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A recent photograph of Jack Beeson,
who celebrated his 85th birthday in 2006.
14â Eastman Notesâ |â January 2007 PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY JACK BEESON
January 2007â |â Eastman Notesâ 15
Old-fashionedvırtues
Composer Jack Beeson (BM â42, MM â43) takes pride in a richly creative life and a classic American opera
By Susan Hawkshaw
Jack Beeson, who celebratedâhisâeighty-fifthâbirthdayâinâJulyâ2006,âisâbest-knownâforâhisâtragicâandâsensationalâoperaâonâtheâstoryâofâtheâac-cusedâFallâRiverâmurderess,âLizzie Bordenâ(1965),âwhichâpremieredâandâwasârevivedâfourâtimesâatâtheâNewâYorkâCityâOperaâandâhasâbeenâper-
formedâonâtelevisionâandâabroad.âBeeson,âwhoâhasâhadâaâlongâandâdistinguishedâcareer,âisârecognizedâasâoneâofâourâmostâimportantâoperaâcomposers,âandâLizzie Bordenâstandsâasâoneâofâtheâmajorâachievementsâinâmid-centuryâAmericanâopera.âConductorâJuliusâRudel,âwhoâwasâGeneralâDirectorâofâtheâNewâYorkâCityâOperaâfromâ1957âtoâ1979,âsays:ââDuringâmyâtenure,âIâwasâconstantlyâsearchingâfor
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16â Eastman Notesâ |â January 2007
operasâbyâAmericanâcomposersâthatâmightâhaveâtheâdramaticâpowerâandâmusicalâgreatnessâtoâbecomeâpartâofâtheârepertoire.âJackâBeesonâsâLizzie Bordenâwasâamongâtheâbestâweâproduced.âItâhasâaâpowerfulâdra-maticâline,âstrongâcharacters,âandâmusicâthat,âthoughâconsistentlyâinteresting,âneverâchasesâtheâaudienceâaway.â
D uring his eighty-five yearsâBeesonâhasâwrittenâtenâoperas,âallâwell-shaped,âpolished,âandâeffectiveâbothâtheatricallyâandâmusically.âButâbecauseâofâtheâsuccessâofâLizzie Borden,âBeesonâsânameâisâconnectedâforâtheâ
mostâpartâwithâtheâtraditionâofâcontemporaryâtragicâoperaâinâthisâcountryâandâmostâAmericanâoperasâhaveâbeenâtragic.
Soâitâmayâcomeâasâaâsurpriseâtoâsomeâlis-tenersâthatâheâhasâaâkeenâsenseâofâhumorâandâhasâwrittenâoperasâandâchoralâworksâwithâaâcomicâtwistâthatâmanifestsâitselfâinâtheirâtitles,âtexts,âandâmusic.âMostârecently,âBeesonâhasâwrittenâPractice in the Art of Elocutionâ(1999)âforâaâsingleâsopranoâac-companiedâbyâpiano.âAâworkâwithâtheatricalâflair,âwhichâheâcallsâanââoperina,ââPracticeâisâatâtheâotherâendâofâtheâoperaticâspectrumâfromâLizzie Bordenâaârehearsalâofâamusingâexercisesâandâsongsâthatâtakesâplaceâatâsomeâtimeâduringâtheâearlyâtwentiethâcenturyâandâisâperformedâinâappropriateâcostume.âItâisâintendedâforââsinger-actressesââandââaccom-panistsâwhoâcanâact,ââandâtheâperformersâareâencouragedâtoââelaborateâonâtheâwrittenâwordsââbyâaddingânewâwords,âphrases,âorâevenâdialogue.
TheâcomposerâofâLizzie BordenâhasâalsoâwrittenâCaptain Jinks of the Horse Marines,âpremieredâbyâtheâKansasâCityâLyricâOperaâinâ1975.âThisâromanticâcomedyâisâbasedâonâaâveryâsuccessfulâ1901âplayâbyâAmericanâplay-wrightâClydeâFitchâthatâtakesâitsânameâfromâaâBritishâmusicâhallâtuneâalsoâusedâinâthisâcoun-try,âsometimesâasâaâtuneâforâsquareâdancing.âTheâoperaâbeganâanâeighteen-yearâoperaticâcollaborationâbetweenâBeesonâandâSheldonâHarnick,âtheâeminentâBroadwayâlyricistâofâFiorello!,âShe Loves Me,âandâFiddler on the Roof.
