to consider this choice of putting Julia’s story in the spotlight when reflecting on the opera.

The opera deals with the process of accepting death as a challenging part of any human existence in a very insightful way. As the Swiss psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross famously described in her book On Death and Dying (1969), there are a series of emotions a person can experience while preparing for the death of a loved one or themselves. Kübler-Ross identifies the five stages of dying as denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. 87 Although the naming of stages suggests a linear progression, these emotional states can occur in a different order or only in part. However, these five emotions can all be found in The Departure , which confirms that the portrayal of this process is both realistic and spot-on .

86 Elizabeth Maconchy, “The Departure”, in: Composers’ Forum (December 1962), 8. 87 Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, On Death and Dying , New York 1969. Kübler-Ross was working with terminally ill patients while defining the five stages. However, the stages have long since been accepted as a reasonable guideline for the psychological process that people confronted with death experience. 41

Questions about death and dying are existential, and dealing with issues such as passing away, grieving and even life after death in an opera that only lasts 30 minutes seems like a very ambitious project. Yet, The Departure successfully delivers a miniature excerpt of a young woman trying to cope with the fact that she has to leave this world early. Julia’s death was caused by a sudden accident – so sudden that she has not even realised it. This lack of time for preparation and processing is the starting point for Julia’s journey – she has to pass through the various stages of grief in order to be able to go to the ‘other side’.

Anne Ridler’s sense for connecting language and musicality were essential for creating this captivating libretto with the use of her unique style: “Ridler’s poetry displayed an attention to cadence and musicality in both her formal and her free verse, and managed to combine a Christian spirituality and Latinate, Elizabethan elegance with a more modern, even sceptical tone.” 88 Considering the main elements of the story of the opera, it is also important to know that Ridler’s poetry often features religious and metaphysical elements, as do many works of her fellow poets at the time, including that of her friend and mentor T.S. Eliot. In 1959, Ridler published her collection A Matter of Life and Death and as the title suggests, the poems revolve mainly around themes like death, grief, transience, love and immortality. For example, in the poem Nothing is Lost Ridler describes that: “We are too sad to know that, or too blind; / Only in visited moments do we understand: / It is not that the dead return -/ They are about us always, although unguessed” 89 . As these words were released at the same time as Ridler was working on The Departure , it is not surprising that the influence of these ideas can be found in the opera as well.

The exploration of the music in the following section will show the complementing quality of the text and the music and the nuanced tone of the language in this opera. The combination of the heartfelt portrayal of the heroine and the moving, sometimes mysterious, but always beautiful verses is what makes the libretto so compelling.

88 Robert Potts, “Obituary: Anne Ridler”, in: The Guardian (16 October 2001) [https://www.theguardian.com/news/2001/oct/16/guardianobituaries.books, 20.02.2017]. 89 Anne Ridler, “Nothing is Lost”, in: Collected Poems , Manchester 1994, 214. 42

4.2 The Music

As previously mentioned, The Departure is a rather intimate opera. There are only two characters on stage: Julia (Mezzosoprano) and Mark (Baritone). They are supported by an off- stage choir (SATB). The orchestra consists of a flute, an oboe (cor anglais), a clarinet, a bassoon, two horns, one trumpet, percussion (one player for tenor drum, bass drum, bell, suspended cymbal and vibraphone), a harp and single strings.

The score portrays the different steps that the story takes, ranging from eerie Funeral Music to beautiful love-duets up to haunting emotional intensity. The first performance of the opera left some reviewers with mixed feelings about the adequacy of the music for the topics it deals with:

Subjects of this kind, juxtaposing the spiritual and the real world […] might conceivably succeed operatically if presented in highly stylized stage form, with electronic or similarly advanced experimental music. But when treated conventionally and realistically the result can serve only as a reminder that the sublime and the ridiculous lie closer in opera than in any other art form .90

However, there was also praise (“Her [Maconchy’s] imaginative score with its off-stage chorus accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do […]”) 91 , particularly for Maconchy’s intuition for the operatic genre: “Elizabeth Maconchy’s ‘The Departure’ is a fraction overlong, but her freshness of invention and her real talent for operatic craft serve Anne Ridler’s eerie little scena very acutely. […] it is plain she [Maconchy] could extend great talent in this field.” 92

The truth of these last observations will be shown in the following section, where the different devices with which the music of The Departure depicts Julia’s journey will be investigated. Just like in The Sofa (see chapter 3), Maconchy uses central motifs to emphasise important elements of the story. In the following, I will explore these musical structures and their connection to the main themes of the opera: Julia’s death and her struggle to accept it.

90 ---, “Beggar’s opera in new terms”, in: The Times (17 December 1962), Elizabeth Maconchy Archive, St. Hilda’s College Oxford, P.P.1 unlisted/8. 91 Felix Aprahamian, “Singing Scrooge”, in: Sunday Times (23 December 1962), Elizabeth Maconchy Archive, St. Hilda’s College Oxford, P.P.1 unlisted/8. 92 Philip Hope-Wallace, “Two new operas”, in: The Guardian (17 December 1962), Elizabeth Maconchy Archive, St. Hilda’s College Oxford, P.P.1 unlisted/8. 43

4.2.1 Funeral Music: Motif, Rhythm, Gregorian chant

The Departure begins with a prelude consisting of a combination of a motif and a rhythm, which I will call Funeral Music (see Example 1). The exact wording “Funeral Music” can actually be found in a sheet of alterations which Maconchy wrote for the libretto. 93

The horns and violas play a poignant rhythm that is characterised by punctuated notes. This is further accentuated with beats on one and three of this four-four time which are played by the tenor drum and supported by the bassoon and the harp. A slow 1:2 metre is very typical of funeral marches and additionally, considering the context, I will refer to it as the Funeral Rhythm.

Next, a motif is introduced by the strings. The notes are D, E flat, D flat, C and D, played in demisemiquavers expanded through a quintuplet. This motif appears several times throughout the opera, each time alongside the Funeral Rhythm, which is why it will be referred to as the Funeral Motif.

