OPERA: The Midsummer Marriage

Title: The Midsummer Marriage
Composer: Sir Michael Tippett
Opera Company: Lyric Opera of Chicago
Conductor: Sir Andrew Davis

Review: This production was the first opera I have ever attended. Eager and excited to experience one of the few forms of performance art that I have never been introduced to, my attitude aided in staying open-minded for an opera that has received poor reviews since it's debut in 1955. As most neophytes do, I expected a long, indecipherable story told through song in a language I am not familiar with. Instead, The Midsummer Marriage is sung in English, and only approaches artistic lyricism in the Libretto a handful of times. At first, the commonplace language was distracting to what I thought would be as cryptic in text as in content. As the first act unfolded, I learned to listen more to the sung delivery of the words and pay attention to the visual metaphors. Opera strikes me as group soliloquy, where every character announces in song their intentions and feelings for everyone to hear.

The Midsummer Marriage is the story of two lovers who are to be wed on Midsummer Day, a pagan holiday on the summer solstice. Mark, the groom, dreams of the forested clearing where he is to meet his bride, Jenifer, and their friends to celebrate their spiritual union. The entire opera takes place in the dream world, lending itself easily to metaphor and visual playfulness reminiscent, appropriately, of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. As the first act begins, Mark is dressed in all white, symbolizing the purity of the communion which is about to take place. When Jenifer arrives in the clearing, she is dressed for travel, carrying a suitcase. Conflicted, Mark seems unsure of what is happening. Before she can be swayed, Jenifer ascends a ladder to heaven to fully understand her transcendence of the self. Heartbroken and miserable, Mark descends into a nearby cave to assert his masculinity. The words of the forest elders who warn us of the dangers of breaking tradition, echo in the foreground.

We are then introduced to Jenifer's father, King Fisher, who is a prideful man that scorns the young lovers' friends, and attempts to lure them to be his spies with money. He then confronts the elders, trying to make sense of what has happened and gain access to the cave, where he is sure the lovers have gone to fulfill their every carnal desire. King Fisher negotiates with everyone around him through his secretary, Bella, who is carrying on a love affair with Jack, King Fisher's loyal laborer. The lovers return briefly at the end of the first act, only to swap destinations. Jenifer goes into the cave to find her own carnal masculine side and Mark ascends to the heavens where it is assumed he is to discover his more feminine side.

Act Two consists of beautiful dance numbers between the spirits of the forest and animals. Pagan love and consummation rituals are played out with lifelike costumes and skilled, fluid dancers interacting with the tone that the orchestra masterfully sets. Act two is a welcome, action filled respite from the heavy exposition of the first act. The most interesting aspect of the second act is the repeated theme of the female animal as sexual predator chasing the elusive male. Such an interesting theme for a work of art that was written in the 1950's.

Finally, in the third and final act, Mark, Jenifer, King Fisher, Bella and Jack all take the stage together with the cast of lovers' friends to act out a universal scenario of resistance to authority and parentage. With the aid and wrath of an oracle, there is a battle of wits between the forest elders and King Fisher. Fisher's unwavering loathful pride and proprietary attitude toward his daughter only rages and lashes out when the Oracle does not give him the answer he wants. The stage mechanics and design is its most colorful in the third act, and the Lyric Opera's orchestra is ceaseless with their beautiful and cataclysmic music.

Standout performances come from Joseph Kaiser, who plays the role of Mark, with his strong and confident tenor. Bella (Stacey Tappan) almost steals the show with her soprano voice and masterfully acted neuroses, overshadowing the comparably shrill soprano of Jenifer (Janice Watson). Finally, singing with an authoritative bass and acting with a fittingly grating bravado, King Fisher (Peter Rose) is the most interesting actor to watch as well as listen to. The entire cast does a fantastic job of responding to the lead characters' doubts and boasts with alternating clear and distance muffled chorus.

By the end of the production, I was successfully wooed by my first opera experience. The language simple, themes, heavily metaphorical and visual stage magic join together to construct a story so interesting, that even the laughable final scene starring the newly awakened Mark is forgivable, though not humorous.

Unfamiliar with Opera, I went into this experience with mind open and enjoyed what I saw. I don't know if Opera is necessarily my cup of tea, but I am more interested in seeing a traditional production if only to compare. Many of the references in The Midsummer Marriage were lost on me, but I did recognize the character of King Fisher as a reference to T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land. Interestingly enough, I discovered while reading the show program that Eliot was the one who suggested that Tippett write his own Libretto. This explains the common, sometimes awkward, language used throughout the opera as well as the massive conglomeration of psychological, mythological and religious references.

Many regular opera goers don't seem to enjoy The Midsummer Marriage. They seem to be too steeped in tradition, which is humorous when you notice the themes of resistance and progressive attitude in this production. However, if you have never attended the Opera and live in the Chicago area, I recommend you give this one a try. Though maybe not your ideal way to spend an evening in the city, you will be sure to find something interesting and thought provoking (good or bad) in this production.


Rating: 3.75 / 5