Advertisement

Workshopping Saint Joan

Tchaikovsky's "Maid of Orleans" at the Academy of Vocal Arts

In
3 minute read
Sarah Young (Agnès Sorel) and Gillian Watson (Joan of Arc), the Tuesday 6/24 principals of "The Maid of Orleans," take a selfie in front of St. Joan of Arc Statue on the Parkway in Philadelphia. 
Sarah Young (Agnès Sorel) and Gillian Watson (Joan of Arc), the Tuesday 6/24 principals of "The Maid of Orleans," take a selfie in front of St. Joan of Arc Statue on the Parkway in Philadelphia. 

Some of the most enjoyable musical events I’ve attended presented serious major works in informal situations. Chamber music and art songs are natural candidates for that kind of approach, but a relaxed atmosphere can exercise its charms on large-scale works, too.

For the last three years, one of the leading opera coaches in Philadelphia, Ghenady Meirson, has been conducting a summer workshop in Russian-language opera at the Academy of Vocal Arts. Advanced opera students from all over the country study the special problems involved in singing one of the more exotic languages in the standard opera repertoire. The students workshop two Russian operas and present free concert-style performances in the 19th-century ballroom AVA has converted into an attractive musical theater.

For the audience, it’s the musical equivalent of an informal reading by highly skilled actors who’ve just spent several days honing their craft on unfamiliar material. Meirson provides the piano accompaniment, and his good-natured comments before the performances add to the casualness of the atmosphere.

In his introduction to Tchaikovsky’s The Maid of Orleans, Meirson explained that the composer's version of the Joan of Arc legend exists in two versions. Tchaikovsky originally composed it for a soprano but had to rework it for a mezzo. The producer felt he could just alter a few notes, but Tchaikovsky insisted on doing it right and made more extensive adaptations.

A Philadelphia premiere

The soprano version is normally performed in Russia, Meirson said, and the mezzo version in the West. The audience at these performances heard the soprano version. This was the first time either version had been performed in Philadelphia, so the production constituted a Philadelphia premiere.

Tchaikovsky’s libretto adds a unique, very operatic twist to the story of the young woman who saved France from the English invaders. In most theatrical versions of the warrior maid’s life, she is forced to choose between death and integrity. Will she die at the stake or save her life by repudiating the visions that urged her to fight the English? In this version — opera being opera — romantic love enters the picture. Joan’s choice becomes a conflict between love and a higher purpose.

There were times when Tchaikovsky’s vocal music could have used the support of a fully staged performance, with its costumes, settings, and orchestral tone colors. The second act scene in the French court dragged in the places where King Charles VII exchanged comments with his mistress, Agnès Sorel. In a full performance, the scene would have been enlivened by dances.

Overall, Tchaikovsky gave the score all the passion the story deserves and packed it with the creative touches that distinguish the music of the great composers. Among the strong points are the duets that spotlight two characters with conflicting attitudes singing different vocal lines at the same time. That kind of simultaneous dialogue wouldn’t work in a play. In opera, it’s a creative use of the medium, intensifying the conflict as the two voices clash and counterpoint.

In the Thursday night performance I attended, a 21-year-old soprano, Kimberly Merrill, gave the title role all the presence it demands, along with a display of a strong, well-controlled voice. Colin Alexander filled a relatively small role as the Archbishop, but his flowing baritone commanded attention. The other named leads all provided the blend of characterization and vocal ability that turns an opera performance into an effective drama.

What, When, Where

Russian Opera Workshop: Tchaikovsky, The Maid of Orleans. Ghenady Meirson, conductor and pianist. June 26, 2014 at the Academy of Vocal Arts, 1920 Spruce Street, Philadelphia. http://www.russianoperaworkshop.com.

The second opera in this edition of the workshop will be one of the most popular and familiar works in the repertoire: Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. Performances will take place on July 29, 30, and 31 at 7:30 p.m. On July 25, in addition, all the members of the workshop will participate in an evening of Russian songs.

Sign up for our newsletter

All of the week's new articles, all in one place. Sign up for the free weekly BSR newsletters, and don't miss a conversation.

Join the Conversation