Example 1 94 : The strings playing the Funeral Rhythm and the Funeral Motif, bar 5 and 4 before Fig. 1 (first two bars of the opera).

The Funeral Motif consists of a change between half-steps and whole-steps: Half-step ꜛ, whole-step ꜜ, half-step ꜜ, whole-step ꜛ. Through the use of small intervals and the fast circling

93 Pages from the libretto of The Departure with alterations, Elizabeth Maconchy Archive, St. Hilda’s College Oxford, P.P.1 unlisted/8. 94 All musical examples in this section are taken from: Elizabeth Machonchy, The Departure , complete score, London 2014. 44 movement, the Funeral Motif in combination with the Funeral Rhythm create a sinister and eerie atmosphere which sets a dark tone for the beginning of the opera.

As the curtain rises, Julia sits at the dressing table and starts preparing for Mark’s return to their home. She is looking for make-up and her brush but finds the room in disarray and is not able to find her belongings. The timing of Julia’s voice is rapidly alternating: On the one hand, she cannot seem to concentrate (“My thoughts are all in a whirl”, bar 4-5 before Fig. 3) and is not able to find anything – which is uttered in a quick, declamatory style – on the other hand, she stops to look in the mirror and briefly lingers musically on the paleness of her image. This changing state of discomposure adds to the sensation that something is not right from the beginning of the prelude. Julia is at the height of her confusion when the third element that characterises the ideas of death and funeral is introduced: The offstage choir begins to sing a funeral rite in the style of a Gregorian chant (“Domine memento” from bar 1 before Fig. 4), portraying the funeral procession that is taking place outside the apartment. This dirge is the first of three occasions in the opera on which the choir sings music reminiscent of Gregorian chant. The choir starts with a melody in the Dorian mode which is then transformed into the Funeral Motif (see also Example 2). The exchange between the chant and the Funeral Motif continues and interweaves the notion of a liturgical song in the style of a Gregorian chant which listeners will recognise as relatively familiar with the more unique sounding Funeral Motif. The text of the dirge can be roughly translated as: “Remember, Lord, your handmaid, who has gone before us with the sign of trust and rests in peaceful sleep. Amen.” 95 The Funeral Music and the rhythm, the motif and the choir singing what is reminiscent of a Gregorian chant – with a very specific text about a woman dying – illustrate the actual reality of Julia’s death even before she herself realises it. At this time, the chant functions as the actual music sung by the procession for Julia’s funeral. It builds a contrast to the fact that Julia is still in this world and not yet at peace, which is further emphasised by the timing, as the first phrase of the choir starts as Julia sings “Nothing is where it should be”. 96 This correlation functions as an ominous foreshadowing: Of course, Julia feels strange and out of place, since her funeral is being held while a part of her is still lingering in the world of the living. When she reaches the line “I feel like a stranger / even to myself” 97 , the Funeral Motif

95 The Latin text of the choir reads: „Domine memento, Amen. Famulae tuae quae nos precessit cum signo fede et dormit in somna pacis. Amen.” Bar 3 before Fig. 4 – Fig. 7; translation by the author of this thesis. 96 Bar 1 before Fig. 4. 97 Bar 1 before Fig. 5. 45 has found its way into her voice part as well, clearly linking her feeling to the procession just as she begins to notice it.

Example 2: Julia accompanied by the choir featuring the Funeral Motif, bar 3 before Fig. 4 – bar 1 before Fig. 5.

In a melancholy manner, Julia wishes for peace for the soul of the seemingly unknown dead person for which the funeral is being held finds peace. It is at this point in the opera that the 46 word “depart” is uttered for the first time – a word that becomes very central to the ending of the piece. Initially set in demisemiquavers, the Funeral Motif is augmented into semiquavers. It continues to emerge prominently throughout the first section of the opera (from the beginning until Fig. 7). The music in this section centres on D, not only for the Funeral Motif. This centre is almost tonal – the described section even ends with a cadenza, with the harp playing B, C and D chords (bars 2-1 before Fig. 7) – if it weren’t for the constant use of the note E in the bass or in other voices. For example, when the curtain rises and Julia enters the stage, the orchestra plays a D major chord with an E in the bass. This use of second intervals creates musical tension that is enhanced by the use of the Funeral Motif. The tension is sometimes interrupted for a few moments, for example when a funeral bell rings for the first time (bar 3 after Fig. 4), the orchestra plays a soothing G major chord and then immediately changes back to E minor. The prominent use of the Funeral Music and Julia’s confusion clearly represent the stage of denial in the protagonist’s journey. Still in shock after her sudden demise, Julia is not ready to face the hard truth, so her mind represses it and distracts itself. Yet, the choir and the orchestra clearly show the truth of death. After Julia wishes that the soul of the deceased finds peace and the last “Amen” 98 of the funeral choir has ended, a short section (Fig. 7 to bar 1 after Fig. 8) follows in which Julia’s unrest becomes more pronounced. She introduces the idea of the Stranger in an eerie mood that often appears throughout the opera. Accompanied only by lying chords in the strings, the harp and the vibraphone as well as by soft woodwinds that imitate her voice, Julia sings: “Weightless beyond the turning margin of our air, / A stranger to us and to our ways of feeling / As I see myself a stranger”, before saying: “Even the room looks strange. / The bed, why is the bed not made? / Why wasn’t I here last night?”

The tone of the music is changed completely not only through the use of softer sounds but also by creating a stark contrast to the singing voice (see above) with pending chords. In addition, Julia’s voice basically changes mid-sentence. The reason for this is that her thoughts have entered a new sphere for the first time: She is describing a dead person’s soul and linking this description to her own existence – calling herself a stranger, even though she has not yet realised the truth of her own death. In the short parlando sequence, the feeling of

98 Bar 1 before Fig. 7. 47 uneasiness is further increased while the orchestra remains silent, creating a short, dramatic standstill.

