Volume 15, Issue 1 The Kapralova Society Journal Spring 2017 A Journal of Women in Music Victoria for Mrs. President ! Modern Women at the Opera Zachary Milliman In the fall of 2012, I had the opportunity to the opera’s timely aspects, from its fidelity to participate in the world premiere of composer operatic traditions in contrast to modern con- Victoria Bond’s masterful opera Mrs. Presi- ventions, aspects of ritual and corporeality, dent . The premiere took place in my home- and our current societal climate vis-à-vis per- town of Anchorage, Alaska. I happened to be sonal choice and the advocacy of freedom. in town and was asked by the chorus master if The opera presents the story of Victoria I might help bolster the tenor section. I was Woodhull, an early feminist and proponent of intrigued by the novelty of being involved in free love, 1 and the first woman to run for the creation of a work and thus committed to president in 1872. While based on actual participate. I am happy that I did, as it was to events, librettist Hilary Bell had to condense be an experience that renewed my faith in what Bond referred to as a messy history to American opera and proved that the genre is form a succinct portrait of Woodhull’ s run for alive, well, and relevant. presidency and create, as Bond put it, “a taut Special points of interest: For weeks as a chorus we worked out our storyline that had one focus.” 2 The cast in- parts, and luckily Victoria Bond was in resi- cludes Victoria Woodhull (soprano), Isabella dence to give needed direction and facilitate Beecher (soprano), Elizabeth Tilton (soprano), Women on the stage and the any changes necessitated by the rehearsal Woodhull’ s mother Roxie (mezzosoprano), podium processes. As a chorus member, I did not have Henry Ward Beecher (tenor), Joseph Treat a chance to hear the score in its entirety until (tenor), and James Blood (baritone). The char- the sitzprobe. There, all the disparate pieces acters are based on historical figures, but Bell that we had worked out in isolation coalesced found it necessary to form composite charac- into a stunning whole. The beauty of the work ters: e.g., the character of Joseph Treat is fab- impressed me, as did the appropriateness of ricated from many different men, and Isabella the score and the libretto for the operatic was conceived as a combination of Isabella stage, more so than almost any other Ameri- Beecher and Woodhull’s sister Tennessee can opera that I had sung or seen. The chorus Claflin. Bond is very clear that “this is an op- Inside this issue: in this semi-staged production was set on ris- era – it’s not history, it’s not a biopic.” ers at the back of the stage; thus I had ample Part of the strength of the opera rests in the Victoria for Mrs. President! / 1–5 Zachary Milliman time to digest the work as night after night I ironic subversion of our expectations of a watched and heard the drama unfold from my modern American opera by being unapologeti- “I love diversity!” / Interview 6–9 unique vantage point. As I did so, my appre- cally tonal and respectful of operatic tradi- with Eva Meitner ciation for the multiple facets of the work, tions. A feeling of reverence permeates the Female Composers: Deliberately 10–12 from musical to philosophical, deepened. I score, yet it never succumbs to pastiche or Downgraded? / Michael Haas knew that I wanted to spend more time with operatic taxidermy. There are moments that this work, and with Ms. Bond’s encourage- evoke La Traviata or Der Rosenkavalier , for Piano miniature by Vítězslava 13 ment, I began exploring some of the ideas this example, but in an organic way born out of the Kaprálová / with analysis by Erik opera inspired in me. Of course, the opera exigencies of the drama. This debt to operatic Entwistle provides ample opportunities for personal convention is also evident in the organization Recent and new CDs and publica- 5, 9, tions 14–16 interpretation, and its transcendental nature is of the opera. The action progresses in seven one of its great strengths. However, for the scenes over two acts, after the fashion of a sake of space, what follows is a discussion of number opera. Bond claims Wozzeck as an The Kapralova Society Journal Page 2 Victoria for Mrs. President! influence in this regard – a mosaic of vignettes that tells us about quartet of disappointment, is an attempted exorcism by Blood each of the characters. Each scene is a self-contained unit, but the and Beecher of Woodhull’s and Isabella’s drive to continue incursion of intricately interwoven themes and motifs unifies them their mission. The last scene, referred to by Bond as Wood- and provides a dramatic thrust