Donizetti

Donizetti had his share of tragedy, that's for sure. His wife and third child both died just before he wrote Roberto Devereaux, and it's definitely one of his darkest operas. The letters he wrote at the time are really painful, and as I was watching the DVD again I could just feel the drama of his situation and the burden he was carrying. Isn't it great when you can read about an artist and then go back and re-examine his works with new insight and understanding. Almost makes me want to become a scholar.

And speaking of the DVD, what an outstanding performance by Beverly Sills. Even though she was past her prime when it was recorded and her voice sounds a little shrill at times, her acting and her interpretation of Elisabetta certainly sets the standard. Great stuff, although the story goes that singing this role probably shortened her career. That's a shame because she was immensely talented, and had he lived to see it, I think Donizetti would have been pleased.

Between the book and the operas I feel like I'm just lost in this guy's world right now, and it's compelling. Not healthy, mind you, but compelling. A common criticism, of course, is that he wrote too many operas and, consequently, his scores lack originality and depth. Bellini certainly thought so, and there is some merit to that line of thinking. But he was a great composer for voice and a great composer of opera, both drama and comedy, and there must be some reason that so many singers champion his works and still perform them 150 years later. There's no question that Verdi was the genius of Italian Opera, but Donizetti wasn't far behind.


Requiem

For some strange reason, reading about Donizetti made me think about the Verdi Requiem. I've never liked it as much as Mozart's, but I've never thought of it as "defiant" the way some musicolgists seem to. To me it's more a personal plea than a statement of defiance. You know, sort of Verdi's way of saying "Look, lord, I've never been a great friend of the church, but let's talk about this one-on-one, shall we"?

Which gets me to wondering if someone will write me a Requiem when I die. I know how conceited that sounds and, since I have no religious beliefs myself, a little hypocritical as well. But it would be nice to have a requiem, a secular requiem that is. I think everyone would like to think their life was meaningful enough to warrant one. And then I wonder if no one will write one for me, maybe I could write my own (isn't that what Mozart did? Sort of?). Mine would not be majestic or profound, mind you, or vain, I hope, but a simple, secular remembrance. And then I wonder "just what sort of meaning could I could get out of my life?"

Part 1. (Birth) Why is everybody looking at me?
Part 2. (Belief) He hates Sunday School and does not go
Part 3. (Dies Irae) He tries to be a good person, but people keep messing with him
Part 4. (Death) Even the undertaker has to make a living.

Well, make that one great opera and one great Requiem I've got to compose before I die. Better take some music lessons.

Deadwood

Oh yeah, my opera. Where was I? I wanted to make the lawman my evil baritone, but, unfortunately, Scarpia's already been done. That's the problem with the modern world, isn't it? Seems like everything new is just a repeat of what's come before. So that means I'll probably have to make the saloon owner the evil baritone and the lawman will have to be the foreboding bass (a comprimario role at best). The preacher will be the tenor and the alchoholic Calamity Jane will be the mezzo. That just leaves the prima donna...still working on that. Honestly, though, I think I'll just put this on the backburner for a while and work on my other opera.

I got this idea when I was reading the paper. It just struck me, serendipity you might say. But I was reading the political news and there it was, my next opera. Not the libretto or the score or anything like that, just one of those great opera titles - Candolezza Rice, or perhaps Candolezza di California. I'm picturing a tragic opera about the doomed love affair between Candolezza and Donald Rumsfeld set against the backdrop of war and poltical unrest. Rumsfeld will be the tenor and Rice will have to be a mezzo because I just can't picture her as a soprano. Cheney would seem right for the evil baritone but I don't want this to be too political. I'll probably find some unknown white house staffer for that. Someone secret and behind the scenes. Bush will be second tenor.

Oh, and it will be in Italian. I don't speak Italian, of course, but then I can't read music either.