4.2.2 Mysterious Music – Julia’s Motif

In an apparent change of thought, Julia remembers what she believes is the reason why she is getting ready: Mark’s impending return. The strings, the bassoon and the horns play a motif that I will refer to as Julia’s Motif (see Example 3). This motif and its variations are strongly associated with Julia’s journey and appear at points in the opera that have a certain significance for Julia and her relationship to her death.

Example 3: Julia’s Motif played by the strings, bar 3 – 1 before Fig. 9.

Julia thinks about her husband’s return, and even though she does not know it yet, this return will lead to her realising that she is dead. She reflects on their in her mind untroubled relationship: “When he comes it is May-Day. / I shall be free, I shall be gay. / O let him not delay! / Return, return my love.” 99 Julia’s musing is accompanied by the strings playing her motif which takes on the form of a whole-step down, a quart-step down and then two whole- steps up (for example A flat – G flat – D flat – E flat – F in the first violin). The music in this section (bar 4 after Fig. 8 – Fig. 10) often returns to a D-flat major tonality and together with the use of Julia’s Motif, a romantic and dreamlike sonic quality is achieved which expresses

99 Bar 5 before – bar 3 after Fig. 10. 48 her emotional involvement. However, the sentiment of her thoughts does not last very long: As soon as Julia sings the word “Return”, the Funeral music returns. 100

Julia’s Motif is used in different variations throughout the opera. The quart is mostly replaced by a major seventh or in some instances by an octave, fifth, a minor seventh, or a minor sixth. The motif is often transformed, but it is still recognisable as the same motif. The first two notes can be a whole- or a half-step apart and the last note can even be missing. In any case, this musical gesture of a small interval followed by a drop downwards can be repeatedly identified (see Example 4).

The quart-version of The major seventh-version of A variation of Julia’s Motif A quint-version of Julia’s Motif played Julia’s Motif, bar 1 after Fig. with an octave, bar 5 before Julia’s Motif, bars 5- by the violin, bar 2 16. Fig. 30. 4 before Fig. 32. before Fig. 9.

Example 4: A comparison of the variations of Julia’s Motif.

The quart-version of Julia’s Motif is prominently used in the section described above and never appears in the opera again after Mark has come home. Here, the motif supports the depiction of Julia’s romantic feelings for her husband, but the use of the variations of the motif later on in the opera also show that the orchestra already foreshadows a turn of events. As Julia progresses and enters different states of mind, the motif contains wider intervals. The innocent bliss of the quart-version cannot be achieved again. With this first examination of Julia’s Motif, the second important element for the music of The Departure – the first being the Funeral Music – has been presented. In the following section of the chapter, the opera will be further discussed as its course unfolds and the musical elements will be traced and elaborated.

100 Fig. 10. 49

4.2.3 “But what has happened?” – Steps on the Way to Realisation

While thinking about Mark, Julia comes to realise that strangely, she cannot remember Mark’s face. This is the first time that the idea of the stranger is associated with the minor second that features prominently in the voice part as well as the orchestra. This unsettling feeling is intensified by variations of Julia’s Motif, first containing an octave and then containing a minor seventh twice (see Example 5).

Example 5: Julia’s Motif with an octave and a minor seventh, bar 1 before – bar 5 after Fig. 11.

Julia continues to wish for Mark to return as the funeral procession returns with the choir singing Psalm 127, verse 2, featuring the Funeral Motif and later the Funeral Rhythm again. 101 The melody of the choir strongly resembles that in the first appearance of the Funeral Music. The brief moment of musical relief that appears when Julia is thinking of Mark is interrupted by the Funeral Music – which successfully reintroduces the reality of death.

As Julia spots Mark from the window, the singing of the choir and the Funeral Music stop and the horns play an echo of the quart-version of Julia’s motif. Mark finally comes into sight outside the window and Julia witnesses a scene that thoroughly irritates her 102 : He is taking no notice of her, even though she calls out to him. Beginning to panic, Julia asks: “But what has happened? / Why are we not together?” We now encounter the most frequently appearing version of Julia’s Motif in which the major seventh is included in the middle (see Example 6).

101 The latin verses that are used are: „Vanum est vobis ante lucem surgere, / surgite postquam sederitis / qui manducatis panem doloris / cum dederit dilectis suis somnum”. The New International Version of the Bible translates this as follows: “In vain you rise early / and stay up late, / toiling for food to eat / for he grants sleep to those he loves.” [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+127&version=NIV, 07.06.2017]. 102 Fig. 14 – Fig. 16. 50

Example 6: The seventh-version of Julia’s Motif, bar 1-2 after Fig. 16.

Julia’s Motif has changed now – just as she is changed once she realises the truth. The small second is now followed by a downward drop of an octave or a major seventh as opposed to a quart in the first version, giving it a bigger interval and therefore a more dramatic notion. Julia had a kind of premonition that something might be wrong before, but now she is faced with a situation in which denying this is impossible. Mark is outside their apartment shaking hands with all of their friends and she cannot understand why she is not with him. Disappointed and confused, she turns away from the window:

He looked like a stranger. Someone looked through your eyes, Who would not smile if we met. Someone I do not know,

Someone I fear to know. 103

The minor second – contrasting and complementing the major seventh from the section before – together with the idea of the stranger becomes evident again, musically colouring this section. Julia then wishes for her and her husband to be in a safe place in one another’s arms. The seventh in her motif, however, reveals that their relationship is affected and has changed (see Example 7). This is further affirmed when the same form of the motif is used in the entire 104 orchestra for Mark’s entrance music , who now finally comes home and takes the stage.

Example 7: Phrase containing the seventh-version of Julia’s Motif, bar 3 after Fig. 17.

103 Bar 5 after Fig. 16 – bar 1 after Fig. 17. 104 Fig. 19 onwards. 51

Mark walks in and kneels down beside the bed, the unsettling feeling that something is not right (“A stranger I said?” 105 ) and the small second returns in the form of the horns, the second violin and the viola playing the minor second in semiquaver-quintuplets again.

