The News-Gazette.com: Opera 'Rappaccini's Daughter' opening Thursday at Krannert

Opera 'Rappaccini's Daughter' opening Thursday at Krannert

By Melissa Merli

Sunday, February 15, 2009 9:03 AM CDT

Conductor Eduardo Diazmunoz knows composer Daniel Catan's opera "Rappaccini's Daughter" almost as well as does Catan.

The head of the University of Illinois School of Music Opera Program, Diazmunoz has conducted three major productions of the Spanish-language opera – the world premiere in 1991 in Mexico City, the U.S. premiere in 1994 with the San Diego Opera and the 1997 Manhattan School of Music version.

Now Diazmunoz will add a fourth: the UI School of Music Opera Program production, to open Thursday at Krannert Center.

"All four big productions have been under my command," Diazmunoz said after a recent rehearsal in the Tryon Festival Theatre, where the set for "Rap's Daughter" resembles what a "Little Shop of Horrors" production might look like in Barcelona.

Plants, mainly poisonous ones, figure prominently in Catan's opera, based on the 1844 Nathaniel Hawthorne short story, "Rappaccini's Daughter," and an Octavio Paz play adapted from the Hawthorne work.

The story in both is about a medical botanist in medieval Padova, Italy, who experiments with poisonous plants in his lush garden.

Justin Vickers as Giovanni finds himself in a peculiar place, populated by flowers, Sara Olsen, left, and Amy Hutter during rehearsal for Thursday's opening of 'Rappaccinis Daughter' in the Tryon Festival Theatre at Krannert Center for Performing Arts. By Darrell Hoemann

The botanist, Rappaccini, has a beautiful daughter, Beatrice, who is confined to the locked garden. Giovanni, a young medical student, hears about Rappaccini and Beatrice, and from his quarters, glimpses her one day. He falls in love.

Ignoring the advice of his mentor, Professor Baglioni, Giovanni eventually sneaks into the forbidden garden to meet with Beatrice. He discovers that she is immune to the effects of her father's manipulated plants and that she herself is infectious to others, including Giovanni.

He gives her an antidote, but it ends up being fatal to Beatrice.

Diazmunoz and Steve Fiol, director of the UI's "Rappaccini's Daughter," said Catan mainly drew inspiration for the opera from the play "La Hija de Rappaccini," written by Paz and first performed in 1956 in Mexico. Paz won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1990, around the time Catan was composing the opera.

Catan, a native of Mexico who lives in Los Angeles, has focused on opera for most of his career. It was Catan who convinced Diazmunoz, also a native Mexican, to conduct opera. And Catan insisted that Diazmunoz conduct Catan's first one.

Diazmunoz told the composer, whom he now calls his "opera godfather," that he was taking a big risk; at the time, Diazmunoz had conducted only one opera and was primarily a symphonic conductor. "He said, 'That's why. Usually opera conductors don't pay attention to the orchestra,'" Diazmunoz related.

Opera lovers here will be able to hear that as well as other anecdotes straight from Catan, who was to arrive in Champaign-Urbana on Saturday. While here, he will give lectures, master classes and lead the "Libretto" conversation on "Rap's Daughter" at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in the Krannert Room at Krannert Center. Another libretto will take place at 2 p.m. next Sunday.

Fiol, a Millikin University official who has directed eight operas for the UI, and Diazmunoz said "Rap's Daughter" is relevant to current scientific issues like genetic modification of plants. Fiol and Diazmunoz have updated the UI's "Rap's Daughter" – not to the 21st century but instead circa 1910, to create an art deco and surrealist atmosphere.

They also augmented the chorus of flower girls from three to six; on stage throughout the opera, they wear fantastic costumes that make them appear as flowers. The set also features a large palm tree with a mysterious looking red pod.

The opera also features a dream scene in which Giovanni visits the off-limits garden. The two opera students who portray Giovanni – all five lead roles have been double-cast – will wear harnesses to fly from the bedroom into the garden.

"We're doing the simplest possible fly you can do, and it still takes a full crew of people," Fiol said. "He goes up the set, turns, and then he descends."

Giovanni flies only once during the two-act opera. Unlike many operas, "Rap's Daughter" is relatively brief, clocking in at less than two hours, with intermission.

As for Catan's music in "Rap's Daughter," Diazmunoz describes it as "Richard Strauss, Puccini, Debussy, Ravel and Brahms put in a mixer with a little salt and pepper of Catan."

"It's melodic," the conductor said. "The way he sees dissonance follows most of the traditional canon of resolutions to color and to add tension. It's tonal music. It has a gravity center, but it flows. It has a melody that people will hum after the show."

If you go

What: University of Illinois School of Music Opera Program presents Daniel Catan's "Rappaccini's Daughter," in Spanish with English supertitles, conducted by Eduardo Diazmunoz and directed by Steve Fiol

When: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 19, 20 and 21 and 3 p.m. Feb. 22

Where: Tryon Festival Theatre, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, 500 S. Goodwin Ave., U

Tickets: Adults, $22; senior citizens, $20; students, $15; and University of Illinois students and youths of high school age and younger, $10

For information: Call 333-6382, or visit online www. krannertcenter.com

Of note: "Libretto" conversations on the opera will be at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 21 with Catan and at 2 p.m. Feb. 22, both in the Krannert Room at Krannert Center. The $6 ticket includes dessert and a beverage.

Composer Catan's local appearances

URBANA – Composer Daniel Catan, who wrote "Rappaccini's Daughter," the opera to be presented by the University of Illinois School of Music Opera Program this week, will make several public appearances in the next few days.

The events are hosted by Maestro Eduardo Diazmunoz, unless otherwise noted:

— Meet the composer, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Monday, Tryon Festival Theatre, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, 500 S. Goodwin Ave., U.

— "Talkback" with audience after opening night performance Thursday, Tryon Festival Theatre, Krannert Center.

— Pre-concert lecture, 6 to 7 p.m. Friday, Krannert Room, Krannert Center.

— "Talkback" after Friday performance, Tryon Festival Theatre, Krannert Center.

— Libretto, 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. Saturday, Krannert Room. The $6 ticket includes dessert and a beverage. Hosted by Thomas Schleis.