So far I have considered ways to fashion a theme statement based on examining information in the score. Doing research into the materials on which the li- bretto is based, the lives and other works of the composer and librettist, and any relevant history can also yield useful clues. Sometimes the clue is a revelatory
fact or statement; sometimes it provides a new perspective that opens up the creators’ viewpoint or intentions.
Your research will be most productive if, as you are doing it, you constantly ask yourself how you can apply the information you are uncovering. Keep your mind and your imagination actively engaged.
The Source Material for the Libretto
As you read source material for the libretto, look for similarities and differences between it and the text of your piece; these differences may include the addition or deletion of characters or even whole scenes. Ask yourself how any differences emphasize certain ideas.
Some of the many operas, operettas, and musicals whose sources are plays, stories, novels, or poems are The Barber of Seville, The Marriage of Figaro, The
Magic Flute, Don Giovanni, La Traviata, Rigoletto, Lucia di Lammermoor, Otello, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Macbeth, Faust, Carmen, Romeo and Juliet, La Bo- hème, Wozzeck, Billy Budd, Lost in the Stars, West Side Story, Peter Pan, The Se- cret Garden, Les Misérables, and The King and I.
Many operas and musicals are based on myths or historical events that you can usefully research; these include Orfeo, L’Incoronazione di Poppea, Semele, Les
Huguenots, Wagner’s Ring Cycle, Tristan und Isolde, Hansel and Gretel, The Rape of Lucretia, Elektra, Into the Woods. Some are based on historical events that
were made into plays or novels before becoming the source of a music-theater libretto and so can be explored both from the perspective of history and litera- ture. Don Carlos and Les Misérables are two such.
If you are trying to fashion a theme statement for a nineteenth- or twentieth- century art song or lied, check whether the text is a poem by an established poet. If so, read the original and study how the composer has emphasized certain words or lines by the way he has set them. Pay particular attention to any words or phrases the composer repeated. Observe how his choices bring forth particu- lar ideas.
Biography
When you research biographical material for clues, see if you can find anything the creators themselves may have said about the piece. For pieces composed after the latter part of the nineteenth century, search for direct quotations in newspapers, magazines, and theater programs. For earlier works you will usu- ally find that letters are the best sources. Look for letters not only by the com- poser or the librettist but by people who performed the piece, or who witnessed
the original performances. You will often find these and other primary source material quoted in biographies.
Other Works by the Same Composer or Librettist
When you research other works by the composer or librettist, begin with any they created together. (Mozart wrote three operas with da Ponte; Verdi wrote several with Boito; most of Richard Strauss’s operas were written with Hof- mannsthal; Weill wrote several pieces with Brecht; and, of course, there are fa- mous creative teams for operettas and musicals, such as Gilbert and Sullivan and Rodgers and Hart.) But whether you study their joint works or simply other works in their oeuvre, look for issues, patterns of relationships, or plot elements that show up repeatedly. Then use these similarities to step back from the spe- cific details of your piece to possible larger themes.
If you are researching the theme of an art song or lied, read other poems by the poet who wrote the original text, and look for issues which he repeatedly addresses.
History
You will always enrich your understanding of a piece by reading relevant his- tory. You never know when you will come across an item in your historical re- search that will help you fashion your theme statement. I found my key to one possible theme for The Marriage of Figaro in a historical section of a biography of Beaumarchais (the author of the play on which Figaro is based). There I learned that in eighteenth-century France there were two legal systems: the traditional, feudal system, in which the lord of the manor had jurisdiction, and a new, state legal system, in which a state-appointed judge handed down the decisions.
Suddenly, I understood why when act III opens the Count is waiting on the judge, Don Curzio, to decide the case between Figaro and Marcellina—even though he insisted at the end of the previous act that he would adjudicate it. Clearly, it is an example of the new state legal system taking precedence over the feudal one; the Count’s power is being curbed. This led me to observe that other situations in which the Count’s power is undercut occur repeatedly throughout the opera. I realized that the erosion of the Count’s power was a central the- matic idea.
Do research about both the period in which the piece was created and the period in which the piece is supposed to take place. (You can expect to find some history in a good biography.) Sometimes you can find books or articles that bring together relevant historical and biographical information, like “Verdi’s Italy” or “Mozart’s Vienna.”
If in your research you come across someone else’s statement of a possible theme, use it to stimulate your own thinking. Ultimately, you may decide to adopt it, but test it first to be sure that it really suits your understanding of the piece.
