Dead Man Walking (opera)
Encyclopedia
Dead Man Walking is the first opera
by Jake Heggie
, with a libretto
(based on the book of the same name by Sister Helen Prejean
, CSJ
) by Terrence McNally
; it premiered on October 7, 2000 at the War Memorial Opera House
, San Francisco Opera
.
Prologue: A teenage boy and a teenage girl are parked near a secluded lake at night, on a date. They have the radio on in their car, and are making out
to its music. The De Rocher brothers, hiding nearby, emerge from the shadows, quietly. One turns the radio off; the two brothers then attack the teens. Anthony grabs the boy, who begins struggling; Joseph attacks the girl and begins to rape
her. The boy continues struggling until Anthony shoots him once, at the base of the skull, execution-style
; this causes the girl to scream. In a panic, Joseph stabs her until she is silent.
Sister Helen, with the aid of some of the other sisters, is teaching the children a hymn
; this hymn, "He Will Gather Us Around", becomes Helen's leitmotif
during the course of the opera. After the children leave, Helen reveals to her colleagues that she has heard from an inmate she has been corresponding with, asking her to be his spiritual advisor, and that she has decided to accept. The sisters are shocked, warning Helen of the dangers of her position, but she is firm.
Scene 2: The drive to the prison
Helen drives to Louisiana State Penitentiary
(Angola) and muses on her acceptance of De Rocher's offer. She is stopped by a motorcycle policeman for speeding, but he lets her off with a warning after a short humorous soliloquy; "I never gave a ticket to a nun before. Gave a ticket to an IRS agent once… got audited that year. Tell you what…"
Scene 3: Angola State Prison
Helen arrives at the prison and is met by Father Grenville, the prison chaplain, who conducts her inside.
Scene 4: Father Grenville's office
Father Grenville criticizes Sister Helen's choice to work with De Rocher, claiming that the man is unreachable; he tells her that she's in over her head. Helen responds that it is her duty to attempt to help the man. Father Grenville leaves her to meet with Warden Benton, who asks many of the same questions and also criticizes her decision. He then conducts her to Death Row
to meet with De Rocher.
Scene 5: Death Row
Warden Benton and Sister Helen walk through Death Row
to reach the visiting room. They're accosted by the inmates (chorus) who in turn shout profanities at her and ask her to say prayers for them.
Scene 6: Death Row visiting room
Warden Benton conducts De Rocher into the visiting room. He is friendly and easy-going. They converse; he asks her to speak at the pardon board hearing
on his behalf. He seems convinced that she will not return to help him; she assures him that such is not the case.
Scene 7: The pardon board hearing
Sister Helen is present with De Rocher's mother and two of his younger brothers, who plead with the pardon board on his behalf. One of Joseph's victims' parents lashes out at her in anger.
Scene 8: The courthouse parking lot
The four parents of De Rocher's victims speak angrily to his mother and to Sister Helen, who attempts to calm both sides in the debate. The parents accuse her of not understanding their pain and sorrow. Word comes from the pardon board; De Rocher has not been granted his wish. Barring intercession
from the governor
, he is to die for his crime.
Scene 9: Death Row visiting room
De Rocher is convinced that Helen has abandoned him; she enters, late, and tells him that she has not and will not. He is angry, and rejects all her suggestions to confess and make peace with his actions. The warden enters and tells Helen to leave at once.
Scene 10: The prison waiting room
Helen is attempting to find money to get food from the vending machine, having forgotten to eat. She begins to hear the voices, in her head, of the parents, the children at Hope House, Father Grenville, the motorcycle policeman, Warden Benton, and her colleagues, all telling her to stop attempting to help De Rocher. The warden enters to tell her that the governor has refused to act to save him, and gives Helen some money for the machine. She stands for a moment, then faints.
A guard enters and tells De Rocher, who is doing pushups, that his execution
date has been set for August 4. The guard leaves; Joseph muses on his fate.
Scene 2: Sister Helen's bedroom
Helen wakes up in terror from a nightmare, alarming Sister Rose, who begs her to stop working with De Rocher; Rose reminds her that she has yet to sleep well since she began helping him. Helen says she cannot; the two women pray for the strength to forgive De Rocher.
Scene 3: Joseph's cell
It is the evening of the date set for the execution. He and Sister Helen are talking; they discover they share a common love for Elvis
. For the first time he admits that he is afraid. She reassures him, urging him to confess and make peace with what he has done; again he refuses. The warden enters and informs them that Mrs. De Rocher is there to see him.
