Classic Ross Amico

Tag: American Opera

Remembering Carlisle Floyd: American Opera Icon

I am saddened to learn of the death of Carlisle Floyd, whom I’ve lauded on this page many times.

In 1956, even as tonality was slipping out of fashion, Floyd achieved something quite wonderful for an American composer of his time. He was not yet 30 when he enticed Phyllis Curtin and Mack Harrell to Tallahassee to sing in the world premiere of his opera, “Susannah.” It became one of the most successful operas this country has ever produced. Floyd transplants the Apocryphal tale of Susannah and the Elders to rural Tennessee, rendering it with touching simplicity.

He wrote the libretto and music while on the piano faculty at Florida State University. The work’s success soon spread to New York, and “Susannah” became one of the most frequently performed of American operas. It does feature two heart-melting arias that remain favorites of aspiring American sopranos: “Ain’t It a Pretty Night” and “The Trees on the Mountain.”

The directness of the drama and the uncluttered musical language struck a chord with both performers and audiences. Emboldened by his success, Floyd went on to compose ten more operas, all of them on his own librettos, drawing inspiration from such diverse sources as Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights,” Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Markheim,” John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men,” and Robert Penn Warren’s “All the King’s Men.”

“Cold Sassy Tree,” based on the novel of Olive Ann Burns, was given its premiere in 2000. The composer had intended it to be his swan song. He had become too busy caring for his wife, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, to devote much further thought to composition. But following her death, he found the inspiration for one last hurrah. The result was “Prince of Players,” about 17th century actor Edward Kynaston.

It’s hard not to shed a few tears for Carlisle Floyd, but he had a very good run. “Prince of Players,” was given its debut at Houston Grand Opera in 2016, when the composer was 90 years-old.

Floyd died yesterday at the age of 95.

Dawn Upshaw breaks hearts with “Ain’t It a Pretty Night,” from “Susannah”:

Cheryl Studer sings “The Trees on the Mountain,” from a complete recording of the work:

Samuel Ramey as the Reverend Olin Blitch:

A taste of “Prince of Players” from Little Opera Theater of New York:

The 2021 Grammy-nominated recording (Best Opera Recording; Best Contemporary Classical Composition; Producer of the Year, Classical):

Carlisle Floyd speaks:

“Cold Sassy Tree”:

October 1, 2021
Jack Beeson American Opera Remembered

Does anybody remember Jack Beeson (1921-2010)? I mean, do his works get performed anymore? Maybe in opera departments in music conservatories. He was part of that whole movement by mid-century American composers to write tonal, accessible opera, frequently on American themes. Carlisle Floyd and Dominick Argento were among the most successful. And Beeson was no slouch.

By disposition, Beeson was an easygoing Midwesterner, a transplant from Muncie, Indiana, to New York City, where he taught at Columbia University for 20 years. Somehow he managed not to be squeezed between the warring artistic factions of uptown academics and downtown avant-gardists. Throughout the contentious ‘60s, Beeson kept right on composing well-crafted music that spoke directly to his audiences. He also gave free rein to his pupils to pursue their own voices, offering guidance only when he deemed it necessary. Strictly speaking, he thought it was impossible to teach composition. One could only teach technique.

He himself had been inspired to write opera because of early exposure to radio broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera. He claimed to be the only American composition student of Béla Bartók, whose reservations he overcame with the observation that it might be possible to learn something from someone who thought he couldn’t teach. Bartók spent his last years in New York, where he was supported by a research fellowship from Columbia.

Among Beeson’s operas are “Hello Out There!” (1953), “The Sweet Bye and Bye” (1956, revised 1958), and “Lizzie Borden” (1965).

Borden, of course, entered American folklore after she was acquitted of the axe murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts, in August 1892. The lurid details and the fact that no one else was ever charged with the crimes have only cemented the story in the American consciousness. The story also became the subject of Morton Gould’s ballet, “Fall River Legend.”

Here’s “Lizzie Borden” from the New York City Opera (introduced by Martin Bookspan and Beverly Sills):

Beeson’s Symphony No. 1

Peter G. Davis remembers Beeson in the New York Times:

https://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/11/arts/music/11beeson.html

In an engrossing interview with Bruce Duffie. Beeson has something to say about birthday programming at the end!

http://www.bruceduffie.com/beeson.html

Beeson would have been 100 years-old today. Forgive me, Jack, but happy birthday!

July 15, 2021
Happy 95th Birthday, Carlisle Floyd!

