Down in the Valley (opera)
Encyclopedia
Down in the Valley is a folk-opera in one act by composer Kurt Weill
and librettist
Arnold Sundgaard, initially composed and conceived for the radio in 1945 then rewritten and produced in 1948. It uses famous American tunes to carry the story (including "Down in the Valley
", "The Lonesome Dove", and "Hop Up, My Ladies") and connected by original choral music.
, and a businessman named Charles McArthur. The radio idea eventually fell through for lack of a sponsor, although Maurice Abravanel
conducted an audition recording that was never broadcast. Hans Heinsheimer
, the director of publications at Schirmer
, approached Weill with a request for a school opera like Der Jasager
for production by the opera department of Indiana University School of Music. Weill expanded and simplified Down in the Valley to a 40-minute version, and the revised version had its world premiere at that university in Bloomington, Indiana
in 1948, directed by Hans Busch (son of Fritz Busch
) and conducted by Ernst Hoffmann. Alan Jay Lerner
's wife, Marion Bell, played Jennie. The piece was soon broadcast on NBC radio. In 1950, it was broadcast on NBC television. It was subsequently produced in July 1952 in Provincetown, New York at the Provincetown Playhouse, directed by Tony Randall
.
In 1960, the piece was played in German at the Staatstheater in Hanover
, directed by Hartmut Goebel and conducted by Walter Born, with Die sieben Todsünden. In 1984, PBS Television broadcast the piece, directed by Frank Cvitanovich
and conducted by Carl Davis
. It was filmed in England by the Moving Picture Company
. In September 1995, it was presented in Kansas City
at the Lyric Opera, directed by Francis Cullinan and conducted by Russell Patterson. The work has also been performed numerous times by amateur forces. It has received a number of recordings.
Brack Weaver, a teenager, falls in love with a girl, Jennie, after an Appalachian
prayer meeting. But her father wants her to go to a dance with his shyster
creditor, Thomas Bouché, who the father thinks will bail him out of his money troubles. Jennie disobeys and goes to the dance with Brack.
At the dance, the villain gets drunk and threatens the hero with a knife. The two fight, the villain dies (by his own weapon), and Brack is condemned to be hanged. On the night before his execution, he escapes to spend his last hours with Jennie, before turning himself in to meet his fate.
Kurt Weill
Kurt Julian Weill was a German-Jewish composer, active from the 1920s, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fruitful collaborations with Bertolt Brecht...
and librettist
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...
Arnold Sundgaard, initially composed and conceived for the radio in 1945 then rewritten and produced in 1948. It uses famous American tunes to carry the story (including "Down in the Valley
Down in the Valley (folk song)
-External links:* -Bibliography:*Boas, Frank . The Journal of American Folk-Lore Vol. XXX No. CXVII. Lancaster, Pennsylvania: American Folk-Lore Society....
", "The Lonesome Dove", and "Hop Up, My Ladies") and connected by original choral music.
Performance history
This short opera, originally running only about 20 minutes, was conceived as the first of a series of radio operas by Olin Downes, the music critic of The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, and a businessman named Charles McArthur. The radio idea eventually fell through for lack of a sponsor, although Maurice Abravanel
Maurice Abravanel
Maurice Abravanel was aSwiss-American Jewish conductor of classical music. He is remembered as the conductor of the Utah Symphony Orchestra for over 30 years.-Life:...
conducted an audition recording that was never broadcast. Hans Heinsheimer
Hans Heinsheimer
Hans Heinsheimer was an Austrian-American music publisher, author, and journalist.-Life and Works:...
, the director of publications at Schirmer
G. Schirmer
G. Schirmer Inc. is an American classical music publishing company based in New York City, founded in 1861. It publishes sheet music for sale and rental, and represents some well-known European music publishers in North America, such as the Italian Ricordi, Music Sales Affiliates ChesterNovello,...
