Reino Unido
The Passion of John Adams and Peter Sellars
Andrew Maisel
Just over 12 years ago the composer John Adams and librettist/director Peter Sellars worked together on El Niño, a large two hour work which could best be described as part oratorio and part opera. The libretto of this retelling of the Christmas story was lifted from the Bible and other sources, such as the Wakefield Mystery Plays and verses of poetry. In May of last year their latest collaboration, a refashioning of the Easter story with a more contemporary slant, received its premier in Los Angeles.
It was a concert piece then but plans were already afoot to stage a work with such obvious dramatic potential.
This European premiere of the work, fully staged, followed on shortly from the LA premiere and was the centrepiece of the conductor Gustavo Dudamel’s 2013 residency with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at London’s Barbican Hall - the Barbican having co-commissioned the The Gospel….
The Gospel according to the Other Mary takes a look at the events of the days leading up to the Crucifixion and adds contemporary events and poetic verse from the likes of Primo Levi, African-American poet June Jordan and Mexican poet Rosario Castellanos. This patchwork libretto of texts has been put into the blender by Sellars and thrown into a parallel universe where they intertwine and exist concurrently.
European premiere of “The Gospel According to the Other Mary” by John Adams (libretto and direction by Peter Sellars), at the Barbican on 16 March
© Keith Sheriff/Barbican
In his programme notes Sellars explains that the purpose of the Other Mary is to set the Passion story “in the eternal present, in the tradition of sacred art”. In this case the Biblical side of the Adams/Sellars vision puts the role of Mary Magdalene (Kelley O‘Connor), her sister Martha (Tamara Mumford) and brother Lazarus (Russell Thomas) centre stage - the days leading up the Crucifixion are seen predominantly through their eyes. Mary is now no longer a “reformed prostitute” but has opened up her home for homeless and unemployed women with her sister Martha. The emphasis of retelling the passion story from the women’s perspective takes the focus away from Jesus. His actions and words are portrayed by multiple voices; predominantly a trio of countertenors (Daniel Bubeck, Brian Cummings and Nathan Medley) and three dancers (Michael Schumacher, Anani Sanouvi and Troy Ogilvie) shadowing the principal characters.
The characters were on a small raised platform at the front of the stage. To the side there was a large table to accommodate the protagonists for the Supper at Bethany. Choral duties at the back of the stage were provided by the slickly drilled Los Angeles Master Chorale who frequently participated in the narrative, most effectively during the Arrest of the Women in Act 2 where they played out both victim and oppressor during the police raid.
European premiere of “The Gospel According to the Other Mary” by John Adams (libretto and direction by Peter Sellars), at the Barbican (London, UK) on 16 March
© Keith Sheriff/Barbican
As director, Peter Sellars is to be applauded for the attention to detail in his complex staging, simultaneously using voice, movement and his now familiar semaphore style, rapid-fire arm movements in frequently complex routines. His trios of soloists, countertenors and dancers were tightly rehearsed and utterly committed to their roles.
So it was somewhat unfortunate that much of this complex marriage of rehashed passion story with selected poetry and modern events such as César Chávez’s campaign for farm workers’ rights never sat comfortably as a coherent narrative. The mixed up text and the constant shifting of roles between the dancers and singers led to confusion about who was who and what was going on.
Gustavo Dudamel conducting European premiere of “The Gospel According to the Other Mary” by John Adams (libretto and direction by Peter Sellars), at the Barbican on 16 March.
© Keith Sheriff/Barbican
However there were some moments when music and movement came together thrillingly, due mostly to John Adams contributing one of his richest and most rewarding scores in years. The resurrection of Lazarus and the crucifixion at Golgotha benefited most from the use of a large orchestra complete with cimbalom and bass guitar. Adams has added a new level of texture to his writing which found full expression in this score. In this he aided by Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic who executed the complex score with bite and finesse. A musical triumph at the very least.
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