âHarnickâsaidâheâwouldâbeâhappyâtoâcollaborateâwithâme,âbutâitâwouldâhaveâtoâbeâaâcomedyâbecauseâheâfeltâmoreâcomfortableâthatâway,ââBeesonâsays,ââandâdidâIâhaveâanâideaâinâmind?âYes,âIâsaid,âCaptain Jinks of the Horse Marines.âTheâoperaâisâoneâofâmyâmoreâcon-servativeâpiecesâinâtheâsenseâthatâitâsâquiteâtonalâandâveryâtunefulâinâsomeâplaces.â
Harnick,âforâwhomâthisâwasâtheâfirstâoperaâlibretto,âsays:ââIâhadâtoâlearnâgraduallyâandâJackâwasâaâhelpâinâteachingâmeâthisâthatâwrit-
ingâoperaâisâdifferentâfromâwritingâaâmusicalâinâoneâsense:âyouâreânotâasâworriedâaboutâdetails.âItâsâtheâsweepâofâit.âYouâreânotâworriedâaboutâfillingâinâtheâhistoryâandâtheâevents,âoneâleadingâtoâanother.âTheyâreâtheâbroadâstrokes,âtheseâsweepsâofâcolorâthatâleadâtoâtheseâbigâemo-tionalâstatements.âThatâsâwhatâoperaâisâabout.â
Captain Jinksâisâsubtitledââaâcomedyâinâmusicââandâlivesâupâtoâtheâsubtitleâbyâincorporatingâjokesâdirectlyâintoâtheâmusic.âTheâstoryâfocusesâonâaâyoungâAmericanâoperaâsinger,âAureliaâTrentoniâfromâTrenton,âNewâJerseyâmakingâherâAmericanâdebutâinâLa Traviata,âandâherârelationshipâwithâJonathanâJinks,âwhoâmakesâaâbetâthatâheâcanâseduceâher.âAtâtheâentranceâofâhisâmother,âwhoâhasâcomeâtoâstirâupâtrouble,âweâhearâtheâsameâmusicâthatâaccompaniedâAureliaâandâ
Jonathanâsâfirstâmeetingâbackwards.âWhenâtheâbetâisâdiscovered,âJonathanâlosesâAurelia.âAndâwhenâheâasksâforâforgiveness,âtheâswag-geringâtitleâtuneâisâheardâinâaâsubduedâvari-antâalsoâbackwardsâasâtheâstageâisâcoveredâinâflowers.
ContraltoâClarityâJames,âwhoâsangâtheâpartâofâMrs.âGreenborough,âAureliaâsâcon-fidante,âandâwhoâremembersâtheâoperaâasââdelightful,ââsays:ââComedyâisâaâlittleâbitâmoreâdifficultâinâoperaâthanâinâstraightâtheater,âbecauseâeverythingâaboutâcomedyâisâinâtheâtiming.âAndâthatâsâsomethingâthatâIâalwaysâfeltâthatâJackâdidâreallyâbeautifully.âInâtheâpartâofâMrs.âGee,âthereâareâaâlotâofâinterjec-tions,âandâthoseâwereâwrittenâsoâwellâthatâtheâcomicâtimingâalreadyâexistedâinâtheâmusic.âItâsâdifficultâbecauseâtheâmusicâisâsoâspecific,âbutâonâtheâotherâhand,âifâyouâdeliveredâtheâlineâmusicallyâcorrectlyâitâwouldâbeâfunâandâquickâandâsharp,âproducingâjustâtheâeffectâthatâtheâcharacterâneededâtoâmake.âSoâinâaâlotâofâways,âJackâdidâtheâworkâforâus,âinâtim-ing,âwhichâisâreallyâimportant.â
A fter some early experiencesâinâhisâteensâwritingâlibrettiâandâsketchingâmusic,âBeesonâde-cidedâtoâattendâEastmanâafterâ
discoveringâtheâmusicâofâHowardâHansonâandâBernardâRogers.âBeesonâdescribesâtheâlatterâasââaâphenom-enalâmanâwithâtheâorchestra.ââBeesonâsâskillâinâorchestration,âandâtheâexperienceâheâgainedâwhenâheâheardâhisâworkâatâtheâHansonâsâFestivalsâandâSymposiaâofâAmericanâMusic,âareâevidentâinâtheâlightâandâcolorfulâorchestralâwritingâofâCaptain Jinks,âwhichâneverâcoversâtheâvoices.â
BeesonâstudiedâcounterpointâinâtheâclassâofâEastmanâtheoristâGustaveâSoderlundâforâtwoâyears,âandâcounterpointâhasâremainedâessentialâtoâhim,âgivingâhisâworkâaâclarityâofâstructureâandâtextureâimportantâinâaâtwo-âorâthree-hourâwork,âsuchâasâanâopera.â
BeesonâdecidedââtoâattendâEastmanââafterâdiscoveringââ
theâmusicâofââHowardâHansonâandâ
BernardâRogers.
