Study Guide
Rimrock Opera – Opera
Idaho World Premiere
Interest in the Supernatural
The 19th
Century (1800 – 1899), is considered to be
the Golden Age of Opera, and is also known
as the era of Romanticism in art, literature
and music. “Romanticism” not only refers to
the glorification of love, which these art
forms did, but also Romanticism glorified
the ideal of transcending the drab and
dreary conditions of daily life. This could
be done though revolution and through
artistic change, through new flights of
fantasy of art, fiction, poetry, legend,
music and opera.
Stories of the
supernatural—of ghosts, goblins, demons,
vampires, the devil himself—are certainly a
means of transcending the ordinary. A
fascination with supernatural forces and
ideas about the afterlife flourished during
the 19th Century, which is when
the vampire legend became popular. The
fascination with the supernatural and
vampires continues to this day.
Occult-themed movies such as “The Ring” or
“Interview with the Vampire” and “Van
Helsing,” and novels by authors such as
Stephen King, or by Anne Rice and Laurel K.
Hamilton who write mostly vampire stories,
are a permanent part of popular culture.
What’s a Vampire?
The vampire is a bloodsucking creature,
supposedly the restless soul of a heretic,
criminal, or a suicide that leaves its
burial place at night, often in the form of
a bat, to drink the blood of humans. By
daybreak it must return to its grave or to a
coffin filled with dirt from the ground of
its birthplace. Its victims become vampires
after death. Although the belief in vampires
was widespread over Asia and Europe, it was
primarily a Slavic and Hungarian legend,
with reports proliferating in Hungary from
1730 to 1735.
Typically the vampire had a pallid face,
penetrating eyes, and protruding incisor
teeth, and it fed by biting and sucking
blood from the victim's throat. Methods for
recognizing vampires (they cast no shadow
and are not reflected in mirrors) and for
warding them off (by displaying a crucifix
or sleeping with a wreath of garlic around
one's neck) are well known. Vampires can be
put to final rest by driving a stake through
their hearts, by burning them, by destroying
their daytime resting places, or by exposing
them to daylight.
The Romanian nobleman who held that the Black Plague came down
Eastern
Europe by means of rats; so
Nosferatu is more authentic than the Dracula myth with Bats and
wolves!(A boyar is a
Romanian who owns a large estate.
Nosferatu
The vampire
craze that began in the early 19th
century is attributed to a story published
in 1819 by the English poet Lord Byron
called “The Vampyre.” Among all the
of demons of folklore, the vampire has
enjoyed the most conspicuous and continual
literary success in the 20th century,
initially due to the popularity of the novel
Dracula (1897) by the Irish
author Bram Stoker. Count Dracula, the
novel’s “undead” villain from Transylvania
(a region encompassing Hungary and Rumania),
became the representative type of vampire.
This novel followed by a play in 1927 and by
a popular set of films, made vampire lore
common knowledge. The first film was by
German director F.W. Murnau, whose
Nosferatu
was made in 1922. This story is the basis
for the Rimrock Opera/Opera Idaho
production. Then Tod Browning's classic
film
Dracula in 1931, starring
Bela Lugosi, set the pattern for dozens of
vampire movies.
Oddly, the
vampire legend has been slow to make it to
opera. (There is an opera, Der Vampyr,
by an obscure German composer in 1828 that
receives an occasional performance).
Rimrock Opera/Opera Idaho’s production is
the world premiere of the recently completed
Nosferatu by composer Alva Henderson
and librettist Dana Gioia, both Americans.
The main stage performances in Billings will
be October 22 & 24, 2004, and in Boise, at
2:00 PM and 8:00 PM on Saturday, November 6,
2004.
Words and Music
It’s not
uncommon for a songwriter to write and even
perform his or her own lyrics and music for
a song. But in an opera or musical play, an
entire drama needs to be written. This
writing requires literary talent so that the
story is well told and so that the lyrics
usually rhyme. The written story of an
opera, the actual words used by each singer,
is called the “libretto” (Italian for
“little book’). The libretto is the
equivalent to the script of a play.
Composers are
talented at setting the words and the
dramatic action to music. Since it’s hard
to find such literary and musical talents in
the same person, composers usually seek out
a poet or an author to create or adapt a
story for opera, and the two of them form a
creative partnership: composer and
librettist.