Scene 4: The visiting room
Mrs. De Rocher and her two younger sons are there. Joseph visits with them, and attempts to apologize; she will have none of it, preferring to believe to the end that he is innocent. She complains that she baked him cookies, but was not allowed to bring them in. She then asks Helen to take a last picture of the four of them together with the camera
in her purse
. The guards lead Joseph away; she looks after him, reminiscing, near tears, eventually losing control. She thanks Helen for all that she has done; Helen promises to take the cookies for her.
Scene 5: Outside the Death House
Helen speaks with the victims' parents. One of them, Owen Hart, takes her aside and confesses that he is less sure of what he wants now than he was; he tells her that he and his wife have separated due to the stress they have felt. Helen attempts to console him; they agree to part as "Fellow victims of Joseph De Rocher".
Scene 6/7: Joseph's holding cell
Helen and De Rocher converse for one last time; once again she attempts to get him to confess to the murders. This time, something in him snaps; he breaks down and tells her the entire story. He expects Helen to hate him; instead, she says she forgives him, and that she will be "the face of love" for him. He thanks her. Father Grenville enters and begins the final preparations for the execution.
Scene 8: March to the execution chamber
/The execution chamber
Guards, inmates, the warden, the parents, the chaplain, and protesters assembled outside the prison sing the Lord's Prayer
as Sister Helen reads a passage from the book of Isaiah
. They approach the death chamber, and Helen is separated from De Rocher. The warden asks if he has any last words; he says he does, and asks forgiveness from the parents of the murdered teenagers. The warden gives the nod, and the execution proceeds. De Rocher dies thanking Helen once again for her love; the opera ends as she stands over his body and sings her hymn one last time.
s critic. "The reason for the work's appeal lies in its almost perfect fusion of ideas and emotions," wrote The Australian
in 2007.
Many also found that McNally's libretto
to be among the most finely crafted in recent memory: "…the splendid libretto —by turns plainspoken and eloquent, with wonderful splashes of wry humor to lighten the tone when it most needs it— creates the structural backbone of this wrenching drama".. Although not all of it has been set to music, McNally gave the libretto to Heggie with the express instructions to use whatever portions of it he felt necessary, and to discard the rest.
, and had its Australia
n premiere in 2002, with Teddy Tahu Rhodes
as Joseph De Rocher. In 2007, it played in Sydney for a limited season produced by Nicole Alexander Productions
at the State Theatre
. It was nominated for six Helpmann Awards and won two (Best Set Design and Best Male in an Operatic Performance) The Canadian premiere was in January 2006 in Calgary, Alberta, with Daniel Okulitch
in the role of Joseph De Rocher. The European premiere was in May 2006 in the Semperoper
in Dresden, Germany. The same production has its opening night on September 26, 2007 at the Theater an der Wien
in Vienna. The opera also played at the Malmö Opera och Musikteater
in Malmö
, Sweden
.
in 2002, Cat: 86238,
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
by Jake Heggie
Jake Heggie
Jake Heggie is an American composer and pianist.Jake Heggie is the composer of the operas Dead Man Walking , The End of the Affair , At The Statue of Venus , To Hell and Back , and Moby-Dick , as well as the stage work For a Look or a Touch...
, with a libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
(based on the book of the same name by Sister Helen Prejean
Helen Prejean
Sister Helen Prejean, C.S.J., is a Roman Catholic religious sister, a member of the Congregation of St. Joseph, who has become a leading American advocate for the abolition of the death penalty.-Death row ministry:...
, CSJ
Sisters of Saint Joseph of Medaille
The Sisters of Saint Joseph of Medaille aka Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Bourg is a Roman Catholic congregation of women.Its forebearer, the The Congregation of Sisters of Saint Joseph was started in Le Puy, France by the Jesuit Jean Paul Médaille and accepted by the bishop, Mgr....
) by Terrence McNally
Terrence McNally
Terrence McNally is an American playwright who has received four Tony Awards, an Emmy, two Guggenheim Fellowships, a Rockefeller Grant, the Lucille Lortel Award, the Hull-Warriner Award, and a citation from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He has been a member of the Council of the...
