Prima Donna (opera)

Prima Donna is an opera composed by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright to a French language libretto which he co-authored with Bernadette Colomine. It is about "a day in the life of an aging opera singer", anxiously preparing for her comeback in 1970s Paris, who falls in love with a journalist. It premiered at the Palace Theatre, Manchester on July 10, 2009 during the Manchester International Festival.

Development

In an attempt to bring younger audiences into the realm of opera, Metropolitan Opera general manager Peter Gelb and André Bishop, artistic director of Lincoln Center Theater, held meetings with several contemporary artists to discuss possible contributions to their innovative commissioning project. According to Bishop, each team would be offered a $50,000 commission and the entire project was estimated to cost around $2 million, split by the Met and Lincoln Center Theater. Each team or composer was expected to submit a piano-vocal score without a timetable, which would then undergo workshops overseen by LCT. By June 2007, Wainwright was the furthest along of all the contributing artists, having already started the writing process and revealing 30 minutes of excerpts to officials associated with the project. By December 2007, Wainwright stated he'd "written the first act and most of the second act in sketch form and has almost finished the libretto", and that he'd have more time to dedicate to the project once his tour schedule completed. Wainwright had completed piano and voice parts by February 2008, and began tackling orchestrations.

With a workshop scheduled for January 2009, Wainwright revealed in a Brazilian TV show interview that his opera would premiere in Manchester, United Kingdom in July 2009. He stated the world premiere would be "somewhere small so that if it's a complete failure, nobody [would know] about it".

Separation from the Met

In August 2008, it was revealed that Wainwright dropped plans to compose a work for the Metropolitan Opera in a dispute over the language of the libretto and the potential date of production. Wainwright wanted the opera to be in French, while the Met and LCT insisted on English. According to Gelb, "presenting a new opera that is not in English at the Met, when it could be in English, is an immediate impediment". While Wainwright was initially open to the idea of translating the text into English, he said the French became "too entrenched in the music". In addition, the Met wouldn't be able to premiere Prima Donna earlier than the 2014 season, and Wainwright insisted he "wanted to get it out as soon as possible". Both Wainwright and Gelb have stated there are no hard feelings and they are sorry the collaboration did not work out as originally planned. Wainwright confirmed that the premiere would still be held in July 2009 at the Manchester International Festival in England.

In October 2008, it was announced that the work would be produced in partnership with Opera North, with Pierre-André Valade conducting the orchestra, Daniel Kramer directing, designing by Antony McDonald, and Janis Kelly performing the lead role alongside Rebecca Bottone, William Joyner and Jonathan Summers. The Guardian stated Wainwright was working with two student assistants from Yale, but that he would be orchestrating the opera himself. With the first act already orchestrated and vocal score with piano reduction almost completed, the Manchester International Festival requested delivery of a full score in February 2009. Like Wagner, Wainwright wrote both the libretto and music, but admitted "writing words [was] much harder than writing music". He also claimed that arias would be clearly defined and that no microphones or amplification would be utilized. Following the Manchester premiere performances, London performances at Sadler's Wells Theatre are scheduled for April 2010, and the North American premiere took place June 1010 at the Luminato festival in Toronto, with Wainwright present.

In December 2009, Sundance Channel aired a 90-minute documentary directed by George Scott titled Prima Donna spotlighting the history of Wainwright's career and his attempt to "create classical opera from scratch".

Further performances

Following the Manchester premiere, London performances at Sadler's Wells Theatre were held in April 2010, and the North American premiere took place June 2010 at the Luminato festival in Toronto, with Wainwright present. Performances at the New York City Opera are scheduled for February 19-25, 2012.

Roles

Role	Voice Type	Premiere Cast – July 2009
Régine Saint Laurent, an operatic soprano	soprano	Janis Kelly
Marie, her maid	soprano	Rebecca Bottone
Philippe, her butler	baritone	Jonathan Summers
André Le Tourner, a journalist	tenor	William Joyner

Synopsis

Place: The Paris apartment of Régine Saint Laurent, the world's most acclaimed operatic soprano

Time: Bastille Day, 1970

From the Manchester International Festival:

"As early-morning light floods into a Paris apartment, a woman struggles to rouse herself from a fitful night's sleep. Once a soprano with a powerhouse voice and a reputation to match, she's now a forlorn figure, disdained by critics and forgotten by audiences. But the diva is determined to prove her doubters wrong: all she asks is a chance to reprise the role that made her reputation all those years ago..."

