| This article is for you if you're a | | | | only hear them, seated down below in the |
| behind-the-scenes kind of person - the admin | | | | orchestra pit as they are.Many elements go |
| assistant who gets the presentation ready for | | | | together to produce the opera we see that |
| the guys in marketing but doesn't get to go | | | | bears the name of one man only. Take |
| to the meeting; the PR pro who writes all | | | | "Turandot" for instance. It was librettist |
| their speeches and answers all the complaint | | | | Semoni who gave Puccini the suggestion for |
| letters for the president or CEO; the at-home | | | | the opera in the first place, telling about |
| mother who makes sure the concert pianist | | | | "Turandotte," a play written by Gozzi, based |
| practices; the deputy chief whose job | | | | on a fable from the Arabian Nights.Puccini |
| description is doing all the things the chief | | | | had been searching for two years for a |
| doesn't like to do or can't do; or the | | | | suitable plot for an opera, and at the age of |
| paralegal who prepares all the pleadings, | | | | 61 began "Turandot," instructing his |
| knows all the codes, and does all the licking | | | | librettists, Adami and Semoni to "pour great |
| and stamping.Temistocle Solear, Antonio | | | | pathos into the drama." Puccini was known, |
| Ghislanzoni, Henri Meilhac, Jules Barbier, | | | | incidentally for being extremely demanding, |
| Michael Carre, Guiseppe Giacosa, Luigi | | | | requiring endless rewrites from his |
| Illica, Renato Semoni, and Nicola Haym all | | | | librettists.From his point of view however, |
| know what this is like.Who on earth are these | | | | the librettists were difficult. We can read |
| people??Well even if you're not an opera fan, | | | | his letters begging them to do their work. |
| I bet you've heard of the composers Verdi, | | | | He wrote frantically to Simoni, in charge of |
| Bizet, Mozart, Strauss, Gounod, Handel, | | | | Act III, "The third! The third! The |
| Donizetti and Puccini. And I'm sure you've | | | | third!"At one point, he confessed to a friend |
| heard of some of their operas - Aida, Carmen, | | | | "Music disgusts me...", as he evidently had |
| Cosi fan Tutte, Madame Butterfly, Faust, and | | | | periods of self-doubt and composer's block. |
| Don Giovanni, for instance.Did you know that | | | | Toscanini paid him a visit and gave him the |
| these composers wrote the music for their | | | | encouragement to keep going. Every team has |
| operas but not the lyrics? Solear, | | | | their Toscanini; or needs one.Puccini was |
| Ghislanzoni and the other individuals in the | | | | justified in urging completion of the opera |
| list are what's called "librettists." It is | | | | as he died before the team had completed the |
| they who wrote the words to the music that | | | | third act. The collaboration continued on, |
| tell the story, without which you would be | | | | as Toscanini found a composer named Franco |
| listening to a symphony, not an opera. And | | | | Alfano, whose name is rarely mentioned, to |
| we never hear their names!They're called | | | | complete it. The world premier took place on |
| "librettists" because the words to the songs, | | | | April 25th, 1926, the work of one guiding |
| which basically comprise the script of the | | | | genius and many hands, hearts and minds.It |
| opera, is called a "libretto." It's Italian | | | | isn't that teamwork and collaboration is new, |
| for little book.Like Gilbert and Sullivan, | | | | it's that it's newly being recognized. Most |
| the pairs worked together. The inimitable | | | | of us realize we couldn't accomplish anything |
| Richard Wagner was the only one to compose | | | | alone, while those behind the scenes who work |
| all his operas entirely by himself, creating | | | | long and willing hours, long for some |
| both music and lyrics, which may account for | | | | recognition. Appreciation, after all, is |
| why they are so powerful, so "Wagnerian."This | | | | what tops the surveys when employees talk |
| is quite a feat because composing music and | | | | about what they want at their job, and it's |
| writing words require different parts of the | | | | so consistently there, it's a wonder it isn't |
| brain.Sometimes the composer and librettist | | | | heeded more.Richard Montuori, town manager of |
| met in person, while other times the work was | | | | Bellica, Massachusetts, knows and appreciates |
| done by correspondence. Strauss worked | | | | his team. "I love [my] job," he said a |
| exclusively with one librettist, after | | | | newspaper interview. "Every day is different |
| writing his own lyrics for his first opera | | | | and presents new challenges. Finances are a |
| and finding out he wasn't good at it, but | | | | daily and yearly challenge, but no one person |
| most other composers switched around, finding | | | | ever accomplishes anything alone. We have |
| the right librettist for the job, or one who | | | | excellent department heads and town boards |
| was available. It's not unlike the way a lot | | | | that help keep the town moving in the right |
| of us work these days - long distance and by | | | | direction."Isn't it nice to hear someone |
| contract.Again, grasp the significance of the | | | | publicly acclaim the team that makes him |
| work these unsung heroes did. The words are | | | | shine? I hope your boss or manager does this |
| so integral to the opera they are never | | | | for you, and that if you're the boss or |
| translated. Subtitles run across the big | | | | manager, you appreciate and acknowledge - and |
| screen on stage, or the little screen on the | | | | sing - the unsung heroes in your midst.But |
| chair in front of yours at the opera. We | | | | how do you praise everyone? There are always |
| read them in our native tongue while they are | | | | so many.Here's a leadership trick I learned |
| sung on stage in the original German, | | | | from a pro. At the culmination of an |
| Italian, or French. (For aficionados, | | | | anniversary banquet, engineered by many, and |
| anyway. Beginners may enjoy translations, | | | | funded by many more, the director of the |
| such as The Chandos Opera In English series, | | | | benefited-agency rose and thanked "everyone |
| which translates the lyrics into | | | | who helped make it possible to raise the |
| English.)What an incredible collaboration an | | | | $50,000." Then he added, looking around the |
| opera is. It takes costume designers as | | | | room, "And I'd especially like to thank |
| well, because an opera is as much visual as | | | | someone whose name I won't mention, but they |
| it is auditory. The Grand Opera is known for | | | | will know who I mean."I thought it was me! |
| its elaborate sets and costumes. In | | | | So did a dozen other people, I'm sure, and |
| "Turandot," when the mob turns surly and the | | | | that was what the director had in mind, he |
| moon appears, she is personified and costumed | | | | told me later when I asked him whom he had in |
| in a magnificence dominated the stage for | | | | mind, because his glance around the room was |
| what seems like half an hour, that will keep | | | | professionally ambivalent.It works, and it's |
| you transfigured.One opera I hope to see one | | | | always, always true.©Susan Dunn, MA, THE |
| day is Verdi's "Aida," excuse me, Verdi and | | | | EQ COACH. Offering coaching, Internet |
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| don't see at an opera is the orchestra, | | | | Mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc for information |
| perhaps the most important element of all. | | | | about this fast, affordable, comprehensive, |
| They're listed in the program, of course, and | | | | no-residency program. Email for free ezine. |
| given their bows at the curtain calls, but we | | | | |