Prima Donna (opera)
Encyclopedia
Prima Donna is an opera
composed by Canadian-American
singer-songwriter
Rufus Wainwright
to a French language
libretto
which he co-authored with Bernadette Colomine. It is about "a day in the life of an aging opera singer", anxiously preparing for her comeback in 1970s Paris, who falls in love with a journalist
. It premiered at the Palace Theatre, Manchester
on July 10, 2009 during the Manchester International Festival
.
general manager Peter Gelb
and André Bishop, artistic director of Lincoln Center Theater
, held meetings with several contemporary artists to discuss possible contributions to their innovative commissioning project. According to Bishop, each team would be offered a $50,000 commission and the entire project was estimated to cost around $2 million, split by the Met and Lincoln Center Theater. Each team or composer was expected to submit a piano-vocal score
without a timetable, which would then undergo workshops overseen by LCT. By June 2007, Wainwright was the furthest along of all the contributing artists, having already started the writing process and revealing 30 minutes of excerpts to officials associated with the project. By December 2007, Wainwright stated he'd "written the first act and most of the second act in sketch form and has almost finished the libretto", and that he'd have more time to dedicate to the project once his tour schedule completed. Wainwright had completed piano and voice parts by February 2008, and began tackling orchestration
s.
With a workshop scheduled for January 2009, Wainwright revealed in a Brazilian TV show interview that his opera would premiere in Manchester
, United Kingdom
in July 2009. He stated the world premiere would be "somewhere small so that if it's a complete failure, nobody [would know] about it".
in England
.
In October 2008, it was announced that the work would be produced in partnership with Opera North
, with Pierre-André Valade conducting the orchestra, Daniel Kramer directing, designing by Antony McDonald, and Janis Kelly performing the lead role alongside Rebecca Bottone, William Joyner and Jonathan Summers
. The Guardian
stated Wainwright was working with two student assistants from Yale
, but that he would be orchestrating the opera himself. With the first act already orchestrated and vocal score with piano reduction
almost completed, the Manchester International Festival requested delivery of a full score in February 2009. Like Wagner, Wainwright wrote both the libretto and music, but admitted "writing words [was] much harder than writing music". He also claimed that aria
s would be clearly defined and that no microphone
s or amplification
would be utilized. Following the Manchester premiere performances, London performances at Sadler's Wells Theatre
are scheduled for April 2010, and the North American premiere took place June 1010 at the Luminato
festival in Toronto
, with Wainwright present.
In December 2009, Sundance Channel aired a 90-minute documentary directed by George Scott titled Prima Donna spotlighting the history of Wainwright's career and his attempt to "create classical opera from scratch".
From the Manchester International Festival:
Madame tells Marie of the stage role of her life, Aliénor d'Aquitaine, Queen of both England and France, she who created love and romance. These two women, from opposite walks of life, find solace in each other at a breaking point in both their lives.
Philippe, Madame's butler and confidante, enters with his trusted companion, Francois. Philippe is in his usual bad mood, having spent the whole morning finalizing arrangements for that afternoon's interview with Paris' top journalist, André Le Tourner, a rendezvous that Madame has, of course, forgotten.
Philippe and Francois rush to prepare the apartment for the journalist's imminent arrival. As they do, Philippe once again tells Francois of the golden days when Madame was the Queen of Paris... until the opening night of Aliénor six years ago, that one triumphant and disastrous performance after which Madame never sang again. Lost in reverie, nostalgia and regret, Philippe swears that he and Madame will not make the same mistakes this time.
The doorbell rings and the journalist arrives. Philippe puts on a strong show with the help of Francois and Marie who all welcome André into the glamorous world of Régine Saint Laurent, who makes her grand entrance.
The interview turns out to be more than Madame or André had imagined. Madame sees in him a ghost from her past that begins to reveal the true story of what happened that fatal night six years ago. André sees more than the legend he has adored since his university days. Romance blossoms in the air and, within moments, they are around the piano, singing the iconic love duet from Aliénor. As the passion and duet reach a climax, Madame's heart and voice break down.
Philippe leaps in to save the day, Madame is put to rest under Marie's care, and Philippe tries to placate André. Everyone attempts to comfort Madame, but there is something else blossoming inside her heart, something lost for many years now. As the curtain falls, Madame surprises everyone.
Marie wakens Madame from another nightmare, and tells her about love in her home of Picardie. She teases Madame about her Parisian behavior with the journalist. Both women again find comfort in each other.
Marie confronts Philippe about his plans to have the journalist return that evening to continue the interview over dinner and the Bastille Day fireworks. Philippe erupts at Marie and reminds her of her place in his household.
