The Florentine Opera’s production of American composer Jake Heggie’s 90-minute one-act opera, Three Decembers, is a mixed bag of mixed musical treasures—but not what one might expect. The libretto, which deals with a fading actress who has long ignored her alcoholic daughter and her gay son grieving over his dying lover, might seem like too much of a stretch from traditional opera, but Heggie’s score is a sophisticated, often inspired blend of postmodern expressionistic musical theater with a touch of minimalism.
Described as being melodic, the score seems at first hearing to be dissonant, compelling but not tuneful, dramatically intriguing—but from a vantage that seems to separate the demanding vocal line from the orchestral component. This is not unusual in contemporary opera, which eschews arias for recitatives. Yet if the vocal line at first seems independent of the score, the music adds its own dimension. Gradually, the listener becomes more aware of the finesse with which Heggie’s subtle score augments the drama without any obvious melodramatic percussive accentuation. The result is a moving, poignant musical experience carefully developed by a talented composer.
A fine cast is a prerequisite for pulling off such a subtle work. The Florentines were fortunate in this regard. Mezzo-soprano Lucy Schaufer as Madeline the mother combines a rich, full-bodied vocal endowment with a subtle, ironic performance that engages audience sympathy. No less effective is the melodrama-free performance by soprano Rena Harms as Bea the daughter. As Charlie the son, good-looking baritone Keith Phares (recently of Elmer Gantry fame) came off as something of an audience favorite. With his rich, silken baritone, he balanced a carefully wrought vocal performance of grief and regret without obvious attempts at sympathy.
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This stellar trio, so superbly balanced, kept Heggie’s work from falling into the more maudlin plateau of its story line. There was room for humor when Charlie and Bea ridicule Madeline’s obsession with shoes for “dressing up for the Tony.” The last half of the opera worked with a greater synergy between the haunting score and the drama at hand. A standing ovation followed. Highly recommended for discriminating audiences