Troubleshooting
When you attempt to fashion a theme statement, what you are developing is no more than a working hypothesis. Bear in mind that you are not stuck with your choice. You can change it as you fashion your super-objective, objectives, acting beats, and subtext, and as you coach and rehearse the piece.
If you are stumped, unwrap your imagination and try some of the follow- ing procedures.
Review your list of conflicts and explore what is at stake in each one. Ask
whether the same stakes are at issue more than once. Assume that the conflicts are designed to escalate in intensity and explore what feelings become more in- tense and what issue(s) generates the feelings. Explore whether there is a pattern to the kinds of choices the major characters make when they are in conflict. For instance, the Count in The Marriage of Figaro repeatedly loses his temper. Why?
Write out a plot summary like the one I made for West Side Story, labeling
the characters with their functions and relationships. Step back and ask what ideas the plot illustrates. If there are several plot lines, look for the issues that the plots have in common. If you can draw a moral from the plot, you have the foundation for a possible theme statement. Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte, for instance, ends with everyone singing the praises of the man of reason who is able to laugh at life’s difficulties. Perhaps the theme of the opera is “Don’t take life too seri- ously” or “If you let yourself follow your feelings you will suffer.”
Make a list of the four or five most important characters. Chart how they re-
late to each other. Examine what connects them. Is it class, family, money, poli- tics, religion, love, hatred? If there are important characters who don’t relate to each other, figure out what issue requires them to be in the same piece.
Look at the title page. As discussed in exercise “Questions” (chapter ),
think of the title as an arrow pointing to the center of the work. As an example, consider West Side Story. Why is it not called Tony and Maria like its model
Romeo and Juliet? Are we being encouraged to see the piece as exploring a social
dilemma rather than the suffering of individuals?
Sometimes, particularly in eighteenth-century operas, you will discover that a work has two titles. Consider both. For example, Don Giovanni is sub- titled Il dissoluto punito (“The Dissolute One Punished”), which certainly sug- gests a possible theme.
Look for an indication of a genre such as “tragedy” or “comedy.” It can help you ask useful questions. Don Giovanni is labeled a “dramma giocoso” (light- hearted drama). If you combine this information with its subtitle, you may be prompted to question how seriously you are to take that punishment. Does the piece support a pious theme statement?
Look for the date when the work was premiered. It gives you the historical period within which you can most fruitfully interpret the piece. (Most pieces are published within a few years of their premiere so you can use the publication date as your guide.) The date of the premiere of The Beggar’s Opera is; that of Die Dreigroschenoper is. With this knowledge you have an important key to understanding why, although Die Dreigroschenoper is built on The Beggar’s
Opera, their themes are different.
Examine the last scene to see how the conflicts are resolved. Identify the ob-
stacles that the “good guys” have overcome. If, for example, the piece ends in a marriage, identify what previously kept the couple apart—money, class, ap- pearances? Ask what (not who) stood in the way of the resolution.
For instance, I have mentioned that although the toreador, Escamillo, in Car-
men might seem to be the obstacle to a happy union between Carmen and Don
José, it is really their psychological needs that stand in the way. Similarly in The
Barber of Seville, the obstacle appears to be the Bad Guy (Bartolo, Rosina’s guar-
dian), who wants the Girl (Rosina) for himself; however, the obstacle is actually created by the Good Guy (the Count), who insists on wooing the Girl in disguise. If the Good Guy had started by announcing himself as the aristocrat that he is, the Bad Guy, who is not of the nobility, would probably have felt obliged to bow out. (When the Good Guy secretly reveals his true identity to the Bad Servant (Basilio), the Servant immediately withdraws, which suggests this point.) The Good Guy insists on his disguise as a poor student, because he wants to make sure that the Girl loves him for himself. When he chooses his wife on the basis of their mutual love, he is taking a revolutionary step: he is avoiding the marriage that his noble parents normally would have arranged for political or economic reasons.
By identifying the obstacle, you can see that the theme of The Barber of
Seville revolves around the Count’s rejection of the conventional aristocratic
approach to finding a wife. Therefore, you might try “Marriage for love as a revo- lutionary act” as a theme statement.
Look at the words of the final chorus if there is one. You will often find them
to be either summaries of the action or statements of a moral—either of which can be helpful.
Work on fashioning your character’s super-objective and objectives as described
in the next two chapters. As you understand them, you will get insights into the theme.
