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5. Two American Women. Two American short stories: the one-page feminist marvel The Story of an Hour (1894) by Kate Chopin (1851–1904) and Roman Fever (1934) by Edith Wharton (1862–1937), both masterpieces of the genre, not least for their surprise endings. I myself have adapted both texts for opera composers. The Chopin became The Joy that Kills (1998), a 15-minute dramatic monologue for soprano and chamber ensemble by Thomas Benjamin (b.1939). The Wharton became a one-act opera (1993) for Pulitzer-Prizewinning composer Robert Ward (1917–2013). They make an interesting comparison in that we found opposite solutions to the problems in each case, reducing the cast of the Chopin to a single soprano and expanding the Wharton to include characters who are merely mentioned in the text.

I would not claim either text as my best work, but even a comparative failure can cast light on the process of transforming a prose story into opera. I shall also show clips from a film adaptation of each story, as examples of what opera can manage well and what it can barely handle at all rb.

PREPARING FOR THE CLASS. The class will make much more sense if you have read the stories on which the musical works are based. The CHOPIN is very short, taking no more than 5 minutes to read. The WHARTON, though longer, should not take more than half an hour.

The script, images, and video links will be posted immediately after class.
 

Handout (flat)        Handout (folded)        Class Script Return to Index

There are more than the usual number of HANDOUTS this week, mainly because I can speak with some authority about the genesis of my own work. Of the three on Roman Fever, the most useful is likely to be the Synopses handout, which explains the differences in form between the story and the opera.

The OPERAS are a different story. For The Joy that Kills, I have only a poor-quality sound recording and no video. The South Carolina PBS performance of Roman Fever that I showed is avalable from the publishers, but may not be posted on YouTube. Instead, I include links to a performance at Hunter College, sung by fine student performers, albeit in a low-budget production with murky video.

FILMS and video adaptations of the original stories are plentiful. Most, however, are student projects with limited time and resources. I include links to the three best: the short Toby Nies adaptation of The Story of an Hour and the splendid Derek Coutts film of Roman Fever, both of which we sampled in class. I also include a link to an hour-long version of the Chopin by Tina Rathbone, that expands the story to show the marriage of Louise and Brently Mallard (restrictive, but not unusual for its period) from which she is only too glad to escape; I recommend it.

HANDOUTS
  The Story of an Hour   Original text
Brunyate libretto
  Roman Fever   Original text
Synopses (compares the story and the opera)
Text changes (RW's changes to the libretto)
Alida's aria (first and final versions)
 
CHOPIN
  Benjamin: The Joy that Kills   Premiere performance, 1998 (audio with text)
  Film adaptations   Toby Nies (6 minutes)
Tina Rathbone (60 minutes)
 
WHARTON
  Ward: Roman Fever   Opening (Hunter College performance)
Middle (as above)
End (as above)
  Film by Derek Coutts   Complete film (24 minutes)

           
IMAGES
The thumbnails below cover the slides shown in class. Click the thumbnail to see a larger image.
Click on the right or left of the larger picture to go forward or back, or outside it to close.
Class slides  Class slides  Class slides 
Class slides  Class slides  Class slides 

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