that is often lacking in the tradi- hull’s “sane scene,” culminates in the benediction and sancti- tional number opera style, creating what Bond calls “vivid pic- fication of Woodhull’s vision for the future. tures of moments – moments that move and are not static.” Although strong ritualistic aspects permeate the work, Bond, like the successful opera composers of the past, under- Bond succeeds, like Partch, in grounding the abstract in the stands the archetypal and ritualistic nature of opera. “If we want corporeal. This is accomplished in several ways, one being realism, we go to film,” Bond points out. “Opera started out in the how Bond sets the libretto. Bond preserves a naturalistic dec- church and the stylized nature of the church service – I think re- lamation and speech rhythm that clearly communicates the taining that quality, even though we take it in different directions, text. Every word is understood – a rare feat in operatic is still very important.” Bond claims the influence of and artistic achievement. This is achieved not only rhythmically but me- fealty with Harry Partch in this approach. Bond, an accomplished lodically as well in the way Bond writes for the voice. Roxie’s singer in her own right, performed the role of the Old Goat aria “Wise as Solomon” from Act I is a prime example of Woman on the world premiere recording of Partch’s Delusion of Bond’s excellent vocal writing. The rhythms of the vocal line the Fury , and this performance had a tremendous impact on her mirror those that would be used in speech, and thus the audi- development and views on theatrical work. ence is able to catch every word. The syncopations add a vis- These elements led me to examine the seven scenes of the op- ceral quality portraying the moxie of Woodhull’s mother. The era as a series of self-contained rituals. The notion of ritual befits vocal line is inflected in a way that is indicative of someone an opera about a woman running for president, Bond told me, as gathering a crowd at a carnival. the office of president is filled with rituals, from campaigning and As a singer, I am often perplexed at the unidiomatic treat- speeches to ceremonies and the inauguration, which we as a na- ment of the voice by modern composers. Singers are often tion recently witnessed. The first scene, in which Woodhull is required to break rules of “bel canto” in order to realize the exploited as a child clairvoyant in traveling circuses, acts as an music: wide and angular leaps, articulating in difficult regis- invocation and consecrates her as a visionary and prophetess. The ters, uncomfortable tessituras, etc. Bond, however, avoids music of the trio of the male characters in the scene foreshadows this, in part due to her aforementioned success as a singer in their role in the rise and fall of Woodhull’s attempted presidency. her early career. As such, she has a first-hand understanding The second scene, set during a service presided over by Henry of how to write for the voice, as everything she wrote as a Ward Beecher, begins with an ecstatic presentation of a hymn young composer was for her to sing herself. Bond also col- followed by an auction in which the congregation “purchases” a laborated with acclaimed soprano Ellen Shade in creating the slave girl in order to grant her freedom. This scene functions as a final version of Mrs. President . This collaboration benefited pseudo-sacrament and features incantations of Christian spiritual- the score, the well-crafted vocal lines in particular. These ele- ity. The third scene, a séance followed by Woodhull’s announce- ments are evident in the expert treatment of the voice. For ment of the publication of Woodhull’s Weekly , on the other hand, example, Bond does not force the singer to over-articulate in features incantations of a new order of spirituality, not only that of high registers and makes sure what is sung is done so in a way Woodhull’s clairvoyance, but also of her feminist doctrine of free that can be understood. “One of my icons there is Mozart,” love. The accompanying female chorus evolves from psychic Bond relates. “Mozart always set texts so that you can really mysticism to political activism in a kind of primordial chant hov- understand them. When there are important things said, they ering beneath the surface. The fourth scene, and final of the first are done so in a register that you can understand. If it was in a act, presents the rite of confession and absolution for Henry Ward higher register– and as tenors and sopranos know, you can’t Beecher, who admits his true nature and devotes himself to free be understood above the staff – [it was] repeated so you can love.