My imaginary friends Stephanus and Maximus often help me work things out. They usually time-travel between a medieval university and ancient Rome, but here they are in present day Toronto, and they’ve just attended the new opera HADRIAN
Stephanus: Thank you once again Maximus for inviting me to the opera!
Maximus: My pleasure Stephanus. I’ve been a devoted Operagoer all my long life, so it’s nice to share this with a younger person. I do hope you enjoyed it?
Stephanus: Y- yes. But my head is still spinning. I’m not sure I understand the message. Hadrian makes a bargain with the gods. He gets to go back in time and spend two precious days with his lover, but after that, he must sign a contract to massacre the Jews? Any musician knows, if you play the gig before the contract is signed, you’re in for trouble.
Maximus: Ha ha. Quite true Stephanus. But there’s more here than meets the eye. Many clever layers of meaning. Did you feel that Antinous was a Christ figure?
Stephanus: You may have attended opera all your life, but I went to Sunday school! I get the mash up of Biblical and pagan allusion. I recognize the ‘Sermon on the Mount.’ Antinous leaps up to an elevated position, and preaches about forgiving your enemies. Then Turbo betrays Antinous, the sacrificial lamb, with a kiss before wringing his neck. But why would a Christ figure sacrifice himself to save the man who would murder his own people? Then again…
Maximus: Very well, enough theology. What about the music?
Stephanus: That powerful orchestra was absolutely thrilling, although sometimes I couldn’t hear the singers. I’m curious about the love scene. In every other opera I’ve seen, the lovers are actually singing to each other. Here there was only the orchestra and choreography. The review in the Star said that was unnecessarily over-done.
Maximus: There’s more here than meets the ear. I believe this passage is a homage to Murray Schafer.
Stephanus: Murray who?
Maximus: Honestly Stephanus, sometimes I wonder how you were brought up! Schafer is the most Canadian of all Canadian composers, and Wainwright’s love scene is a musical allusion. Those luminous sustained strings and that slowly unfolding two note theme draw on the model of Schafer’s ‘Apocalypsis: Credo’. It’s another clever layer of meaning. The text of ‘Credo’ is by the 16th-century astronomer Giordano Bruno. The unsung text “Lord God is universe” is a subconscious commentary on the words of librettist Daniel MacIvor – ‘Antinous is my God’ – in other words, for Hadrian, Antinous was everything. The whole universe.
Stephanus: That music was peaceful and other-worldy. Yet the gentleman beside me was squirming – I think he was uncomfortable during that scene.
Maximus: Ha! Was he also uncomfortable when two characters were murdered before our eyes? Why should an expression of tenderness be more offensive than brutal violence? Was this more disturbing than common place scenes in opera? Dulcinea, violently raped on stage; Carmen, Lucretia, Wozzeck’s Marie, brutalized by men; Dido, Tosca, Butterfly committing suicide! Yet rarely is there a warning to audiences that they might be offended.
Stephanus: So is this a big deal? Is this the first gay Canadian opera?
Maximus: Oh far from it. Brad Walton had a 35-year lead on Rufus Wainwright when he wrote his own libretto and music for ‘The Loves of Wayne Gretzky’ a brilliant opera that will never see the MainStage while its superstar protagonists are all still extant. Tapestry Opera and several of Toronto’s 14 independent opera companies nurture queer operatic works. But this is the first on the COC stage – the most prestigious venue for such things, so you are correct Stephanus. It is a big deal. It’s the first Canadian opera commissioned by the Canadian Opera Company this century.
Stephanus: So, if this opera is so important, and we loved the music so much, why are people so uptight and critical about it?
Maximus: Well Stephanus, that is because Rufus Wainwright is rich and famous. It’s easy to throw stones at a giant. They provide such an easy target.
Fascinating and thoughtful conversation.
Nice to hear the name of Brad Walton. He was a chorister at Grace Church on-the-Hill during my five-month interim appointment there in 1980.
Thanks Richard. Brad’s masterpiece deserves a remount!
Thank you Stephanie, lovely to read something reflective on the work; fascinating idea about Schafer….I wonder if Rufus knows the work, nothing would surprise me…..and thank you for the conclusion of your blog….indeed, Rufus makes an easy target, and working with him over these 6 weeks I can think of few in the business who balance enough ego to do what we all attempt, with as much kindness and humility……all best to you…..
Thanks for your insight John! Not many people are as intimately involved with this score as you are. Your singing was powerful on stage. Yes, I am sure Rufus knows the Schafer since he heard it at Luminato Festival in Toronto in 2015. Thanks for sharing a glimpse into the person behind the score : )
I was waiting to hear your thoughts! Many good points made here! Rufus was so humble throughout the entire process and very hands-on. He stood up for what he wanted many times but also listened to what others had to say. He even attended numerous Chorus music rehearsals!
It’s a huge undertaking – thanks so much for the tickets to the dress rehearsal. There was much I didn’t understand until the second time.