In a state of agitation, Julia calls out for Mark to lift his head so she can see his eyes because she has the feeling that something is different about them. However, Mark does not seem to hear her again. She continues to try to get his attention, first in a frustrated manner (“Are you deaf and blind?” 106 ) then pleading with him and recalling their first meeting in a garden in London. This memory is set in pleasant C major and is completed by the flute playing a bird whistle. It seems to establish the connection between them and Mark finally registers something and sings: “Julia, are you trying to speak to me? / Or is it my longing, that calls your voice from the air?” 107 ). When Mark turns to face Julia and she can look at his face again, she understands. When she finally remembers her death, her shocked exclamation (“Unmerciful God!”) includes a major seventh again (Example 8).

Example 8: Julia realises her death, bars 4-3 before Fig. 26.

Now, Julia understands and relives the moment of the accident in a collective musical crescendo: “I remember it now, the car, the crash” and the final realisation of the truth is then uttered in spoken word: “I died in that crash.” 108 The orchestra follows this brief moment with a few bars of raging tumult followed by a silence during which Julia speaks: “The stranger who looks through your eyes is Death.” 109 The realisation of her own death and the identification of the stranger she has seen in Mark’s eyes as Death is painful for Julia but very important for the progression of her character. This phase of disorientation can only come to conclusion through the resolution of the feeling of strangeness which is caused by Julia’s death and her spirit still being on earth.

105 Bars 2-3 after Fig. 20. 106 Bars 2-3 after Fig. 21. 107 Bar 5 after Fig. 24- 2 before Fig. 25. 108 Bars 3-1 before Fig. 27. 109 Bar 4 after Fig. 27. 52

Mark is now able to see Julia’s ghost and tries to grasp what is going on – has he not just seen how his wife was laid down in her grave? Yet, she stands before him now, just as he had longed to see her in his dreams of embracing her. Julia realises that this embrace will never be a possibility again, which she sings about full of bitterness. Now that Julia has left her state of denial, she enters a phase of anger. In the aria-like section that follows, Julia’s voice renders a variation of her motif, consisting of a minor second, an octave drop and a minor quart upwards. It is present in nearly all the instrumental parts, where it is then augmented with a quintuplet (see Example 9).

Example 9: A variation of Julia’s Motif as it is present in most parts, bars 8-10 after Fig. 29.

This allegro appassionato-section is mostly set in forte, which helps convey Julia’s emotional outburst that primarily manifests itself in the form of anger. She is angry about not having

53 recognised Death at once because he did not look like the depictions she knows that show him with a “grinning skull and gaping eye-holes”. 110 Instead, he wears in the face she loves most. Of course, beneath this surface, she is angry that she has died and this outburst can be understood as an attempt to cope with the situation.

4.2.4 “Remember our life together”: A Summer Ball and a Lullaby

After her initial anger has passed, Julia enters a duet with Mark in which they wish to turn back time, so they could do something differently in order to prevent the fatal accident. Their voices sometimes intertwine contrapuntally and imitate each other. The music brings them closer together (“They approach as if to embrace” 111 ). Only in this duet, Julia’s Motif is featured in both voices and the orchestra with a quint in the middle (see Example 10). Here, the quint comes closest to the quart in the initial version of the motif, reminding them of the untroubled love they used to share. The couple is musically united in their wish to go back to their happy life together.

Example 10: A variation of Julia’s Motif with a quint sung by Mark, bar 2 before – bar 2 after Fig. 32.

However, Julia begins to understand that she will no longer be able to be with Mark: “But no, it is I who must start and travel without you.” 112 As before, in this moment of clarity, there is also musical restraint, this time in the form of the silence of the orchestra and Julia uttering the phrase in a vocal cadenza. Julia slowly starts to accept her fate, although it is clear that she is deeply saddened by it. The anger from before seems to have faded away to a more calm yet depressed emotional state. However, Mark becomes more agitated as Julia becomes calmer. In panic, he cries out for her not to leave him and asks her to recall a particularly romantic experience for the couple: the summer ball.

110 Bars 3-1 before Fig. 30. 111 Stage direction, bar 2 before Fig. 33. 112 Fig. 33 to bar 2 after Fig. 33. 54

With the mentioning of the summer ball, the tone of the music changes drastically once again. The orchestra begins to play a slow waltz which is accentuated by the flute, oboe and clarinet playing a melody that strongly alludes to the Barcarole by Jacques Offenbach (see Example 11).

Example 11: The woodwinds playing an alluding to Offenbach’s Barcarolle , Fig. 34 – bar 7 after Fig. 34.

Mark is apparently lost in the reminiscence of the evening, when their life was easy and without worries and they were happily in love. It seems that the memory of happiness is not enough and Mark cannot seem to fully reach Julia with his reminder of the love they share. She is moved and accompanies Mark with lingering high notes, yet she states: “Long over, the summer-ball.” 113 When it becomes apparent that this memory is not enough to make Julia change her mind, Mark brings up another powerful argument: “But our child lives still. / He lives, he needs you! / For his sake you must stay.” 114 However, Julia cannot be swayed. Her answer comes swift and without doubt: “O, I shall see him forever!” 115 Mark and Julia now engage in a duet again, their voices complementing each other. They express their love for their child in the form of a lullaby. The 8/8 metre is used as 5:3, which conveys the gentle rocking motion to calm a child (see Example 12). The combination of the instrumentation with the harp and vibraphone in the foreground creates a soothing sonic fabric. Singing about their new born son does make Julia sad: “O life is good, it is hard, / hard to leave it.” 116 The seventh version of her motif is used again, emphasising that there is no going back.

113 Bar 1 before Fig. 37. 114 Bar 1 before – bar 4 after Fig. 37. 115 Bar 3 before Fig. 38. 116 Bars 3-7 after Fig. 40. 55

Example 12: Julia sings her motif and the harp plays the 5:3 rhythm of the lullaby, bars 3-4 before Fig. 41.

This prompts Mark to cry out again for her not to leave him. Still, Julia explains that she now knows that she was not getting ready for him to come home (at the beginning of the opera) but rather for Death to take her with him. She becomes calmer while Mark is doing everything in his power to make her stay with him. Through her explanation to Mark, Julia is sorting through, understanding and internalising the truth of her situation, which leads her closer to accepting her death.