Today is the 95th birthday of one of the most successful opera composers this country has ever produced. Carlisle Floyd was not yet 30 when he enticed Phyllis Curtin and Mack Harrell to Tallahassee to sing in the world premiere of “Susannah” in 1956. The opera takes the Apocryphal tale of Susannah and the Elders and transplants it to rural Tennessee.

Floyd wrote the libretto and music while on the piano faculty at Florida State University. The work’s success soon spread to New York, and “Susannah” became one of the most frequently performed of American operas. It does feature two heart-melting arias that remain favorites of aspiring American sopranos: “Ain’t It a Pretty Night” and “The Trees on the Mountain.”

The directness of the drama and the uncluttered musical language struck a chord with both performers and audiences. Emboldened by his success, Floyd went on to compose ten more operas, all of them on his own librettos, drawing inspiration from such diverse sources as Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights,” Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Markheim,” John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” and Robert Penn Warren’s “All the King’s Men.”

“Cold Sassy Tree,” based on the novel of Olive Ann Burns, was given its premiere in 2000. The composer had intended it to be his swan song. He had become too busy caring for his wife, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, to devote much further thought to composition. But following her passing, he found inspiration for one last hurrah. The result was “Prince of Players,” about 17th century actor Edward Kynaston, which was given its premiere at Houston Grand Opera in March 2016.

For a composer to have a new opera performed at the age of 90 should be an inspiration to all of us who not only care about music, but who have ever puzzled over finding meaning in our lives.

Happy birthday, Carlisle Floyd!

Dawn Upshaw breaks hearts with “Ain’t It a Pretty Night,” from “Susannah”:

Cheryl Studer sings “The Trees on the Mountain,” from a complete recording of the work:

Samuel Ramey as the Reverend Olin Blitch:

A taste of “Prince of Players” from Little Opera Theater of New York:

The 2021 Grammy-nominated recording (Best Opera Recording; Best Contemporary Classical Composition; Producer of the Year, Classical):

Carlisle Floyd speaks:

“Cold Sassy Tree”:

June 11, 2021
Carlisle Floyd: Celebrating 90 Years of Opera
Today is the 90th birthday of one of the most successful opera composers this country has ever produced. Carlisle Floyd was not yet 30 when he lured Phyllis Curtin and Mack Harrell to Tallahassee to sing in the world premiere of “Susannah” in 1956. The opera takes the Apocryphal tale of Susannah and the Elders and transplants it to rural Tennessee.

Floyd wrote the libretto and music while on the piano faculty at Florida State University. The work’s success soon spread to New York, and “Susannah” went on to become the most frequently performed American opera behind only Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess.” It does feature two heart-melting arias that remain favorites of aspiring American sopranos, “Ain’t It a Pretty Night” and “The Trees on the Mountain.”

The directness of the drama and the uncluttered musical language struck a chord with both performers and audiences. Emboldened by his success, Floyd went on to compose ten more operas, all of them on his own librettos, drawing inspiration from such diverse sources as Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights,” Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Markheim,” John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” and Robert Penn Warren’s “All the King’s Men.”

“Cold Sassy Tree,” based on the novel of Olive Ann Burns was given its premiere in 2000. It was intended to have been the composer’s swan song. Floyd had become too busy caring for his wife, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, to devote much further thought to composition. But following her passing, he found the inspiration for one last hurrah. The result was the recently completed opera “Prince of Players,” about 17th century actor Edward Kynaston, which was given its premiere at the Houston Grand Opera in March.

To have a new opera premiered at the age of 90 should be an inspiration to all of us who not only care about music, but who have ever puzzled over finding meaning in our lives. Happy birthday, Carlisle Floyd!

About Carlisle Floyd’s “Prince of Players”:

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/entertainment/arts-theater/article/Composer-inspired-to-finish-one-more-opera-5358307.php

A more in depth look (the first of three parts, if you’d like to dig deeper):

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/entertainment/arts-theater/article/Carlisle-Floyd-s-operas-offer-traditional-music-6857032.php

A teaser for the opera on YouTube:

Carlisle Floyd speaks:

Reception in The Classical Review:

Floyd’s “Prince of Players” receives effective world premiere at Houston Grand Opera

In Opera News:

http://www.operanews.com/Opera_News_Magazine/2016/4/Reviews/HOUSTON__Prince_of_Players.html

Dawn Upshaw breaks hearts with “Ain’t It a Pretty Night,” from “Susannah”:

Cheryl Studer sings “The Trees on the Mountain,” from a complete recording of the work:

“The thing that you have to guard against is just your own self-doubt about what you’ve done.”
- Carlisle Floyd
June 11, 2016

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