Back in her bedroom, Madame warms her voice and tries to understand why it failed her in front of the journalist. While she can sing the precious high note in isolation, each time she tries to put words and meaning into the music, she is again unable to reach the climactic note. Madame realizes that she must confront what happened that glorious, tragic evening six years ago if she is ever to sing Aliénor, or any opera, ever again. As she plays the legendary recording of her opening night, her mind carries her back in time to her original performance of that very same love duet.
Henry, the King of England, prepares the garden to make love to his glorious Aliénor. When Madame enters as Aliénor, it becomes clear that this performance was not merely two great artists acting out a love story, but two souls passionately in love with each other, both on and offstage. Madame and her leading tenor consume each other before their shocked audience and receive the curtain call of a god and goddess.
Backstage that same night a young and infatuated Philippe has another love story in mind for himself and Madame. But when Madame rejects his notions of love, he forces her to confront the painful truth behind her obsessive love affair. It is a truth that breaks Madame's heart, and her will to sing forever.
Madame wakens from her reverie and declares her refusal to return to the stage. Philippe explodes and unveils a color of himself to Madame that can neither be forgotten nor forgiven. Philippe musters every ounce of his remaining pride and makes his final exit from Madame's life forever - just as the doorbell rings for the journalist's return.
The journalist, however, has an unpleasant surprise for Madame; although something deep inside of her has changed forever, and with utter grace and generosity she wish him and his fiancée well.
André asks Madame for one last gesture before he leaves; would she sign his original album of Aliénor? Madame does so, and she announces the end of her career to the journalist. But just before he goes, she realizes that she would like the precious souvenir to be for someone closer to her heart – Marie.
La Prima Donna signs her last autograph.
Left alone in her apartment, Madame steps onto the balcony to watch the Bastille Day fireworks.
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...
composed by Canadian-American
Canadian-American
A Canadian American is someone who was born or someone who grew up in Canada then moved to the United States. The term is particularly apt when applied or self-applied to people with strong ties to Canada, such as those who have lived a significant portion of their lives in, or were educated in,...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Rufus Wainwright
Rufus Wainwright
Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. He has recorded six albums of original music, EPs, and tracks on compilations and film soundtracks.-Early years:...
to a French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
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...
which he co-authored with Bernadette Colomine. It is about "a day in the life of an aging opera singer", anxiously preparing for her comeback in 1970s Paris, who falls in love with a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
. It premiered at the Palace Theatre, Manchester
Palace Theatre, Manchester
The Palace Theatre, Manchester, is one of the main theatres in Manchester, England. It is situated on Oxford Street, on the north-east corner of the intersection with Whitworth Street. The Palace and its 'sister' theatre the Manchester Opera House on Quay Street are operated by the same parent...
on July 10, 2009 during the Manchester International Festival
Manchester International Festival
The Manchester International Festival is an international cultural festival of original new work, held in the English city of Manchester. It is a biennial event, first taking place in June–July 2007, and subsequently recurring in the summers of 2009 and 2011...
.
Development
In an attempt to bring younger audiences into the realm of opera, Metropolitan OperaMetropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
general manager Peter Gelb
Peter Gelb
Peter Gelb is an American arts administrator. He is currently General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.-Early life:...
and André Bishop, artistic director of Lincoln Center Theater
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of New York City's Upper West Side. Reynold Levy has been its president since 2002.-History and facilities:...
, held meetings with several contemporary artists to discuss possible contributions to their innovative commissioning project. According to Bishop, each team would be offered a $50,000 commission and the entire project was estimated to cost around $2 million, split by the Met and Lincoln Center Theater. Each team or composer was expected to submit a piano-vocal score
Sheet music
Sheet music is a hand-written or printed form of music notation that uses modern musical symbols; like its analogs—books, pamphlets, etc.—the medium of sheet music typically is paper , although the access to musical notation in recent years includes also presentation on computer screens...
without a timetable, which would then undergo workshops overseen by LCT. By June 2007, Wainwright was the furthest along of all the contributing artists, having already started the writing process and revealing 30 minutes of excerpts to officials associated with the project. By December 2007, Wainwright stated he'd "written the first act and most of the second act in sketch form and has almost finished the libretto", and that he'd have more time to dedicate to the project once his tour schedule completed. Wainwright had completed piano and voice parts by February 2008, and began tackling orchestration
Orchestration
Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra or of adapting for orchestra music composed for another medium...
s.
With a workshop scheduled for January 2009, Wainwright revealed in a Brazilian TV show interview that his opera would premiere in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in July 2009. He stated the world premiere would be "somewhere small so that if it's a complete failure, nobody [would know] about it".