4.2.5 “We must know our death”: Acceptance and Departure

When Julia has reached the conclusion that she was in fact preparing for her departure all along without consciously knowing it, a deeper understanding becomes imminent. It starts with the use of Julia’s motif again (“It was my death that needed preparation” 117 ), indicating the importance for her journey (see Example 13).

Example 13: Julia sings an important phrase ending in the seventh-version of her motif, bars 3-1 before Fig. 44.

On the one hand, a complex polyrhythm in the voice and the harp (quintuplets) and the vibraphone (straight eighth notes) provides a floating accompaniment that is nearly impossible to play exactly and gives this passage an air of mysteriousness. On the other hand, the vocal line conveys a more measured sense of calmness. Julia enters a new level of her

117 Bars 3-1 before Fig. 44. 56 personal journey – one may even say of transcendence. This deeply emotional passage is one of the most intense moments in The Departure :

When death comes suddenly we do not recognize it, We do not recognize it.

And we must know our death, Or else our souls are prisoned – Are prisoned in the past.”118

An allusion to Julia’s Motif with a minor sixth colours this important realisation as well (see Example 14). The minor sixth is only used in the motif here, which aligns with the notion that this moment contains a distinct new quality for Julia and her awareness concerning her situation.

Example 14: An allusion to Julia’s Motif including a minor sixth, bars 4-6 after Fig. 44.

Mark responds and is seemingly still not prepared to let Julia go. He proposes to stay in the past with Julia’s spirit. His pleading is accompanied by the clarinet and both parts contain a version of Julia’s Motif with a major seventh (see Example 15).

Example 15: A dialogue of Mark’s voice and the clarinet including a version of Julia’s Motif with a major seventh, bars 1-4 after Fig. 45.

118 Fig.44 – Fig. 55. 57

Julia realises that she has lost her past life and that it would do neither of them any good if she lingered any longer: “Joy is afar over the Alps of loss.” 119 At this point, the Funeral Rhythm returns in the tenor drum, closely followed by the off-stage choir singing yet another song that is reminiscent of Gregorian chant. Now, the text of psalm 121, verses 1,3,6,7 120 is used. The melody and the rhythm of the choir are nearly the same as for psalm 127 before. Moreover, The Funeral Motif emerges well (bar 3-2 before Fig. 48).

As Julia takes the last steps towards acceptance, both the Funeral Music and Julia’s Motif return. All key components of the music of The Departure are used together, creating a dramatic finale. The psalm of the choir no longer represents the funeral procession but rather serves as a link to the destination of Julia’s path. She is hearing voices from beyond, so to speak, and they are singing a hopeful psalm about how God will always watch over her soul. Julia realises that she is getting ready to start her departure. Julia’s Motif returns the first two times in the form of an allusion containing a quint, and then in the version which includes the major seventh (Example 16).

Example 16: Julia’s Motif used first with a quint two times and then with the major seventh, bar 1 before – bar 5 after Fig. 48.

Julia is now finally hearing what death is telling her: “He is saying: ‘Part. Depart, depart, depart.’” 121 She now knows that Death was wearing Mark’s face to make the inevitable easier for her. These revelations once again feature Julia’s Motif in the major seventh version (see Examples 17 and 18).

119 Bars 3-1 before Fig. 47. 120 The Latin text that is used is: „Levavi oculos meos in montes, unde veniet auxilium mihi. Non det in commotionem pedem tuum, neque dormitet qui custodit te. Per diem sol non uret te, neque luna per noctem. Dominus custodit te ab omni malo; custodiat animam tuam Dominus.” This roughly translates as: “I lift up my eyes to the mountains, where does my help come from? He will not let your foot slip, he who watches over you will not sleep. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm, he will watch over your soul.” 121 Bars 3-2 before Fig. 49. 58

Example 17: Julia’s Motif with a major seventh, augmented with a second major seventh drop, bar 1 before – bar 3 after Fig. 49.

Example 18: Julia’s Motif in bar 1 before – bar 2 after Fig. 50.

The music reaches an even more dramatic point when the funeral bell is sounded again 122 and Julia finally hears what Death is telling her once more: “He is saying: ‘Part. Depart, depart. You have to depart alone.” The word “depart” is now voiced in a small second – the complementing interval for the major seventh that was so often used in Julia’s Motif – while the phrase “depart alone” is a version of Julia’s Motif with a major seventh again (see Example 19). The orchestra accompanies the first half of this phrase in a dramatic way, emphasising the use of the small second in the word “depart”, whereas in the second half (“You have to depart”), the orchestra fades and becomes completely silent when Julia reaches the word “alone”. The use of this dynamic and emotional contrast in combination with the complementing interval highlights the ambivalence of the situation: Julia’s departure from the world is tragic and overwhelmingly sad for Mark – yet she accepts her path and becomes calmer as she realises the truth more and more.

Example 19: Julia expresses what Death is telling her, bar 4 before – bar 1 after Fig. 51.

122 Bar 5 before Fig. 51. 59

Julia begins to go to the other side while Mark urges her to stay in vain. She slowly withdraws and her motif makes its final appearances (see Examples 20 and 21). Julia knows that the past is now out of reach for her and that the process has changed her beyond return. The last incidences where Julia’s Motif emerges compellingly illustrate this. The only thing left for her to do is accept her death and depart from this world:

I am not now what once I was. Your face is no longer yours. The being behind your eyes is neither enemy nor friend. Behind your eyes is nothing now, But a bridge over a black abyss. 123

Example 20: Julia’s Motif with a major seventh, bars 2-3 after Fig. 52.

Example 21: An allusion to Julia’s Motif with a ninth in her voice, followed by the strings playing the full motif with a major seventh, bars 5-2 before Fig. 53.