Musical
theatre uses the same team method, and some
famous names from this genre are Rodgers and
Hammerstein, and the brothers George and Ira
Gershwin. However, there is one opera
composer, the famous German Richard Wagner
(pronounced “Vogner”), who wrote his own
poetry for his lengthy operas. One major
difference between operas and musicals is
that the action in musical theatre is
usually spoken, with songs describing a
character’s feelings about the situation.
In opera, everything is sung.
Why
Opera?
Opera can
tell a story very effectively because
singing something is more emotional and
beautiful than saying it. Singing is the
combination of two languages working
together: musical language and verbal
language. Of the two, music is a more
complete expression of feeling than words
are. This is why it’s possible to
“understand” and enjoy a song even if the
words are forgotten or not heard well—the
music communicates the message.
Opera is the
combination of other things too. Acting is
required of the singers, meaning not only
work on gestures and facial expressions, but
also on proper pronunciation and diction
(operas are frequently sung in the language
of the composer, most of whom are European
or Russian). Costumes of the period and
hair styles and make-up are needed. This is
required not only for the principal singers
(or “leads”), but also for an entire chorus
of singers of men and women, and sometimes a
children’s chorus, for the crowd scenes. As
in any theatrical production, stage sets
that depict the time period and its
architecture, and proper lighting and props
(furniture, paintings, table settings,
weapons, etc.) are required. Add to this a
symphony orchestra and the conductor, whose
baton is the “heartbeat” of the performance
and the major ingredients of opera are in
place. Opera has been called the first
multi-media experience.
The Mission of the Rimrock Opera
It is our mission to enhance the cultural
life of this region by providing high
quality operatic productions and to make
opera available to everyone through
community outreach productions and
educational programming. Ongoing community
support of the arts and culture is important
to the local economy. Literally, the arts
and culture mean business to our community,
creating jobs, income, tourism, and area
travel.
The Mission of Opera Idaho
As you can
see, opera is a labor-intensive art form,
and so it is very expensive to produce.
Most cities the size of Boise, don’t have
live opera, but Opera Idaho believes Boise
and Southwest Idaho deserve to have opera.
The company also sees that the citizens,
young and old, develop the skills to enjoy
opera. That is why we tour into the
schools, directly.
Art and Entertainment
Art is
different from entertainment because art
requires some skill to understand, whereas
entertainment does not. Art is special,
partly because of the skills of the artist
required to create, and because of the
skills required of the observer to enjoy.
Opera is considered to be the ultimate art
because it combines other art forms: vocal,
dramatic, visual and musical. Like anything
else in life, the more attention you put
into it, the more you get out of it. We
show you that opera is really worth it…that
it’s interesting, fun, beautiful, and can be
very powerful because of the combination of
story, music and theatre.
The Story of Nosferatu
The Setting –
the action of the opera takes place in the
Baltic seaport of Wisborg in the mid 19th
century.
The
Counting House
(A counting
house is an office or building where
important documents are kept.) Heinrich
Skuller is an elderly, peculiar businessman
and moneylender, who has just read a letter
with great interest. He summons a young
man, Eric, whom he knows is married and
desperate for a job. Skuller explains that
a wealthy nobleman—Count Orlock of
Hungary—wants to buy a place in Wisborg that
he can renovate, so Skuller purchased an old
estate for the Count. Eric’s job is to
travel to Hungary immediately and make the
sale to the Count, for which Eric can keep
half the proceeds. This could also lead to
a business partnership with Skuller. Eric
is reluctant; the house is in ruin, and he
doesn’t want to leave his wife Ellen, who is
not well. Skuller persuades Eric to make
the journey in order to provide for his wife
and to secure his dreams of financial
security.
The Dream
Dr. Harding
and Ellen’s sister Marthe are in Eric and
Ellen’s apartment speaking softly about
Ellen’s condition while she recovers from
another night of nightmares and
sleepwalking. Eric enters and exclaims the
news of his employment, but as the job is
described, Marthe pleads for Eric not to
leave his wife in her delicate condition.
Ellen awakes and tells Eric of her dream of
Eric being sacrificed on an altar. Eric
dismisses her dream and insists he must take
the job for their benefit; Dr. Harding adds
that Ellen can be cared for in Eric’s
absence. Eric and Ellen pledge their
undying love and unity and, before he
departs, Ellen places around his neck a
locket with her portrait inside.