; it premiered on October 7, 2000 at the War Memorial Opera House
War Memorial Opera House (San Francisco)
The War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, California is located on the western side of Van Ness Avenue across from the rear facade of City Hall. It is part of the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center...
, San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Opera is an American opera company, based in San Francisco, California.It was founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola and is the second largest opera company in North America...
.
Roles
| Role | Voice type Voice type A voice type is a particular kind of human singing voice perceived as having certain identifying qualities or characteristics. Voice classification is the process by which human voices are evaluated and are thereby designated into voice types... |
Premiere cast, 7 October 2000 Conductor Conducting Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble... : Patrick Summers |
|---|---|---|
| Sister Helen Prejean Helen Prejean Sister Helen Prejean, C.S.J., is a Roman Catholic religious sister, a member of the Congregation of St. Joseph, who has become a leading American advocate for the abolition of the death penalty.-Death row ministry:... , nun |
mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above... |
Susan Graham Susan Graham Susan Graham is an American mezzo-soprano.Raised in Midland, Texas, she is a graduate of Texas Tech University and the Manhattan School of Music. She studied the piano for 13 years... |
| Joseph De Rocher, convicted murderer | baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... |
John Packard |
| Mrs. Patrick De Rocher, his mother | mezzo-soprano | Frederica von Stade Frederica von Stade Frederica von Stade is an American mezzo-soprano. Born in Somerville, New Jersey, she acquired the nickname "Flicka" in her childhood. Von Stade attended the Mannes College of Music in New York City. She made her debut with the Metropolitan Opera in 1970 and in 1971 appeared as Cherubino in The... |
| Her 19-year-old son | tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
Eli Borggraefe |
| Her 14-year-old son | treble Boy soprano A boy soprano is a young male singer with an unchanged voice in the soprano range. Although a treble, or choirboy, may also be considered to be a boy soprano, the more colloquial term boy soprano is generally only used for boys who sing, perform, or record as soloists, and who may not necessarily... |
Mario Sawaya |
| Sister Rose, colleague of Sister Helen | soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... |
Theresa Hamm-Smith |
| Howard Boucher, father of the murdered boy | tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
Gary Rideout |
| Jade Boucher, mother of the murdered boy | soprano | Catherine Cook |
| Owen Hart, father of the murdered girl | baritone | Robert Orth |
| Kitty Hart, mother of the murdered girl | soprano | Nicolle Foland |
| Father Grenville, chaplain at Louisiana State Penitentiary Louisiana State Penitentiary The Louisiana State Penitentiary is a prison farm in Louisiana operated by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections. It is the largest maximum security prison in the United States with 5,000 offenders and 1,800 staff... (Angola) |
tenor | Jay Hunter Morris Jay Hunter Morris Jay Hunter Morris is a Texas-born operatic tenor.Morris was raised in Paris, Texas, and attended Paris Junior College. He also attended Baylor University, Southern Methodist University and Julliard School of Music.... |
| George Benton, prison warden | baritone | John Ames |
| A Motor Cop | baritone | |
| First Prison Guard/A Motor Cop | baritone | David Okerlund |
| Second Prison Guard | baritone | Philip Horst |
| Sister Lillianne, colleague of Sister Helen | mezzo-soprano | Sally Mouzon |
| Sister Catherine, colleague of Sister Helen | Virginia Pluth | |
| A mother | Rachel Perry | |
| A Paralegal Paralegal Paralegal is used in most jurisdictions to describe a paraprofessional who assists qualified lawyers in their legal work. This is true in the United States and many other countries. However, in Ontario, Canada, paralegals are licensed by the Law Society of Upper Canada, giving paralegals an... |
Jim Croom | |
| Five inmates | Richard Walker, Daniel Harper, David Kekuewa, Frederick Winthrop, Frederick Matthews |
|
| Mrs. Charlton | Donita Volkwijn | |
| Jimmy Charlton | Jeremy Singletary | |
| Anthony De Rocher, Joseph's brother | silent role | David Tenenbaum |
| Boy, victim | silent role | Sean San Jose |
| Girl, victim | silent role | Dawn Walters |
| Orchestra | San Francisco Opera Orchestra | |
| Chorus | San Francisco Opera Chorus | |
| Production | Lotfi Mansouri Lotfi Mansouri Lotfollah “Lotfi” Mansouri is an Iranian-born opera director and manager. He was an opera director from about 1960 onwards, and is most well known for being the General Director of the Canadian Opera Company and of the San Francisco Opera from 1988 through 2001... |
|
| Stage direction | Joe Mantello Joe Mantello Joseph Mantello is an American actor and director best known for his work on Broadway productions of Wicked, Take Me Out and Assassins, as well as earlier in his career being one of the original Broadway cast of Angels in America... |
|
| Set design | Michael Yeargen | |
| Costume design | Sam Fleming | |
| Lighting design | Jennifer Tipton Jennifer Tipton Jennifer Tipton is a lighting designer. She has designed for dance, theater and opera.In 1958, she graduated from Cornell University... |
|
| Musical preparation | Bryndon Hassman, Adelle Eslinger, John Churchwell, Ernest Frederick Knell, Sara Jobin |
|
Synopsis
- Place: LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
- Time: 1980s
Prologue: A teenage boy and a teenage girl are parked near a secluded lake at night, on a date. They have the radio on in their car, and are making out
Making out
In human sexuality, making out is a sexual euphemism of American origin dating back to at least 1949, and is used synonymously with the terms necking, heavy petting, and hooking up to refer to non-penetrative sex, though "hooking up" is also used in some cultures to imply casual sex.-History:The...