, approached Weill with a request for a school opera like Der Jasager
Der Jasager
Der Jasager is an opera by Kurt Weill to a German libretto by Bertolt Brecht .Its companion piece is Der Neinsager...
for production by the opera department of Indiana University School of Music. Weill expanded and simplified Down in the Valley to a 40-minute version, and the revised version had its world premiere at that university in Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 80,405 at the 2010 census....
in 1948, directed by Hans Busch (son of Fritz Busch
Fritz Busch
Fritz Busch was a German conductor.Busch was born in Siegen, Province of Westphalia. He held posts conducting opera at Aachen, Stuttgart and Dresden. In 1933 he was dismissed from his post at Dresden because of his opposition to the new Nazi government of Germany...
) and conducted by Ernst Hoffmann. Alan Jay Lerner
Alan Jay Lerner
Alan Jay Lerner was an American lyricist and librettist. In collaboration with Frederick Loewe, he created some of the world's most popular and enduring works of musical theatre for both the stage and on film...
's wife, Marion Bell, played Jennie. The piece was soon broadcast on NBC radio. In 1950, it was broadcast on NBC television. It was subsequently produced in July 1952 in Provincetown, New York at the Provincetown Playhouse, directed by Tony Randall
Tony Randall
Tony Randall was a U.S. actor, comic, producer and director.-Early years:Randall was born Arthur Leonard Rosenberg to a Jewish family in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the son of Julia and Mogscha Rosenberg, an art and antiques dealer...
.
In 1960, the piece was played in German at the Staatstheater in Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
, directed by Hartmut Goebel and conducted by Walter Born, with Die sieben Todsünden. In 1984, PBS Television broadcast the piece, directed by Frank Cvitanovich
Frank Cvitanovich
Frank Cvitanovich was a Canadian documentary film maker, who made much of his best work for British television.-Early years:Cvitanovich was born in Vancouver, the son of a Yugoslavian immigrant...
and conducted by Carl Davis
Carl Davis
Carl Davis CBE is an American born conductor and composer who has made his home in the UK since 1961. In 1970 he married the English actress Jean Boht....
. It was filmed in England by the Moving Picture Company
Moving Picture Company
The Moving Picture Company is a post production facility creating digital visual effects and computer animation for feature films, commercials, music videos and television...
. In September 1995, it was presented in Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
at the Lyric Opera, directed by Francis Cullinan and conducted by Russell Patterson. The work has also been performed numerous times by amateur forces. It has received a number of recordings.
Synopsis
The action begins in a jail the night before an execution and is told in flashback form.Brack Weaver, a teenager, falls in love with a girl, Jennie, after an Appalachian
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
prayer meeting. But her father wants her to go to a dance with his shyster
Shyster
A shyster is a slang word for someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way, especially in the practice of law, politics or business.-Etymology:The etymology of the word is not generally agreed upon...
creditor, Thomas Bouché, who the father thinks will bail him out of his money troubles. Jennie disobeys and goes to the dance with Brack.
At the dance, the villain gets drunk and threatens the hero with a knife. The two fight, the villain dies (by his own weapon), and Brack is condemned to be hanged. On the night before his execution, he escapes to spend his last hours with Jennie, before turning himself in to meet his fate.
Roles
- Brack Weaver (a young suitor) – high baritoneBaritoneBaritone 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...
- Jennie (his girlfriend) – sopranoSopranoA 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...
- Thomas Bouché (a businessman; Jennie's older suitor) – bass-baritoneBass-baritoneA bass-baritone is a high-lying bass or low-lying "classical" baritone voice type which shares certain qualities with the true baritone voice. The term arose in the late 19th century to describe the particular type of voice required to sing three Wagnerian roles: the Dutchman in Der fliegende...
- Leader/Preacher – baritone
- Jennie's Father – spoken
- Jailer – spoken
- Townspeople – Chorus
Musical numbers
- Down in the Valley
- Where Is the One Who Will Mourn Me When I'm Gone?
- Brack Weaver, My True Love
- The Lonesome Dove
- The Little Black Train
- Hop Up, My Ladies
- Hoe-Down
- Down in the Valley (reprise)