The Castle
Attended by
servants, Eric has been waiting all
afternoon in the Count’s dining hall. Eric
looks longingly at the locket and wishes he
had not left Ellen. At sunset Orlock
finally appears. He is a gracious host.
Eric begins his sales pitch, but the Count just
wants to sign the purchase contract, as he
plans to depart for Wisborg tomorrow. The
castle and the land of his ancestors are in
decay, the count explains. Eric shows his
locket to the Count, who soon becomes
obsessed with the portrait of Ellen. Count
Orlock begins to cast a spell over Eric, but
as Eric is about to succumb, he calls out
for Ellen, who then becomes psychically
connected to Eric and to the Count. Ellen
and the Count communicate telepathically,
and they each call to Eric to come to them,
but Eric can only hear the Count, and
surrenders to the Count’s bite. Ellen
realizes Eric is lost, but the Count allows
Eric to live as his gift to Ellen, whom he
now plans to claim as his bride.
The
Arrival
Ellen is at
the harbor of Wisborg wishing upon the
evening star for Eric’s safe return.
Skuller arrives. Has he any word of Eric?
It’s been three months. Skuller tries to
reassure her, but Ellen leaves, and he is
glad to see her go. He is nervously excited,
for “tonight at last the master comes.” A
ship comes into view. It has no name; only
Orlock (Nosferatu) stands at the prow,
looking youthful and strong. He tells
Skuller that he has not come to rest at his
new home, but to establish a new domain
worthy of his ancestors. Rats have scurried
off the ship, and servants appear to remove
two coffins filled with dirt. As he will do
every midnight until she invites him into
her arms, Nosferatu sings to Ellen that
he—the undead—is her destiny.
The Plague
Ellen and
Martha are on their way to Dr. Harding’s
sanitarium to visit Eric. They hear a chorus
singing the Dies Irae (Day of Wrath)
from the Mass for the Dead, but it’s not the
usual Gregorian chant melody established by
the church. Martha comments that this
judgment day must not be of God; that the
plague arrived in Wisborg on the death ship
that drifted into the harbor with its dead
crew. At the sanitarium Dr. Harding greets
the sisters and brings out Eric, accompanied
by Skuller, who is now also an inmate.
Eric believes the sanitarium is his mansion
and that the inmates are his servants
(though not very good ones). He sings to
Ellen of his adventures while away,
revealing his delusion, and pleads with her
to live with him as man and wife. Eric is
taken away, and Skuller returns, now alone
with Ellen. He asks when she will respond
to her nightly calls from Nosferatu.
“Never,” she replies, and vows to defeat
Nosferatu. Skuller whispers how that could
be done: if she were able to hold the Count
spellbound until dawn, the daylight would
destroy him. Skuller suddenly kisses her
and she recoils. He departs laughing,
predicting her surrender, as he and all
others have surrendered to Nosferatu.
Midnight
Ellen has
decided to answer the Count’s call. She
stands by her window, awaiting his arrival,
and prays to the Virgin Mary. When he
arrives, the Count declares that he has
waited centuries for this moment: “At last,
the spirit finds its flesh.” Ellen must
give herself to him to awaken her new,
eternal life, he says. He leads her to her
wedding bed and begins to cast his spell.
But the presence of the Virgin Mary is
visited upon Ellen, who is able to resist
and delay his advances. She must say
farewell to her bed and to her memories of
her beloved Eric and his protection.
Finally Nosferatu places her on the bed and
slowly sinks his teeth into her throat.
Church bells are heard. The count realizes
morning has come. Ellen manages to stagger
to the window and open the drapes.
Nosferatu first starts to flee, then turns
defiantly to face the daylight; he slowly
disintegrates as Ellen, weakening, sings
that she is his forever, in death. Dr.
Harding and Marthe enter and stare in shock
at Ellen’s lifeless body.