Separation from the Met
In August 2008, it was revealed that Wainwright dropped plans to compose a work for the Metropolitan Opera in a dispute over the language of the libretto and the potential date of production. Wainwright wanted the opera to be in French, while the Met and LCT insisted on English. According to Gelb, "presenting a new opera that is not in English at the Met, when it could be in English, is an immediate impediment". While Wainwright was initially open to the idea of translating the text into English, he said the French became "too entrenched in the music". In addition, the Met wouldn't be able to premiere Prima Donna earlier than the 2014 season, and Wainwright insisted he "wanted to get it out as soon as possible". Both Wainwright and Gelb have stated there are no hard feelings and they are sorry the collaboration did not work out as originally planned. Wainwright confirmed that the premiere would still be held in July 2009 at the Manchester International FestivalManchester International Festival
The Manchester International Festival is an international cultural festival of original new work, held in the English city of Manchester. It is a biennial event, first taking place in June–July 2007, and subsequently recurring in the summers of 2009 and 2011...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
In October 2008, it was announced that the work would be produced in partnership with Opera North
Opera North
Opera North is an English opera company based in Leeds. The company's home theatre is the Leeds Grand Theatre, but it also presents regular seasons in several other cities, at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, the Lowry Centre, Salford Quays and the Theatre Royal, Newcastle...
, with Pierre-André Valade conducting the orchestra, Daniel Kramer directing, designing by Antony McDonald, and Janis Kelly performing the lead role alongside Rebecca Bottone, William Joyner and Jonathan Summers
Jonathan Summers
Jonathan Summers is an Australian operatic baritone. He notably sang the role of Captain Balstrode in the 1980 recording of Benjamin Britten's Peter Grimes which won a Grammy award for Best Opera recording.- Early life :...
. The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
stated Wainwright was working with two student assistants from Yale
YALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
, but that he would be orchestrating the opera himself. With the first act already orchestrated and vocal score with piano reduction
Piano reduction
A piano reduction is sheet music for the piano that was once music for other instruments that was reduced to its most basic components within a two line staff for piano. It is also considered a style of orchestration or music arrangement less well known as contraction scoring, a subset of elastic...
almost completed, the Manchester International Festival requested delivery of a full score in February 2009. Like Wagner, Wainwright wrote both the libretto and music, but admitted "writing words [was] much harder than writing music". He also claimed that aria
Aria
An aria in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term is now used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment...
s would be clearly defined and that no microphone
Microphone
A microphone is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal. In 1877, Emile Berliner invented the first microphone used as a telephone voice transmitter...
s or amplification
Amplifier
Generally, an amplifier or simply amp, is a device for increasing the power of a signal.In popular use, the term usually describes an electronic amplifier, in which the input "signal" is usually a voltage or a current. In audio applications, amplifiers drive the loudspeakers used in PA systems to...
would be utilized. Following the Manchester premiere performances, London performances at Sadler's Wells Theatre
Sadler's Wells Theatre
Sadler's Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue located in Rosebery Avenue, Clerkenwell in the London Borough of Islington. The present day theatre is the sixth on the site since 1683. It consists of two performance spaces: a 1,500 seat main auditorium and the Lilian Baylis Studio, with extensive...
are scheduled for April 2010, and the North American premiere took place June 1010 at the Luminato
Luminato
Luminato - Toronto Festival of Arts and Creativity, is a publicly-attended, multi-disciplinary arts festival held annually for 10 days each June in Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
festival in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, with Wainwright present.
In December 2009, Sundance Channel aired a 90-minute documentary directed by George Scott titled Prima Donna spotlighting the history of Wainwright's career and his attempt to "create classical opera from scratch".
Roles
| Role | Voice Type | Premiere Cast – July 2009 |
|---|---|---|
| Régine Saint Laurent, an operatic soprano | 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... |
Janis Kelly |
| Marie, her maid | 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... |
Rebecca Bottone |
| Philippe, her butler | 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... |
Jonathan Summers Jonathan Summers Jonathan Summers is an Australian operatic baritone. He notably sang the role of Captain Balstrode in the 1980 recording of Benjamin Britten's Peter Grimes which won a Grammy award for Best Opera recording.- Early life :... |
| André Le Tourner, a journalist | 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... |
William Joyner |
Synopsis
- Place: The ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
apartment of Régine Saint Laurent, the world's most acclaimed operatic soprano - Time: Bastille DayBastille DayBastille Day is the name given in English-speaking countries to the French National Day, which is celebrated on 14 July of each year. In France, it is formally called La Fête Nationale and commonly le quatorze juillet...
