The Met Live in HD series continues in November with a new opera by the young British composer Thomas Ades (pronounced ADD-es), The Tempest. Ades was born in London in 1971 and in recent years has become something of a "phenom" in England and elsewhere. He has already composed numerous works in many different genres, and is an accomplished pianist and conductor. His first opera was Powder her Face in 1995; his second is The Tempest, premiered in 2004.
The story of Ades' Tempest is that of Shakespeare, though as librettist Meredith Oakes puts it, "inspired by Shakespeare's play, rather than literally being based on every aspect of it."
Oakes says, in her notes on the opera, "The libretto uses contemporary vocabulary. Its lines are short, rhythmic and rhymed or semi-rhymed, echoing Shakespeare's strophic songs more than his blank verse."
The main characters are those of Shakespeare's play. Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, whose brother has usurped his position, is the lead male character. He has learned from his treasured books to be a magician, and his ability to cast spells plays a major role in the story. He has been exiled to an island with his daughter Miranda, an innocent child who in 12 years of exile has become a sweet-natured young woman. She will be inspired by her love of Ferdinand to disobey her father.
Ariel is a spirit enslaved by Prospero and badly wants his freedom; he is the agent used to carry out Prospero's enchantments. Ferdinand, son of the King of Naples, meets Miranda after being ship-wrecked, and immediately falls in love with her. (This IS an opera, and a magical one at that.) And the story would not be complete without the presence of Caliban, a savage native to the island. He is the son of Sycorax, previous ruler of the island; he is held at bay by Prospero's magic.
One of the things that struck me from the beginning of my acquaintance with this opera is the dominance of high voices. Of the 10 principal solo voices, 6 are sopranos or tenors (including a counter tenor). Even Prospero is designated a "high baritone". In listening to the opera, I came to think that the high voices contribute to the sense of magic in the opera, in something like that same sense that Mozart's Magic Flute is a magic opera, with elements of the supernatural and the fantastic.
Also evident from the opening storm scene (the "tempest") is Ades' brilliant use of a colorful orchestra. Yes, there are the usual orchestral strings, but more to the point, the orchestra is wind-heavy, calling in most instances for triple woodwinds and brass, even 4 French horns. The instrumentation allows Ades to make a lot of noise with the orchestra in places where appropriate, such as the opening storm, but also to create a rich palette of orchestral color, which does much to establish mood and create psychological depth to characters and particular scenes.
These elements of the musical setting underscore the role of music as an element of magic in the opera. Most of Ariel's music serves Prospero's magic, and often has the character of a litany or incantation. The role of Ariel is assigned to a coloratura soprano, who has to sing an octave or more above a normal coloratura range. The result often sounds like controlled screaming. It's unsettling but very effective.
I won't kid you: Ades' The Tempest is not easy to take in musically. You'll look hard to find something that sounds like an aria from Verdi or Wagner or Puccini. But it's a brilliant piece, something clear from just the audio CD I had to work with. Alas, there is not yet a DVD of The Tempest, and thus anyone's perception is inevitably limited.
Opera is the grand synthesis of the arts that was the passionate quest of the Romantics, especially the German Romantics, culminating in Wagner's music dramas. In short excerpts on youtube I have seen some of The Tempest's scene design, costumes, lighting, and choreography; and I know that seeing the opera performed in all its fullness will be a very different experience from simply hearing the vocal and instrumental components. I'm expecting it to be extravagantly, excitingly theatrical.
The Met simulcast will be broadcast Sunday, November 25, at 2pm. Tickets are $27, which includes parking and all fees.