to its music. The De Rocher brothers, hiding nearby, emerge from the shadows, quietly. One turns the radio off; the two brothers then attack the teens. Anthony grabs the boy, who begins struggling; Joseph attacks the girl and begins to rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
her. The boy continues struggling until Anthony shoots him once, at the base of the skull, execution-style
Execution-style murder
Execution-style murder, also known as Chicago-style murder, and execution-style killing are news media buzzwords applied to various acts of criminal murder where the perpetrator kills at close range a conscious victim who is under the complete physical control of the assailant and who has been left...
; this causes the girl to scream. In a panic, Joseph stabs her until she is silent.
Act 1
Scene 1: Hope House, Sister Helen's mission, run by the Sisters of Saint Joseph of MedailleSisters of Saint Joseph of Medaille
The Sisters of Saint Joseph of Medaille aka Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Bourg is a Roman Catholic congregation of women.Its forebearer, the The Congregation of Sisters of Saint Joseph was started in Le Puy, France by the Jesuit Jean Paul Médaille and accepted by the bishop, Mgr....
Sister Helen, with the aid of some of the other sisters, is teaching the children a hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
; this hymn, "He Will Gather Us Around", becomes Helen's leitmotif
Leitmotif
A leitmotif , sometimes written leit-motif, is a musical term , referring to a recurring theme, associated with a particular person, place, or idea. It is closely related to the musical idea of idée fixe...
during the course of the opera. After the children leave, Helen reveals to her colleagues that she has heard from an inmate she has been corresponding with, asking her to be his spiritual advisor, and that she has decided to accept. The sisters are shocked, warning Helen of the dangers of her position, but she is firm.
Scene 2: The drive to the prison
Helen drives to Louisiana State Penitentiary
Louisiana State Penitentiary
The Louisiana State Penitentiary is a prison farm in Louisiana operated by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections. It is the largest maximum security prison in the United States with 5,000 offenders and 1,800 staff...
(Angola) and muses on her acceptance of De Rocher's offer. She is stopped by a motorcycle policeman for speeding, but he lets her off with a warning after a short humorous soliloquy; "I never gave a ticket to a nun before. Gave a ticket to an IRS agent once… got audited that year. Tell you what…"
Scene 3: Angola State Prison
Helen arrives at the prison and is met by Father Grenville, the prison chaplain, who conducts her inside.
Scene 4: Father Grenville's office
Father Grenville criticizes Sister Helen's choice to work with De Rocher, claiming that the man is unreachable; he tells her that she's in over her head. Helen responds that it is her duty to attempt to help the man. Father Grenville leaves her to meet with Warden Benton, who asks many of the same questions and also criticizes her decision. He then conducts her to Death Row
Death row
Death row signifies the place, often a section of a prison, that houses individuals awaiting execution. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of awaiting execution , even in places where no special facility or separate unit for condemned inmates exists.After individuals are found...
to meet with De Rocher.
Scene 5: Death Row
Warden Benton and Sister Helen walk through Death Row
to reach the visiting room. They're accosted by the inmates (chorus) who in turn shout profanities at her and ask her to say prayers for them.