, 1970
From the Manchester International Festival:
- "As early-morning light floods into a Paris apartment, a woman struggles to rouse herself from a fitful night's sleep. Once a soprano with a powerhouse voice and a reputation to match, she's now a forlorn figure, disdained by critics and forgotten by audiences. But the diva is determined to prove her doubters wrong: all she asks is a chance to reprise the role that made her reputation all those years ago..."
Act 1
Following a night of endless nightmares, Madame Saint Laurent is awake unusually early, and surprisingly keen to spend time with her new maid, Marie. Marie has also had a sleepless night due to her tempestuous husband, the confession of which frees Madame to share her own terrors of returning to the stage after an unexplained six year hiatus.Madame tells Marie of the stage role of her life, Aliénor d'Aquitaine, Queen of both England and France, she who created love and romance. These two women, from opposite walks of life, find solace in each other at a breaking point in both their lives.
Philippe, Madame's butler and confidante, enters with his trusted companion, Francois. Philippe is in his usual bad mood, having spent the whole morning finalizing arrangements for that afternoon's interview with Paris' top journalist, André Le Tourner, a rendezvous that Madame has, of course, forgotten.
Philippe and Francois rush to prepare the apartment for the journalist's imminent arrival. As they do, Philippe once again tells Francois of the golden days when Madame was the Queen of Paris... until the opening night of Aliénor six years ago, that one triumphant and disastrous performance after which Madame never sang again. Lost in reverie, nostalgia and regret, Philippe swears that he and Madame will not make the same mistakes this time.
The doorbell rings and the journalist arrives. Philippe puts on a strong show with the help of Francois and Marie who all welcome André into the glamorous world of Régine Saint Laurent, who makes her grand entrance.
The interview turns out to be more than Madame or André had imagined. Madame sees in him a ghost from her past that begins to reveal the true story of what happened that fatal night six years ago. André sees more than the legend he has adored since his university days. Romance blossoms in the air and, within moments, they are around the piano, singing the iconic love duet from Aliénor. As the passion and duet reach a climax, Madame's heart and voice break down.
Philippe leaps in to save the day, Madame is put to rest under Marie's care, and Philippe tries to placate André. Everyone attempts to comfort Madame, but there is something else blossoming inside her heart, something lost for many years now. As the curtain falls, Madame surprises everyone.
Act 2
Later that same evening.Marie wakens Madame from another nightmare, and tells her about love in her home of Picardie. She teases Madame about her Parisian behavior with the journalist. Both women again find comfort in each other.
Marie confronts Philippe about his plans to have the journalist return that evening to continue the interview over dinner and the Bastille Day fireworks. Philippe erupts at Marie and reminds her of her place in his household.
Back in her bedroom, Madame warms her voice and tries to understand why it failed her in front of the journalist. While she can sing the precious high note in isolation, each time she tries to put words and meaning into the music, she is again unable to reach the climactic note. Madame realizes that she must confront what happened that glorious, tragic evening six years ago if she is ever to sing Aliénor, or any opera, ever again. As she plays the legendary recording of her opening night, her mind carries her back in time to her original performance of that very same love duet.
Henry, the King of England, prepares the garden to make love to his glorious Aliénor. When Madame enters as Aliénor, it becomes clear that this performance was not merely two great artists acting out a love story, but two souls passionately in love with each other, both on and offstage. Madame and her leading tenor consume each other before their shocked audience and receive the curtain call of a god and goddess.
Backstage that same night a young and infatuated Philippe has another love story in mind for himself and Madame. But when Madame rejects his notions of love, he forces her to confront the painful truth behind her obsessive love affair. It is a truth that breaks Madame's heart, and her will to sing forever.
Madame wakens from her reverie and declares her refusal to return to the stage. Philippe explodes and unveils a color of himself to Madame that can neither be forgotten nor forgiven. Philippe musters every ounce of his remaining pride and makes his final exit from Madame's life forever - just as the doorbell rings for the journalist's return.
The journalist, however, has an unpleasant surprise for Madame; although something deep inside of her has changed forever, and with utter grace and generosity she wish him and his fiancée well.
André asks Madame for one last gesture before he leaves; would she sign his original album of Aliénor? Madame does so, and she announces the end of her career to the journalist. But just before he goes, she realizes that she would like the precious souvenir to be for someone closer to her heart – Marie.
La Prima Donna signs her last autograph.
Left alone in her apartment, Madame steps onto the balcony to watch the Bastille Day fireworks.
External links
- Rufus Wainwright's official site
- Rufus Wainwright at Geffen RecordsGeffen RecordsGeffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
- musichall.uk.com profile for Janis Kelly
- sussexchorus.org - Rebecca Bottone profile
- William Joyner's site - bio, gallery, repertoire, press and calendar for the American tenor William Joyner
- Jonathan Summers' site
- European American Music Distributors LLC - score publisher's website