I say “hooray!” to Alex Ross for recognizing Mark Adamo as one of “the best opera composers of the moment”. (I disagree about Adams, but that’s a whole other thing. Ad�s I don’t know from Adam’s off ox.)
Mark is a brilliant guy. If you have the slightest interest in opera or any music for the stage, please read this interview with Mark on NewMusicBox. You’ll see that, not only is he popular and successful, but he actually knows what he’s talking about.
I still think of myself as primarily as a theatrical composer, even when I work on concert pieces. So, I’m pleased that Mark saves me the trouble of saying this, which I’m not smart enough to explain so clearly myself:
Sonata allegro form, if you’re going to put it in 19th-century terms, is a theatrical form. There’s a great overlap between the Aristotelian theory of protagonist, antagonist, conflict, denouement, and principal theme, second theme, exposition, development. So the development of opposites in relation to each other to make points and to sculpt an experience I think is common to both endeavors.
On having to work with parameters when composing for the stage, as opposed to concert works:
There’s a kind of hyper-rhythmic and strutting and exhibitionistic quality to Lysistrata, for example, that there was really no place for in Little Women, and that wasn’t because you couldn’t put it in opera, it was because you couldn’t put it in that opera.
Since Mark writes his own libretti, he was asked the very unfortunate but inevitable question: which comes first. His answer….
The acting. Really knowing how you would play the scene physically in space. The way that I outline it up front, generally it’s sort of a four-part process.
Then there are two fascinating paragraphs where Mark describes his process. I can’t quote all of it, but it’s about a third of the way down the page.
I’ve known Mark for about 20 years, and we’re very much cut from the same cloth. Basically, we both wanted to be Stephen Sondheim when we grew up, and we both ended up following a different path.
(aside)
OK. I admit it: I still want to be Stephen Sondheim when I grow up. But it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen.
(a beat)
…and I don’t think I’m going to be Sondheim either. Fnar fnar…. get it?
Anyway, sorry for namedropping. Nu, it’s a blog. I shouldn’t namedrop? Just read the interview.