Scene 6: Death Row visiting room
Warden Benton conducts De Rocher into the visiting room. He is friendly and easy-going. They converse; he asks her to speak at the pardon board hearing
Hearing (law)
In law, a hearing is a proceeding before a court or other decision-making body or officer, such as a government agency.A hearing is generally distinguished from a trial in that it is usually shorter and often less formal...
on his behalf. He seems convinced that she will not return to help him; she assures him that such is not the case.
Scene 7: The pardon board hearing
Sister Helen is present with De Rocher's mother and two of his younger brothers, who plead with the pardon board on his behalf. One of Joseph's victims' parents lashes out at her in anger.
Scene 8: The courthouse parking lot
The four parents of De Rocher's victims speak angrily to his mother and to Sister Helen, who attempts to calm both sides in the debate. The parents accuse her of not understanding their pain and sorrow. Word comes from the pardon board; De Rocher has not been granted his wish. Barring intercession
Intercession
Intercession is the act of interceding between two parties. In both Christian and Islamic religious usage, it is a prayer to God on behalf of others....
from the governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
, he is to die for his crime.
Scene 9: Death Row visiting room
De Rocher is convinced that Helen has abandoned him; she enters, late, and tells him that she has not and will not. He is angry, and rejects all her suggestions to confess and make peace with his actions. The warden enters and tells Helen to leave at once.
Scene 10: The prison waiting room
Helen is attempting to find money to get food from the vending machine, having forgotten to eat. She begins to hear the voices, in her head, of the parents, the children at Hope House, Father Grenville, the motorcycle policeman, Warden Benton, and her colleagues, all telling her to stop attempting to help De Rocher. The warden enters to tell her that the governor has refused to act to save him, and gives Helen some money for the machine. She stands for a moment, then faints.
Act 2
Scene 1: Joseph De Rocher's prison cellA guard enters and tells De Rocher, who is doing pushups, that his execution
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
date has been set for August 4. The guard leaves; Joseph muses on his fate.
Scene 2: Sister Helen's bedroom
Helen wakes up in terror from a nightmare, alarming Sister Rose, who begs her to stop working with De Rocher; Rose reminds her that she has yet to sleep well since she began helping him. Helen says she cannot; the two women pray for the strength to forgive De Rocher.
Scene 3: Joseph's cell
It is the evening of the date set for the execution. He and Sister Helen are talking; they discover they share a common love for Elvis
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
. For the first time he admits that he is afraid. She reassures him, urging him to confess and make peace with what he has done; again he refuses. The warden enters and informs them that Mrs. De Rocher is there to see him.
Scene 4: The visiting room
Mrs. De Rocher and her two younger sons are there. Joseph visits with them, and attempts to apologize; she will have none of it, preferring to believe to the end that he is innocent. She complains that she baked him cookies, but was not allowed to bring them in. She then asks Helen to take a last picture of the four of them together with the camera
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
in her purse
Handbag
A handbag, or purse in American English, is a handled medium-to-large bag that is often fashionably designed, typically used by women, to hold personal items such as wallet/coins, keys, cosmetics, a hairbrush, pepper spray, cigarettes, mobile phone etc....
. The guards lead Joseph away; she looks after him, reminiscing, near tears, eventually losing control. She thanks Helen for all that she has done; Helen promises to take the cookies for her.
Scene 5: Outside the Death House
Helen speaks with the victims' parents. One of them, Owen Hart, takes her aside and confesses that he is less sure of what he wants now than he was; he tells her that he and his wife have separated due to the stress they have felt. Helen attempts to console him; they agree to part as "Fellow victims of Joseph De Rocher".
Scene 6/7: Joseph's holding cell
Helen and De Rocher converse for one last time; once again she attempts to get him to confess to the murders. This time, something in him snaps; he breaks down and tells her the entire story. He expects Helen to hate him; instead, she says she forgives him, and that she will be "the face of love" for him. He thanks her. Father Grenville enters and begins the final preparations for the execution.
Scene 8: March to the execution chamber
Execution chamber
An execution chamber, or death chamber, is a room or chamber in which a legal execution is carried out. Execution chambers are almost always inside the walls of a maximum-security prison, although not always at the same prison where the death row population is housed...