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âIâamâbyânatureâaâcontrapuntalist,ââBeesonâsays.âHeâlikesâtoâplayâBachâfuguesâdailyâasâaâwarm-upâexercise,âandâtheâeffectâofâhisâstudyâofâcounterpointâandâconstantârenewalâthroughâtheâmusicâofâBachâisâoftenâapparent,âbothâatâtheâlevelâofâindividualâmelodicâlinesâandâofâentireâpas-sagesâofâmusicâinâCaptain Jinks,âwhereâheâquotesâtheâwaltzâmusicâofâtheâfirstâactâofâLa TraviataâandâwritesânewâchromaticâcounterpointsâagainstâitâheârefersâtoâtheâpassageâfromâTraviataâasâtheââcantusâfirmus.ââ
Beesonâsâloveâofâcounterpointâisâalsoâinâevidenceâinâhisâwritingâforâchoralâmusic,âwhichâheâwrites,âheâsays,âjustâforâtheâfunâofâit.ââIâjustâlikeâtoâwriteâchoralâmusic.âForâaâlongâperiodâIâwasâdoingâit,âandâwithâsomeâofâthoseârounds,âIâdâwriteâoneâeveryâday.âIâalwaysâthoughtâthatâwritingâroundsâisâlikeâpracticingâtheâpianoâorâplayingâBachâinâopenâ
score.ââChoralâconductorâGreggâSmith,âaâlong-timeâchampionâofâBeesonâsâmusic,âhasâperformedâhisâmusicâmostâ recentlyâatâ aâseriesâofâchoralâconcertsâdoneâeveryâyearâatâSt.âPeterâsâChurchâinâNewâYorkâCity.âSmithâplansâaârecordingâofâBeesonâsâcompleteâchoralâmusicâtoâbeâissuedâinâtheânearâfuture.â
TheâtitlesâofâBeesonâsâchoralâpiecesâshowâhisâcontrapuntalâbentâandâalsoâaâsenseâofâchildlikeâwhimsy:âNursery Rhyme Roundsâ(1959);âThe Model Housekeeperâ(1970);ânineâroundsâandâcanonsâforâwomenâsâvoicesâa cappella;âRhymes and Roundsâ(1984);âandâmanyâothers.âHeâisâveryâinventive:âhisâchoralâpieceââGiveâtheâPoorâSingerâAâPennyââisâaâtransposingâroundâitâgoesâthroughâallâtheâkeys.ââSwanâSongââfromâRhymes and Rounds,âandâoneâofâtheâsongsâinâPractice in the Art of Elocution,âareâspiralâcanonsâeachâtimeâtheâtuneâisâheard,âitâisâtransposedâupâaâfifthâ(inâdifferentâoctaves).âHeâhasâwrittenâsomeâsixtyâcanons,âandâclaimsâtoâsufferâfromââcanonitis.â
A fter Eastman, Beeson acceptedâaâpositionâonâtheâfacultyâofâColumbiaâUniversityâandâspentâhisâacademicâcareerâthere,âbecomingâMacDowellâProfessorâofâMusic.âNewâYork,âwithâitsâpossibilitiesâforâprofessionalâoperaâproduc-
tion,âwasâtheâperfectâplaceâforâhim,âandâhereâheâachievedâaâmajorâsuc-cessâwithâLizzie Borden,âbasedâonâaâlibrettoâbyâKenwardâElmslie,âandâtheâproductâofâmanyâyearsâofâthoughtâandâdetailedâwork.â
