Little Women: An Opera in Two Acts

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Free Music Notes for Little Women: An Opera in Two Acts

Free Music Review: Modern Opera Finds Its Voice
Hit: 5 Stars

Adamo's writing is wonderfully melodious, absolutely beautiful to the ear - anyone's ear, not just modern music snobs. When Adamo breaks into melody (and there's tons of melody here, real melody), the tonality just gushes everywhere.

You'll want to hear a number of arias over and over, but the baritone aria that begins the second act will melt your heart. (Listen for it to quietly return at the opera's end). Every mezzo-soprano will soon be clamoring to play Jo. The role is challenging, dramatic and full of gorgeous music. Beth's death scene is incredibly moving, with her voice floating over Adamo's harmonies to the "heavenly meadows." The closing quartet is as lovely and bittersweet as a "Rosencavalier" in miniature.

Adamo's libretto is as much of a wonder as the score. His adaptation and condensation of the story is tightly focused on Jo and the inevitable changes of maturity. But there's plenty of humor too - the words and music are a perfect match. This opera is one that will last, one that gets more beautiful on every hearing.

Although this opera is being staged everywhere now - it's on its way to the New York City Opera, where Adamo is now composer in residence - it's hard to imagine a better peformance than this one. Most of the cast members created their roles at the world premiere and repeated them at the recent revival in Houston.

You'll never regret having this CD. Thanks to Mark Adamo and the Houston Grand Opera.

Little Women: An Opera in Two Acts Poster

Little Women is about change and letting go of the past. This theme and the dramatic conflict it engenders are beautifully encapsulated in two fine Act I scenes: Jo's "Look at us, Laurie: we're perfect as we are," and Meg's aria, "Things change." Adamo's music is equal to the challenge of his ambitious agenda. The 18-piece orchestra sounds bigger than it is, perhaps because it's always active, moving the story along on its own or commenting on the characters and action. Adamo writes big arias and unapologetically includes expressive coloratura passages. He even dares to write a Schubertian aria on the text of Goethe's "Kennst du das Land," repeating it (with variations) in English. And he injects some humor into the opera, as heard in the delightful scene of Brook's proposal to Meg, an arch snippet about surtitles, and Jo at the offices of a trashy tabloid. The singers are all first-rate, but the opera rises or falls on Jo, the kind of meaty part singers would kill for. Stephanie Novak is marvelous here, singing with passion and projecting Jo's innocence as well as her journey to self-knowledge. Patrick Summers leads a definitive performance of the opera. The recording is drawn from live performances in March 2000. Ondine, a Finnish company, has done American music proud with this release. --Dan Davis

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