Robert Aldridge's scoreis best delivered not onstage but in the orchestra, with vivid and colorfulwriting. His vocal writing isn't bad, but pales in comparison and too oftendoes not capture characterization in the music. Two of the central roles, thetitle character and a charismatic female minister, fail to establish characterwith strong individuality, through no fault of the performers. Aldridge resortsto too many choral scenes of down-home hymns andwhite spirituals, lending more atmosphere than story-line development. Thechorus claps more often than not; it's the clap-happiest opera I've ever seen.The most effective theatrical music comes in a comic scene for a vengefulcharacter tenor, a sex scene with a soprano singing high notes of ecstasy, anaria of earnest religious doubt, and the final long choral scene, sung by acongregation trapped (rather unbelievably) in a burning tabernacle.
Herschel Garfein'slibretto is episodic to a fault, attempting to congeal a sprawling novel intoshort scenes. (In this way it seems especially modeled after Carlisle Floyd's Susannah.) But this progression ofscenes does not add up to accumulated effect, especially in the first act.
It's not a bad opera,fairly harmless, just not particularly distinguished. To be fair, some in theaudience liked it more than I did, although some left at intermission. Theproduction was largely imported from Nashville Opera. Any weaknesses were inthe piece itself, and not the cast or production. Keith Phares made what hecould of Elmer. Heather Buck's creamy high notes were the vocal highlight.Patricia Risley struggled to make something of a character that needed to bemore sharply written. Two minor characters got the best music and ran with it:character tenor Frank Kelley, and tenor Vale Rideout, who sings a philosophicalaria questioning his faith.