Glossary of Opera Terms
Aria a solo
song in Opera
Bravo often used
by audience members after an exceptional
performance
Blocking Specific
movements given by the stage director
Composer the person who
writes the music for the opera
Director the person
who supervises all stage movement
Duet A song for
two people
Ensemble A piece of
music for multiple singers
Finale the musical
piece in an act or opera
Libretto the script
of an opera or words that the singers sing
Opera Voice Types
Soprano the highest
female voice
Mezzo-soprano the middle female
voice type
Alto the lowest
female voice type
Tenor the highest
male voice type
Baritone the middle
male voice type
Bass the lowest
male voice type
Alva
Henderson, composer
Reviewing Medea in the
Los Angeles Times, Martin
Bernheimer wrote: "Henderson
is, clearly, an extraordinary talent, a strategist who can cope with sprawling
forms, a musician with an obvious flair for the theatrical."
Robert Jacobson wrote in Opera News:
"Henderson
obviously has an exultant talent for opera. . . . His instincts come right from
the heart in creating arias, duets, and ensemble with a pulsing sense of melody
and stirring
Biography of
Mr. Henderson
Alva Henderson entered San Francisco State College as a Drama major but
after several years changed to a major in
Composition with voice as his principal
instrument. He studied composition with
Wayne Peterson (SF State) and Robert Sheldon
(SF Conservatory). Before leaving the
college in 1966 to pursue a career in music,
he presented a complete voice recital of
original works. During the following four
years he completed his first opera, Medea,
while supporting himself by singing in the
San Francisco Opera Chorus. The 1972
production of Medea by the San Diego
Opera, with Metropolitan Opera star Irene
Dalis in the title role, brought him to
national attention.
Dana Gioia,
librettist
Biography
of Mr. Gioia
Poet, critic, and best-selling
anthologist, Dana Gioia is one of America’s
leading contemporary men of letters. Winner
of the
American Book Award, Gioia is
internationally recognized for his role in
reviving rhyme, meter, and narrative in
contemporary poetry. An influential critic,
he has combined populist ideals and high
standards to bring poetry to a broader
audience.
Gioia (pronounced JOY-A) was born of
Italian and Mexican descent in Los Angeles
in 1950. The first member of his family to
attend college, he received a B.A. from
Stanford University. Before returning to
Stanford to earn an M.B.A., he completed an
M.A. in Comparative Literature at Harvard
University where he studied with the poets
Robert Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Bishop.
Gioia's poems, translations, essays, and
reviews have appeared in many magazines
including The New Yorker, The
Atlantic, The Washington Post Book
World, The New York Times Book
Review, Slate, and The
Hudson Review. He is also a long time
commentator on American culture and
literature for BBC Radio.
In 1996 Gioia returned to his native
California. He currently holds the position
of Chairman of the National Endowment of the
Arts, Washington D. C.
Activities:
Write a
summary of your version of the dracula
story.
Make a report
that tells the real story about vampire
bats? Where do they live? Do they ever
bite humans? Are their bites lethal?
What would a
20th Century Bite do to you?
For
discussion: Why do capes connote some form
of power or aristocracy, such as kings and
counts and priests and Superman?
To make a
cape: Capes are fun (especially at
Halloween) and easy to make. Just go to any
fabric store and choose the one you like and
follow the cape pattern available at the
store.
Study Guide Text prepared by Michael Winter
Picture help
by Dan Allers
Study Guide
compilation by Douglas Nagel
Nosferatu -
suggestions for further study
Nosferatu: an opera
libretto by Dana Gioia. Available at
www.amazon.com and through other book
retailers. Contains two essays – one by the
author on the libretto as literary form; the
other by Anne Williams titled Listening
to the Children of the Night: The Vampire
and Romantic Mythology.
Vampires in Myth and
History by Beverley Richardson.
Excellent essay online at
www.chebucto.ns.ca/~vampire/vhist.html She
also has a web page with related interests.
Dracula: The
ultimate illustrated edition by Hamilton
Deane. Available at the Public Library.
The Shadow of the
Vampire – storyboards, photos and
commentary on the 1922 F.W. Murnau film
Nosferatu on which this co-production is
based, at
www.nosferatumovie.com
Nosferatu by Roy
Ashbury – this 88-page book is all about
Murnau’s film. Available at amazon.com and
other book sellers.
The Vampire Film:
from Nosferatu to Interview with the Vampire
by Alain Silver and James Ursini. Available
at amazon.com and other book sellers.
Nosferatu – the
Murnau film, available at amazon.com and
other sources. There are subsequent films
with “Nosferatu” in the title, so be sure
you get the one by Murnau made in 1922.