/The execution chamber
Guards, inmates, the warden, the parents, the chaplain, and protesters assembled outside the prison sing the Lord's Prayer
Lord's Prayer
The Lord's Prayer is a central prayer in Christianity. In the New Testament of the Christian Bible, it appears in two forms: in the Gospel of Matthew as part of the discourse on ostentation in the Sermon on the Mount, and in the Gospel of Luke, which records Jesus being approached by "one of his...
as Sister Helen reads a passage from the book of Isaiah
Book of Isaiah
The Book of Isaiah is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, preceding the books of Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the Book of the Twelve...
. They approach the death chamber, and Helen is separated from De Rocher. The warden asks if he has any last words; he says he does, and asks forgiveness from the parents of the murdered teenagers. The warden gives the nod, and the execution proceeds. De Rocher dies thanking Helen once again for her love; the opera ends as she stands over his body and sings her hymn one last time.
Critical reaction
Critical reaction to the opera was generally favorable; in particular, critics praised the sharp, finely delineated performances by the principals and the simple yet effective production. "It was a triumph beyond what even its most optimistic boosters could have predicted" wrote the San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
s critic. "The reason for the work's appeal lies in its almost perfect fusion of ideas and emotions," wrote The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
in 2007.
Many also found that McNally's libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
to be among the most finely crafted in recent memory: "…the splendid libretto —by turns plainspoken and eloquent, with wonderful splashes of wry humor to lighten the tone when it most needs it— creates the structural backbone of this wrenching drama".. Although not all of it has been set to music, McNally gave the libretto to Heggie with the express instructions to use whatever portions of it he felt necessary, and to discard the rest.
Subsequent performances
The opera has since been performed numerous times across the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and had its Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n premiere in 2002, with Teddy Tahu Rhodes
Teddy Tahu Rhodes
-Early life:Teddy Tahu Rhodes was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 30 August 1966, to a British mother and a New Zealand father. The Maori word "Tahu", which means "to set on fire", was added to the family name soon after they settled in New Zealand...
as Joseph De Rocher. In 2007, it played in Sydney for a limited season produced by Nicole Alexander Productions
Nicole Alexander (producer)
Nicole Alexander is an Australian born opera and film producer, film maker and artistic/musical director currently based in New York.-Early life:Alexander was born in Sydney, Australia...
at the State Theatre
State Theatre (Sydney)
The State Theatre is a heritage-listed theatre, located in Market Street, in the city centre of Sydney, Australia.The Sydney Film Festival is hosted there for two weeks each June, and has been there since 1974.-Description and history:...
. It was nominated for six Helpmann Awards and won two (Best Set Design and Best Male in an Operatic Performance) The Canadian premiere was in January 2006 in Calgary, Alberta, with Daniel Okulitch
Daniel Okulitch
Daniel Okulitch is a Canadian bass-baritone. He first came to attention on Broadway as Schaunard in Baz Luhrmann's production of La bohème in 2002/03 – a role he repeated when the production traveled to Los Angeles the following year, for which he received the Ovation Award for Best Ensemble...
in the role of Joseph De Rocher. The European premiere was in May 2006 in the Semperoper
Semperoper
The Semperoper is the opera house of the Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden and the concert hall of the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden . It is located near the Elbe River in the historic center of Dresden, Germany.The opera house was originally built by the architect Gottfried Semper in 1841...
in Dresden, Germany. The same production has its opening night on September 26, 2007 at the Theater an der Wien
Theater an der Wien
The Theater an der Wien is a historic theatre on the Left Wienzeile in the Mariahilf district of Vienna. Completed in 1801, it has seen the premieres of many celebrated works of theatre, opera, and symphonic music...
in Vienna. The opera also played at the Malmö Opera och Musikteater
Malmö Opera and Music Theatre
Malmö Opera and Music Theatre is an opera house in Malmö, Sweden. An opera company of the same name presents seasons of opera in this house....
in Malmö
Malmö
Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
Recording
A 2 CD set, taken from the world premiere run of performances, was issued by Erato RecordsErato Records
Erato Records is a record label founded in 1953 to promote French classical music. In 1992 it became part of Warner Bros. Records. In 1999 Erato launched a subsidiary Detour Records....
in 2002, Cat: 86238,
External links
- Faires, Robert. "Arias From Death Row." Austin ChronicleAustin ChronicleThe Austin Chronicle is an alternative weekly, tabloid-style newspaper published every Thursday in Austin, Texas, United States. The paper is distributed through free news-stands, often at local eateries or coffee houses frequented by its targeted demographic...
. Friday December 6, 2002.