123 Bar 1 after Fig. 52 – bar 2 before Fig. 54. 60

When Mark loses sight of Julia as she is engulfed in darkness, the choir returns with a final “Amen” using the Funeral Motif (see Example 23). This is an exact replica of the first “Amen” as it was sung by the funeral procession at the beginning of the opera. This signals that another circle is closing, as Julia’s spirit finally follows the path intended for her.

Example 23: The Funeral Motif sung by the choir, bars 2 – 3 after Fig. 54.

Mark falls to his knees and the orchestra fades out, until only the Funeral Rhythm in the tenor drum remains as Julia sings her final words: “Only the word: Depart, depart, depart.” 124 Through the slow thinning out of the music in the last section, and the repeating of the final words in small thirds upwards, a sensation of clarity is achieved and the opera ends in a state of gentle hopefulness.

4.3 Transformation: The Necessary Process of Accepting Death

While The Departure may superficially seem like a typical tragic love story, this interpretation does not withstand closer examination of the resources and components that Maconchy and Ridler decided to use. They chose to make this opera about Julia’s process and the result is an engaging example of both dramatic and musical storytelling .

124 Bars 1-6 after Fig. 56. 61

From a dramatic standpoint, this distinction becomes even clearer when The Departure is compared to the arguably most iconic story about the death of a beloved of all times – which is also related to music in many ways – the legend of Orpheus and Eurydice. 125 The setup of the plot of The Departure is similar to the Orpheus myth: A happy young couple is suddenly ripped apart by a tragic accident which claims the woman’s life. Furthermore, in both cases, a scenario is created in which the couples can interact after the tragedy, as both Orpheus and Mark meet their wives’ spirits again after they have died. Yet there is a big difference regarding the focus of the stories: The Departure follows a female heroine, Julia, as she passes the steps that lead first to the discovery and later to the acceptance of her own death. Orpheus never finds happiness again after Eurydice passes away – maybe because he has never come to terms with his loss or because he has entered the realm of death when he did not belong there and cannot recover from this journey. In The Departure, Mark also does not come to terms with the death of his wife, but there is still hope that he will eventually recover from it. This hope is mainly due to Julia’s realisation that they do belong in different worlds for the time being and her courage and strength to face her own death, even when her husband begs for her to stay. Both stories come to the conclusion that the dead do not belong in the world of the living and that one has to depart alone. In the case of Orpheus, this conclusion presents itself through the depiction of the misery that the alternative brings the participants. In The Departure, Julia decides that both she and Mark have to be strong enough to face the truth and due to her acceptance, it is possible for the confusion to lift and a new energy to emerge.

The comparison to the Orpheus myth further illustrates that the choice to focus on Julia’s progression through the different stages of her emotional journey is what makes the story special. The musical language used to convey, enrich and expand this idea enthrals the listener and ensures a profound background for the psychological and philosophical exploration of the matter.

Thinking about an opera that has a dead person as the protagonist naturally prompts questions about religious beliefs that may form the background for the opera. Regarding the music, the Funeral Music and the Gregorian chants are not only used as stylistic devices for creating the right atmosphere. They also serve to connect the sphere of Julia’s intermediate spirit existence

125 Perhaps the most well-known of many version of the legend is featured in Ovid’s Metamorphose s. E.g. Ovid / Michael von Albrecht (Ed.) Ovid: Metamorphosen, Stuttgart 1994. 62 with the real world events that her husband has to face – in the form of the music of her actual funeral – and to represent Death and ultimately whatever lies in the beyond calling Julia. The use of the Latin psalms links the beliefs of the opera to Christianity, and the Christian idea of the immortal soul seems to be the general assumption for the plot as Julia’s state of being is clearly dead but not gone forever. Ridler’s work as a poet is known for being influenced by her religious beliefs, and the philosophical questions of life and death are also often addressed: “Many of her poems mark arrivals and departures: her husband leaving in wartime, the birth of a child, the death of her father. The need to understand things passing and to give them some currency in memory and then in poetry lies at the heart of her work.” 126

While religious beliefs per se do not seem to have been particularly important to Maconchy herself 127 , there is also a very personal connection to this aspect of the opera: The excerpt of psalm 127 that is sung at the end of the opera is also engraved in the tombstone of Maconchy’s father 128 , whom she lost at the age of fifteen. This information, together with the fact that the text of the psalm was probably proposed not by Ridler but by Maconchy herself (the text appears in her handwriting in a sheet of alterations for the libretto) 129 , shows a very personal connection of the composer to the central conflict of the opera. And while the Funeral Music in itself does convey an unsettling tension through the use of the circling chromatic movement, the texts of the psalms reflect on how the immortal soul is always being watched over and guided by God and thus add a subtle sense of hopefulness, especially to the ending of the opera.

The one thread that continuously accompanies the protagonist’s journey and connects all important elements is Julia’s Motif. It appears at all meaningful moments for Julia during the opera in one form or another and containing different intervals or appearing just in parts. Still, it always distinguishes critical steps or realisations. Listing some of the verses that are paired with a form of the motif exemplifies this point: “O life is good, / it is hard to leave it”, “It was my death that needed preparation”, “And we must know our death”, “You have to depart alone” and many more. All these phrases mark moments in which Julia reaches a new level of understanding and processes the consequences.

126 Peter Forbes, „In memoriam Anne Ridler“, in: The Guardian (28 October 2001) [https://www.theguardian.com/books/2001/oct/28/poetry.features, 20.02.2017]. 127 At the symposium about her mother’s work in Graz (24-25 October 2014), Maconchy’s daughter Anna Dunlop insisted that her mother was not religious at all. 128 This information was also provided by Anna Dunlop at the symposium in Graz. 129 Pages from the libretto of The Departure with alterations, Elizabeth Maconchy Archive, St. Hilda’s College Oxford, P.P.1 unlisted/8. 63

There are many touching musical moments in this opera, for instance the recalling of the summer ball or the lullaby for the child, which are both set in a musical language reminding of impressionism, enriched with flowing vocal lines and colourful verses. Still, the moments of deep truth, existential self-contact and transformation of awareness all emerge together with Julia’s Motif, not needing further embellishment but reduction, for they connect to a profound truth. Ultimately, of course, the inherent mystery of the subject-matter of death has to remain, because answering any of these questions with a definitive answer would lead to the result being unrealistic and inauthentic. This is precisely why the choice to treat this story as a psychological character study and not as a tragic, supernatural love story is not only very interesting but also essential in making it believable, compelling and timeless. And while this also means that The Departure is not an opera that is instantly accessible, the experience can be all the more rewarding for those who choose to fully engage in it.