Summary
When you fashion your theme statement for a piece it should encapsulate your interpretation of the big idea that holds the music, words, and actions of a piece together. It should also concisely capture the viewpoint embodied in the piece toward this central issue or question. To fashion a theme statement, scour the score for possible clues and explore relevant research material. Then, stand back from the piece and using your imagination and intelligence, look for its overall patterns. Although it can be a challenge, once you have fashioned a vi- able theme statement, you have a powerful tool with which to organize your en- tire vocal and dramatic interpretation of a role.
Exercises
EXERCISE 1. (I) Create a Scenario Around a Theme
Objective: to get a sense of what a theme statement may be and how it func-
tions.
Instructions:
Create the scenario for a piece to a theme of your own choice. Start by choosing a theme and your point of view about it. Then create a cast of possible characters and make an outline of the actions of the first three scenes.
For example, the theme might be abortion; the point of view might be pro- life, pro-choice, or a complex mix. (Equally interesting themes might be eu- thanasia, the difficulties of an illegal immigrant, overpopulation, the dilemma of a young man whether to reveal that he has been molested by his priest, or the impact of rapid change.)
The characters for a piece on abortion might be: a pregnant teenage girl, her boyfriend, a doctor, a clergyman, the girl’s mother, and the boy’s father.
The first scene might take place in the girl’s bedroom; she is just finishing using a home testing kit. She discovers she is pregnant and breaks down crying. She phones her boyfriend and insists that he come over right away.
The second scene might take place in the clergyman’s office. The girl’s mother has come for advice; she is worried that her daughter is sleeping with her boyfriend. The clergyman gives her counsel. (What counsel he gives will de- pend on the point of view you want to develop. Does he tell the mother not to worry—the daughter is “a good girl?” Does he suggest that she give her daugh- ter advice about abstinence or about contraception?)
The third scene might take place in the girl’s bedroom. The boyfriend has arrived. Depending on the point of view you want to explore, the boyfriend might offer to marry her, urge her to have an abortion, or walk out.
EXERCISE 2. (I) Analyzing the Familiar
Objective: to practice creating theme statements by using pieces you know
extremely well.
Instructions:
Choose one of your favorite movies.
Analyze what about its content appeals to you. Use that insight together with your knowledge of the plot and characters to fashion a theme statement.
Do the same for your favorite television program or series, or for a fa- vorite song.
EXERCISE 3. (I) Point of View
Objective: to distinguish the theme from the plot. Instructions:
There are several stories that have been adapted by more than one com- poser. Among the most readily available are Monteverdi’s and Gluck’s Orfeo; The
Beggar’s Opera by Gay and Die Dreigroschenoper by Weill; Verdi’s Falstaff and
Nikolai’s The Merry Wives of Windsor; Gounod’s Faust and Boito’s Mefistofele; and Puccini’s and Leoncavallo’s La Bohème.
Familiarize yourself with one of these pairs. Then create a theme statement for each that captures how their points of view differ.
EXERCISE 4. (I/G). Applying Your Theme Statement
Objective: to explore how the theme statement will shape a production. Instructions:
Here are two theme statements for The Marriage of Figaro:
The Marriage of Figaro applauds the erosion of aristocratic privilege. The Marriage of Figaro explores reconciliation as the maturation of love.
Here are two theme statements for West Side Story:
West Side Story celebrates the triumph of love over hate. West Side Story mourns the destruction of love by hate.
. Choose a role from one of these pieces that you would like to perform. Pick the theme statement that seems most potent to you or create your own.
Make a list of character choices you would make to help your character il- lustrate the theme. What personality aspects would you emphasize? How might you alter your physicality?
Pick a particular scene. Explore what choices of dynamics, word emphasis, or vocal colors you might want to use to reinforce your character’s contribution to the theme. Pick a specific action your character might do. How might you vary it so it helps reinforce your theme statement?
. Imagine you are the conductor. How might you shape the musical values of the same scene to clarify the theme? What tempos would you use? What dy- namics, which instrumental colors might you emphasize?
. Imagine you are the stage director. How might you stage the action of the scene you chose to clarify the theme?
. Imagine you are the scene designer. How might you design the set for your chosen scene to emphasize the theme? What colors would you use? What kinds of spaces would you create?
EXERCISE 5. (I) Pondering Your Artistic Responsibility
Objective: to consider the impact of your own values on your role as an in-
terpreter.
Instructions:
Write a brief essay about your mission as an artist. Since as an actor-singer you will usually be cast in the role of an interpretive artist, how will your mis- sion affect your interpretations? Do you feel that your artistic mission involves social responsibility? If so, how do you plan to exercise it?