Elmslie,âaâpoet,ânovelist,âandâBroadwayâlyricistâasâwellâasâaâlibret-tistâforâsixâoperasâincludingâBeesonâsâThe Sweet Bye and Byeâ(1958)ârecalledâhowâtheirâcollaborationâcameâabout:ââOneâNYCâday,âDouglasâMooreâaskedâhisâlibrettist,âJohnâLatouche,âmyâMentor-Better-Half,âifâheâcouldâtrackâdownâaâliveâlibrettistâforâJackâBeeson,âalsoâaâmusicâprofessorâatâColumbia.âLatoucheâwhistled,âandâoutâIâpopped.âWordsâforâopera?âNoâway!âButâIâwroteâtwoâlibrettosâforâJack,âpretendingâtheyâwereâbook-and-lyricsâforâinnovativeâBroadwayâmusicals.âFirstâorchestraârehearsalâofâourâThe Sweet Bye & Bye,âIâascendedâintoâLibrettistâHeaven.âLizzie Borden?âSameâhappyâdelirium,âthanksâtoâJackâsâmusic.â
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Beesonâs most famous opera, Lizzie Borden, enjoyed a successful 1965 premiere at the New York City Opera, a television production with Brenda Lewis and Anne Elgar (top), and a well-received 1999 revival with Phyllis Pancella, also televised on PBS (bottom).
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18â Eastman Notesâ |â January 2007
Ifâoneâre-listensâtoâLizzie Bordenâinâ2006,âtheâatonalâsectionsâtakeâtheirâplaceâalongsideâaâtwentiethâcenturyâtonalityâandâitâshouldâbeâpointedâoutâthatâoneâofâtheââgeneratingâelementsââofâtheâoperaâisâaâhymnâtune.ââAsâLizzieâgoesâalong,ââBeesonâsays,ââitâcollectsâma-terialâfromâtheâbeginningâtoâtheâend,âincludingâtheâhymnâatâtheâbeginning,âtheâtextâofâwhichâisâfromâtheânineteenthâcentury,âtheâmusicâofâwhichâisâmine.âSoâthisâtune,âwhichâpeopleâidentifyâasâaâ
simpleâhymn,âbecomesâoneâofâtheâgeneratingâelementsâofâtheâwholeâopera,âincludingâitsâinter-ludes.âAndâwhenâyouâreâinâtheâmadâsceneâatâtheâendâofâActâII,â
everythingâmostlyâisâmadeâupâofâsomethingâthatâcameâbefore.âItâjustâseemsâtoâmeâtheânaturalâthingâtoâdo,âparticularlyâwhenâyouâhaveâaâwomanâonâstageâwhoâisâgoingâmadâorâisâhighlyâneuroticâ,âandâsheâkeepsârelivingâthingsâthatâareâeatingâher.â
âApartâfromâquestionsâofâstyle,âwhatâseemsâmostâevidentâinâLizzie Borden,âisâBeesonâsâexpertâhandlingâofâtheâvoices.âTheâvocalâlinesâshineâandâshimmer,âbeâitâinâarias,âAmericanâparlorâsongs,âorâensem-blesâinâwhichâtheâpersonalitiesâofâtheâcharactersâareâdistinguishedâbyâwords,âarticulationâandâcounterpoint.âInâtheâfirstâquintetâfromâLizzie Borden,âtheâyoungâloversâhaveâoneâcanonâwhileâtheâstepmotherâ
andâtheâReverendâhaveâanotherâtheâfifthâpartâisâLizzieâs.ââTheâessenceâofâanâensembleâisâcounterpoint,ââBeesonâsays.ââAndâ
theâessenceâofâcounterpointâisâafterâallânotâintervalsâbutârhythm,âandâlengthsâofâdurations,âandâyouâreâsunkâifâyouâgiveâeverybodyâtheâsameâkindâofânoteâvaluesâbecauseâyouâcanâtâhearâtheâindividuals.ââBeeson,âwhoâisâalwaysâextremelyâsensitiveâtoâtheâissueâofâintelligibilityâofâEnglish,âusesââexpandableââlongâvowelsâforâtheâloversââwords.âThisâdistinguishesâthemâfromâtheâgossipingâstepmotherâandâtheâReverend,âwhoseâlinesâfeatureâshortâvowelsâandâclearâconsonants.