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5 Conclusion

With her two chamber operas, The Sofa and The Departure , Elizabeth Maconchy has created two compelling miniatures. By exploring both the aspects of the drama and the music in both operas, the central topics were identified and their musical realisation was analysed. Thematically, they appear to be opposites, as The Sofa is an amusing comedy and The Departure a dark and emotional tragedy, and at first sight, both seem to fill the shoes of their genre in a traditional way. Yet, there are several surprising choices in both operas that are unconventional and offer new perspectives on seemingly self-explanatory devices.

The Sofa exhibits a few of these unexpected twists. The plot is loosely based on a French farce, and most of the characters in the opera certainly are designed accordingly: Dominic’s shortcomings, his excessive lifestyle and his lack of self-restraint are portrayed satirically as well as Monique’s flightiness and the silly and shallow nature of the ball guests. The Grandmother, however, is an invention for the opera and a living contradiction in herself. While in the original, the protagonist is cursed by the Hindu god Brahma to be a sofa until he understands virtuous love in the form of a virgin couple consummating their relationship, the Grandmother chooses a different approach. She scolds her grandson for his immoral behaviour before ‘condemning’ him to witness a couple copulating on him. This ‘punishment’ makes about as much sense as her singing challenging coloraturas, even though she is supposed to be an old woman. Still, through the combination of these factors, a wonderfully funny character is added to the opera. Furthermore, any chance of this being a moral tale like the original story is thrown out the window with her appearance. When arguably the only character who takes the moral high ground contradicts herself, there is no possibility for anyone to ‘learn’ anything. And while story-wise, the ending is left open, the analysis of the Erotic Motif has shown that musically, there is a strong tendency towards further disappointment on Dominic’s part. He has learned nothing – except maybe the benefits of being an undetected voyeur – and he will continue his behaviour, regardless of the results. To summarise, The Sofa is a moral tale without moral and a comedy with a potentially not-so- happy ending.

These choices for telling the story and the handling of the music are unconventional, but by playing with the audience’s expectations and defying them, the experience is more surprising and enjoyable. In addition, the perspective is kept at eye level, as there is no real authority to point out wrongdoings and the characters are portrayed without judgement as they choose not 65 to struggle to overcome certain habits, creating an identification point that some audiences may sympathise with.

The Departure also includes some unconventional choices for the focus of storytelling. As the analysis of the music and the topics has shown, the main conflict is Julia’s struggle to accept her death. Her husband’s point of view is not really highlighted, which adds further complexity to the question of the identification point in this opera. Many audience members probably have some experience with the difficulties of coping with the death of a loved one and may therefore tend to empathise with Mark. Moreover, similar stories such as the Orpheus myth suggest this perspective, and one can certainly watch the opera in this way and enjoy it as a tragic love story. A deeper fascination with The Departure , however, is unlocked when one sees Julia as the sole protagonist and tries to empathise with her. This might be rather challenging at first, as Julia is already dead when the audience meets her, and even if they have not read a synopsis beforehand, they find out what has happened to her at an early point in the opera. The alienation of Julia from other humans is an illusion, for she is still portrayed as a person with emotions and needs. If one chooses to feel for Julia as she goes through the different emotional stages of her journey, one allows the opera to connect to a deeper level of one’s own emotions. The music absolutely supports this idea, and experiencing it as a guideline for the emotional progression of the plot is all the more rewarding. The moments that embrace Julia’s Motif are very powerful in this way, drawing attention to the toughest moments of the opera, revealing the inner struggle behind them and giving the listener the possibility to relate to it.

Experiencing The Sofa and The Departure on one evening would mean being presented with two very different operas and the opposing elements create a charming and diversified tension. On the one hand, The Sofa, with its absurd plot, the comedic twists and turns, and the satirical portrayal of the ball guests and Dominic’s many shortcomings, does not want the audience to take it seriously. It is supposed to be funny and defies the idea of a moral tale. The Departure , on the other hand, can be experienced as a tragic love story with darker images and enthralling music, and also as a moving psychological process. Julia’s character and her transformation through the course of the opera work perfectly as an antipode to Dominic’s inability or refusal to develop in any way.

A question that is also relevant when considering the opposing nature of the two is that of the order in which one would experience the two operas, because it influences the effect the operas would have on the audience. As The Sofa is 10 to 15 minutes longer, it would 66 traditionally be more likely to be put at the beginning of the evening before the intermission. However, there are more arguments for performing The Sofa before The Departure . The audience would first experience a light-hearted satire and then hopefully be in good-spirits for the intermission. Afterwards, the audience would be subjected to the more serious content of The Departure and could then make their way home contemplating the matter and possibly remain aware of their emotional response. In this case, both operas would have been ideally perceived as they were meant to be with The Sofa unfolding its comedic charm and The Departure its emotional seriousness. This seriousness would be in danger of being destroyed, were the places of the operas switched out. Furthermore, The Sofa could seem shallow and less joyful for an audience that has just dealt with the ramification of confronting ones death. Therefore, it seems that both operas are more likely achieve their desired effect when the double-bill lists The Sofa as the first and The Departure as the second opera.

Considering the music once again, the concept of (non-)development is present in both operas in the form of the central motifs. As the analysis of the Erotic Motif has shown, it takes on two forms, one of them associated with positive and one with negative situations for Dominic. The association and the versions of the motif remain consistent throughout the course of the opera, and this is perfectly compatible with the idea of non-development. Dominic simply continues to behave as he does, and sometimes the result is gratifying and sometimes not. As The Departure focuses on a process with Julia developing and going through changes, the central motif is not as constant as the Erotic Motif in The Sofa but changes as Julia’s character changes. The central interval of Julia’s Motif varies and appears in different versions. This comparison shows the beautiful way in which Maconchy interwove the music of the operas with the core ideas of the inventive libretti by Vaughan Williams and Ridler.