Act 1

Following a night of endless nightmares, Madame Saint Laurent is awake unusually early, and surprisingly keen to spend time with her new maid, Marie. Marie has also had a sleepless night due to her tempestuous husband, the confession of which frees Madame to share her own terrors of returning to the stage after an unexplained six year hiatus.

Madame tells Marie of the stage role of her life, Aliénor d'Aquitaine, Queen of both England and France, she who created love and romance. These two women, from opposite walks of life, find solace in each other at a breaking point in both their lives.

Philippe, Madame's butler and confidante, enters with his trusted companion, Francois. Philippe is in his usual bad mood, having spent the whole morning finalizing arrangements for that afternoon's interview with Paris' top journalist, André Le Tourner, a rendezvous that Madame has, of course, forgotten.

Philippe and Francois rush to prepare the apartment for the journalist's imminent arrival. As they do, Philippe once again tells Francois of the golden days when Madame was the Queen of Paris... until the opening night of Aliénor six years ago, that one triumphant and disastrous performance after which Madame never sang again. Lost in reverie, nostalgia and regret, Philippe swears that he and Madame will not make the same mistakes this time.

The doorbell rings and the journalist arrives. Philippe puts on a strong show with the help of Francois and Marie who all welcome André into the glamorous world of Régine Saint Laurent, who makes her grand entrance.

The interview turns out to be more than Madame or André had imagined. Madame sees in him a ghost from her past that begins to reveal the true story of what happened that fatal night six years ago. André sees more than the legend he has adored since his university days. Romance blossoms in the air and, within moments, they are around the piano, singing the iconic love duet from Aliénor. As the passion and duet reach a climax, Madame's heart and voice break down.

Philippe leaps in to save the day, Madame is put to rest under Marie's care, and Philippe tries to placate André. Everyone attempts to comfort Madame, but there is something else blossoming inside her heart, something lost for many years now. As the curtain falls, Madame surprises everyone.

Act 2

Later that same evening.

Marie wakens Madame from another nightmare, and tells her about love in her home of Picardie. She teases Madame about her Parisian behavior with the journalist. Both women again find comfort in each other.

Marie confronts Philippe about his plans to have the journalist return that evening to continue the interview over dinner and the Bastille Day fireworks. Philippe erupts at Marie and reminds her of her place in his household.

Back in her bedroom, Madame warms her voice and tries to understand why it failed her in front of the journalist. While she can sing the precious high note in isolation, each time she tries to put words and meaning into the music, she is again unable to reach the climactic note. Madame realizes that she must confront what happened that glorious, tragic evening six years ago if she is ever to sing Aliénor, or any opera, ever again. As she plays the legendary recording of her opening night, her mind carries her back in time to her original performance of that very same love duet.

Henry, the King of England, prepares the garden to make love to his glorious Aliénor. When Madame enters as Aliénor, it becomes clear that this performance was not merely two great artists acting out a love story, but two souls passionately in love with each other, both on and offstage. Madame and her leading tenor consume each other before their shocked audience and receive the curtain call of a god and goddess.

Backstage that same night a young and infatuated Philippe has another love story in mind for himself and Madame. But when Madame rejects his notions of love, he forces her to confront the painful truth behind her obsessive love affair. It is a truth that breaks Madame's heart, and her will to sing forever.

Madame wakens from her reverie and declares her refusal to return to the stage. Philippe explodes and unveils a color of himself to Madame that can neither be forgotten nor forgiven. Philippe musters every ounce of his remaining pride and makes his final exit from Madame's life forever - just as the doorbell rings for the journalist's return.

The journalist, however, has an unpleasant surprise for Madame; although something deep inside of her has changed forever, and with utter grace and generosity she wish him and his fiancée well.

André asks Madame for one last gesture before he leaves; would she sign his original album of Aliénor? Madame does so, and she announces the end of her career to the journalist. But just before he goes, she realizes that she would like the precious souvenir to be for someone closer to her heart – Marie.

La Prima Donna signs her last autograph.

Left alone in her apartment, Madame steps onto the balcony to watch the Bastille Day fireworks.

External links

• Rufus Wainwright's official site
• Rufus Wainwright at Geffen Records
• musichall.uk.com profile for Janis Kelly
• sussexchorus.org - Rebecca Bottone profile
• William Joyner's site - bio, gallery, repertoire, press and calendar for the American tenor William Joyner
• Jonathan Summers' site
• European American Music Distributors LLC - score publisher's website