B eeson has also writtenâseveralâchamberâoperas,âamongâthemâHello Out Thereâ(1954),âMy Heartâs in the Highlandsâ(1970),âDr.âHeideggerâsâFountain of Youthâ(1978,âwithâSheldonâHarnick)âandâSorry, Wrong Numberâ(1999),âforâ
whichâheâdidâhisâownâlibretto,âasâheâdidâforâfiveâofâhisâoperas.âJuliusâRudelâcallsâHello Out There:ââoneâofâtheâbestâchamberâoperasâofâtheâera.âAgain,âJackâbroughtâoutâtheâtensionsâbetweenâtheâcharacters,âwhileâalwaysâmanagingâtoâgiveâthemâmusicâofâgreatâbeauty.â
BeesonâisâparticularlyâproudâofâhisâroleâasâanâactorâinâMy Heartâs in the Highlands,âforâwhichâheâwasâpaidâmoreâthanâforâhisâcomposing.âHeâplayedâtheâpartâofâtheâyoungâhusbandâatâtheâendâofâtheâopera.âHeâre-callsâhisâcostumeâcallâwithâBritishâdesignerâBarbaraâMatera:ââSheâandâherâassistantâwereâsittingâoverâtheâdesk,âgoingâthroughâlargeâquanti-tiesâofâclothâofâaâdarkânature,âhavingâaâlongâconversationâaboutâwhichâshouldâbeâused,âandâIârealizedâthatâsheâwasâtalkingâaboutâtheâcostumeâforâtheâoldâguyâwhoâplayedâtheâcornetâforâtheâoldâfolksââhome.âSoâIâsaid,ââYouârealize,âdonâtâyou,âMissâMatera,âthatâthisâsuitâheâhasâonâhadâonceâbeenâaâfineâsuit,âbutâthatâwasâwayâbackâwhenâheâwasâinâScotland,âandâitâsânowâveryâworn.ââSheâlookedâatâmeâasâthoughâtoâsay,ââWhoâtheâhellâdoâyouâthinkâyouâare?ââandâsaid,ââWhatâdoâyouâknowâaboutâit?ââIâsaid,ââWell,âIâmâtheâcomposer.âAndâIâputâtheâlibrettoâtogether.âââOh,ââsheâsaid,âandâremarked,ââWeâsoâseldomâmeasureâcomposers.âââ
BeesonâsâawardsâincludeâtheâRomeâPrizeâandâaâFulbrightâfellow-shipâ(1948â50),âaâGuggenheimâFellowshipâ(1958â59),âaâgoldâmedalâfromâtheâNationalâArtsâClub,âelectionâtoâtheâAmericanâAcademyâandâInstituteâofâArtsâandâLettersâ(1975â76),âandâanâhonoraryâdegreeâfromâColumbiaâUniversityâinâ2002.âAfterâretiringâfromâColumbiaâinâ1988,âheâhasâcontinuedâtoâadviseâotherâoperaâcomposers,âandâisâtodayâatâworkâonâaâbookâwithâtheâworkingâtitleâofâWritings on Music, Opera and Myself,âthatâincludesâlettersâtoâandâfromâhimâandâreprintsâsomeâofâhisâearlierâarticles.â
JackâBeesonâsâmostâimportantâlegacyâis,âofâcourse,âhisâmusicâinâadditionâtoâhisâtenâoperasâandâseventy-twoâchoralâpieces,âthereâareâsixty-fiveâsongs,âandâworksâforâsoloâinstrumentsâandâsymphonyâor-chestra,âbutâoperaâisâclosestâtoâhisâheart.â
InâaâNew YorkâmagazineâreviewâofâLizzie Bordenâ(Marchâ1999),âcriticâPeterâG.âDavisâcommented,ââLizzie Bordenârejoicesâinâitsâold-fashionedâvirtues:âknowledgeâofâwhatâtheâvoiceâcanâdoâbest,âaâflairâforâcreatingâcharacterâandâatmosphere,âtheâabilityâtoâmanipulateâmusicalâidiomsâinâwaysâthatâalwaysâserveâtheâdrama,âandâaâkeenâearâforâcapturingâtheânaturalâmelodicâflowâofâEnglish.ââSometimesâtheââold-fashionedââvirtuesâareâbest.
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Beeson made more money appearing in his opera My Heartâs in the Highlands than he did for writing it.