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ANGELS IN AMERICA, from p.46
which the characters exist simply through its expansiveness and the unsettling phenomenon of naturalistic dialog sung, and sometimes spoken, at jarringly surreal tempi. It is simply a different experience. Textually, the real and the metaphysical intersect more often in the play, but here in the opera the real is automatically relocated in the realm of the metaphysical because of how music shifts perception to begin with. EJ: How will the NYCO production be distinct from earlier mountings? What approach is the artistic team striving for? SH: Visually, our production intentionally translates the idea of a “fantasiaâ€? (as Kushner calls it) into a space which can contain the logistics of the opera — scene changes, costume changes, singers cast in multiple roles, in ways that present perhaps more challenges than the play does — while evoking the era (the late ‘80s), its architecture, and some of its iconic design elements. Having not seen all of those other productions, I can’t speak to how distinct our production will be, but our approach from the outset has been to investigate the piece in terms of what it means now, to figure out why it endures, and to present it to a New York audience which has firsthand memory and experience of the AIDS crisis and, at the same time, has long since moved on to other preoccupations. Only by acknowledging and embracing that can we possibly present this piece with any kind of conviction about its larger and deeper meanings. In 1998, composer EĂśtvĂśs adapted another classic play — Anton Chekhov’s “Three Sistersâ€? — into a chilly, emotionally remote opera in a spare modernistic style with three countertenors portraying Olga, Masha, and Irina. EĂśtvĂśs’ “Angels in Americaâ€? shocked listeners with a major departure in style and content — his eclectic score is emotionally raw, full of percussion, and jazz inflected. Conductor Pacien Mazzagatti discusses the bold musical language of “Angelsâ€?: PACIEN MAZZAGATTI: In this opera, EĂśtvĂśs employs an incredGayCityNews.nyc | June 08 - June 21, 2017
ibly broad musical palette, both in the pit and on the stage. The vocal ranges are often incredibly wide — the 30-piece orchestra includes an electric guitar, a Hammond organ, and an impressive list of percussion instruments — and digital sound effects are employed throughout the opera. At first, the sheer sonic variety can be overwhelming, but the two hours of music are beautifully and meticulously organized. Motifs related to specific characters and situations appear and re-appear as dictated by the action, and the atmospheric portions of the score manage to create the ambiance of familiar New York locations without resorting to clichĂŠs.â€? EĂśtvĂśs often weaves spoken lines from Kushner’s text between the sung phrases, in effect allowing Kushner’s words to be unadorned in those moments where it heightens their dramatic effect. He also employs a broad range of vocal styles, borrowing freely from Ashkenazic cantillation, Mormon hymnody, pop crooning, and closeharmony jazz singing to highlight the diverse backgrounds of the inhabitants of Kushner’s drama and illuminate their characters. “Angels in Americaâ€? moves rapidly through many diverse locations — from Roy Cohn’s law office to the imagination of a Valium addict, to Central Park at 4 a.m., and even to Heaven itself. Through his masterful orchestration, EĂśtvĂśs creates a distinct and unique musical atmosphere for each of the opera’s 17 scenes. A unique feature of this opera is a vocal trio that sits in the pit with the orchestra. They sing throughout the opera, repeating and emphasizing words and phrases from the libretto. The effect is startling, surreal, and sometimes even comic, yet in the context of this piece’s internal logic it brings an added dimension and greater depth to the drama. I asked Helfrich what he wanted audiences to take away from “Angels in Americaâ€? in 2017: SH: “I don’t know that the piece is meant to change perceptions as much as it is to inspire self-reflection and simply ask the audience to think about things that may or may not be part of its daily expe-
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ANGELS IN AMERICA, continued on p.48
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