In addition to the main motifs, the music of both operas contains many compelling moments of Maconchy’s musical language. The spectrum of moods and emotions presented in these two miniatures are of high quality and should therefore be performed more often than they are at present. The diversity of the storylines, characters and musical tone result in a perfect pairing for one evening. The staging of the operas can also be done on a small budget, as they only require a small number of musicians and no excessive décor. Furthermore, the two operas would work very well for smaller festivals, productions at colleges and music universities or similar venues. They only require a small amount of resources and can still achieve a great emotional effect. Hopefully, Maconchy’s works will continue to inspire

67 performances and research in the future, so that her music receives the recognition that its inherent quality deserves.

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6 Bibliography

Blunnie, Ailie: Passion and Intellect in the Music of Elizabeth Maconchy DBE (1907-1994) , MA-Thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth 2010.

Cole, Hugo and Doctor, Jennifer: “Maconchy, Dame Elizabeth”, in The Norton Grove Dictionary of Women Composers, ed. by Julie Anne Sadie and Rhian Samuel, New York 1994, 301-303.

Fuller, Sophie: “Elizabeth Maconchy”, in The Pandora Guide to Women Composers , London 1994.

Heslop, Caroline: “Contemporary Composers: Elizabeth Maconchy”, in Music Teacher 66/4 (1987), 23-25.

Kübler-Ross, Elisabeth: On Death and Dying , New York 1969.

Maconchy, Elizabeth: “A Composer Speaks”, in: Composer 42 (Winter 1971-1972), 25-29.

Maconchy, Elizabeth: “The Departure”, in: Composers’ Forum (December 1962), 8.

Maconchy, Elizabeth: “Vaughan Williams as a Teacher”, in: Composer 2 (1959), 18-19.

Mathias, Rhiannon: Lutyens, Maconchy, Williams and twentieth-century British music: a blest trio of sirens , London 2012.

McClary, Susan: Feminine Endings: Music, Gender and Sexuality , Minneapolis 1991.

Maycock, Robert: “Inheriting the land”, in: The Listener (12 March 1987), 30.

Ridler, Anne: Collected Poems , Manchester 1994.

Siegel, Erica: “What a delicious, what a malicious imputation!” Gender and Politics in the Reception of Elizabeth Maconchy’s The Sofa, MA-Thesis, University of California Riverside, 2012.

Skiba, John: “Elizabeth Maconchy in Conversation with John Skiba”, in: Composer 63 (Spring 1978), 7-10.

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6.1 Web Resources

Cole, Hugo and Doctor, Jennifer: “Maconchy, Dame Elizabeth”, in: Grove Music online [http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.oxfordmusiconline.han.kug.ac.at/subscriber/article/grove /music/17374, 02.01.2017].

“Composer’s Guild of Great Britain”, in: Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online [http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.oxfordmusiconline.han.kug.ac.at/subscriber/article/grove /music/06214, 02.01.2017].

Forkert, Annika: “Elizabeth Maconchy”, in: MUGI. Musik und Gender im Internet [http://mugi.hfmt-hamburg.de/Artikel/Elizabeth_Maconchy, 10.11.2016].

Forbes, Peter: „In memoriam Anne Ridler“, in: The Guardian (28 October 2001) [https://www.theguardian.com/books/2001/oct/28/poetry.features, 20.02.2017].

Le Fanu, Nicola: Elizabeth Maconchy DBE (1907-1997): Some biographical and musical notes [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classRev/2007/Oct07/Maconchy_LeFanu.htm 02.01.2017].

Payne, Anthony: “Society for the promotion of New Music”, in: Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online [http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.oxfordmusiconline.han.kug.ac.at/ subscriber/article/grove/music/26075, 02.01.2017].

Potts, Robert: “Obituary: Anne Ridler”, in: The Guardian (16 October 2001) [https://www.theguardian.com/news/2001/oct/16/guardianobituaries.books, 20.02.2017].

6.2 Archive Resources

Elizabeth Maconchy Archive, St. Hilda’s College Oxford

P.P.1 D: Music manuscripts / Opera and theatre

I. The Sofa

III. The Departure 70

P.P.1 H I.

1. Correspondence, Programmes, Papers

2. Correspondence, Programmes, Press cuttings

P.P.1 unlisted/ 1-17: Materials with no finding aids

Correspondence, Programmes, Notes, Press cuttings, Diaries, Scripts, etc.

Aprahamian, Felix: “Singing Scrooge”, in: Sunday Times (23 December 1962). P.P.1 unlisted/8.

Carner, Mosco: “Opera Workshop”, in: Time and Tide 40 (26 December 1959), 1431-1432. P.P.1 unlisted/6

---: “Beggar’s opera in new terms”, in: The Times (17 December 1962). P.P.1 unlisted/8.

---: “Double Bill by New Opera Workshop”, in: The Times (14 December 1959). P.P.1 unlisted/6.

Hope-Wallace, Phillip: “Two new operas”, in: The Guardian (17 December 1962). P.P.1 unlisted/8.

Hughes, Herbert: “Girl Composer’s Triumph”, in: The Daily Telegraph (1 September 1930).

Mitchel, Donald Charles Peter: “Sofa as Hero of Iconic Plot”, in: Daily Telegraph (14 December 1959). P.P.1 unlisted/8.

Tracey‚ Edmund: “Two New Operas”, in: The Observer (20 December 1959). P.P.1 unlisted/6

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6.3 Music Resources

Maconchy, Elizabeth: The Sofa , complete score, London 1966.

Maconchy, Elizabeth: The Departure , complete score, London 2014.

Maconchy, Elizabeth: The Sofa, The Departure . Independent Opera at Sadler’s Wells, conducted by Dominic Wheeler, CD, Chandos, CHANS 10508, 2009.

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