The Music of Don Gillis II; Opera

The national educational radio network presents music by Don Gillis and this is done give us saying welcome to program number 13 which begins with. That brief piece of music was from one of my operas called the libretto and it rather sums up our subject for this program on which as I warned you last week I will probably climb upon a musical soapbox to express a few ideas about opera. First of all let me say that I won't be talking about grand opera or opera in the tradition of Aida Faust or Falstaff but rather about American opera and more specifically my own ideas and writing combined with examples taken from some of my scores and we'll begin with music from the first stage work I ever wrote called the overture to the Park Avenue kids. The book

a way to Anyway the budget way the Buddha. Eh bien the boy

Arab winter the. The brief overture to the Park Avenue kids has been the opening item on music by Don Gillis where on this 13th broadcast the subject is opera. Next I'd like to play us a short scene from my campus opera called pep rally. And this comedy about college life during the football season. The students of our particular university are

gathered in what seems to be an off campus student center where football is the main topic of conversation and particularly the championship game which is to be played the next day. All but one of them seems the most enthusiastic. But Billy Buster the smartest student in school has been razzed unmercifully because he's too small to muscularly insufficient to make the football team and the music we're to hear Billie played by Wally Anderson in this 1957 Interlochen performance sums up his size and general problem in a lament called the vitamin B1 blues. Eat

eat. Eat. Those. Me eat. Meat. Eat

less right. This. Was obviously a bit like the shit was told he was. Casket

he. Got those. God. The Vitamin B1 blows a scene from pep rally the one act opera I wrote about a college where football was king. Our next excerpt is from the libretto a comedy about a composer who wanted to write an opera but just couldn't find a libretto. His operatic name is Bill Emmott and his wife Jan offers

her help in getting the opera started but as you will see Jan really is more hopeful than helpful and some of the ideas she suggests the role of Bill is sung here by Leslie Gwynne and Marilyn Taylor's savage sings the part of Jan and this performance conducted by Gilbert Mitchell with the orchestra of the United States Army Band. Was. To. Be.

OK. I am I am. Oh oh. Oh really. I mean. Why do we mean the.

You and I

will come. To rest. The. Music from the libretto a comedy about the problems of the composer. We'll hear one more brief episode from this work a sample of the type of work which Jan in her impetuous desire to make instant opera suggests to her composer husband. If she tells him you can't find a proper book for your opera Why don't you just put some of the words together in German or in French and then since no one will be able to understand it anyway they'll think it's great. Well for one brief moment Bill succumbs and they try out her idea with etc.. Right.

Yeah. I mean do you agree. With Leslie Glynn and Marilyn Taylor Savvich as composer Bill Emmott and his wife Jan

we've just heard two brief excerpts from the libretto as part of our sampling from some of my own scores in this highly frustrating medium we call opera. And now like they do on all the big programs we're going to have an intermission during which I plan to be the speaker and my subject will be you guessed it Opera. I would say at the very outset of our session that I'm pretty eminently qualified to talk about opera for I'm highly unsuccessful and that always makes one the voice of authority. I'm not unsuccessful in writing them. Well I finished eight so far only unsuccessful in getting them performed and published. And the reason for UN success really has no relationship to the merit of the works. My problem is identical to that of my colleagues the public. If it wants opera at all would they tell us much rather have Aida than Park Avenue kids. Or to restate the premise that people who produce opera. These people justifiably look to the box office. It's as simple as that Aida is a success so let's do it even

without elephants it's a bigger draw than any American opera you could mention. So given a situation of high production costs disinterested producers and a public which can't make up its mind about the American composers product because it can't see them. We have an enigma which sits upon the horns of a dilemma. The case of what to do with your opera until posterity comes. During the past decade or so many of my colleagues have attempted to solve some of the problems by reducing the production requirements. Simple state sets no large casts no ballet or chorus no large orchestras not even elephants. But in spite of these things neither I nor my colleagues have made much inroad on the tradition bound concept of what the public is told it wants. Publishers tell me you can't sell opera and then they say especially American opera critics cry out for new works to be mounted in then when they get on stage the same critics decry the composer's efforts as not good enough to be done again. And as I keep

saying the poor public knows nothing about what they could enjoy because they never get a chance to enjoy it. At least in any sort of bulk and this is strange for never has music theater been more popular in our country. Of course the music theater we seem to patronize most is the Broadway a hit show and this is in a most positive sense well and good for Broadway is just about as much a part of our culture as apple pie mom ism and the marching band. Our high schools and colleges have suddenly discovered Broadway and there are literally thousands of replays each year of things like music man. My Fair Lady carousel Oklahoma. And why not. They're time tested hits and their very name guarantees a box office success for the school producers. So the dollar sign of success the guaranteed pretty happy audience and the limited demands made on the performer leads to their performance in schools and communities to such an extent that I begin to wonder if indeed they are not right and we are not wrong.

Please understand I'm not complaining about the situation I'm only reciting the facts and trying to lead you into my own philosophy about writing for the stage. My theories are simple. Write an entertainment piece. Fill it with tunes that people can sing. Make the story one with which the audience can empathize with the stage action and hopefully be accepted. As I remember my opening statement about being unsuccessful I'll admit that of the eight shows I've done only three of them have ever been staged at all not a success story to be sure but I do think there will be a day when our educators will look beyond Broadway and then if they don't take a giant step and land right smack back in the middle of Aida again my colleagues and I will begin to reap the reward of patience and endeavor as they send for us to help them fill their auditoriums with cash paying customers. I'll step down from my intermission soapbox right now on resume my more placid role of host and commentator and we'll continue our music with a section of my score based on Henry's gift to the match II.

In this work I use in addition to chorus and soloists a narrator. As we listen now the narrator has just been talking with oh Henry's wonderful hair went down my yacht and he now moves into the office where her husband Jim works and it is a most unhappy husband who on the night before Christmas faces the problem of finding a gift for his wife with no money. Mason Johnson is our narrator and William Pickett sings the part of Jim in this music by Don Gillis based on the gift of the magic. That's right. Once he takes a notion to do something. Now what about now. With.

Your help and you have a very. Yes but. It's very. Just done. Just. Toast. Hate to disappoint her. Look what time it is. That's a beautiful watch.

OK so it's a beautiful watch but it doesn't help me to keep staring at it and knowing you've only got an hour to get your wife a Christmas present. Very first Christmas together. And I'm broke. Well if she's as nice as you say she is she won't mind. She'll understand. Tell me about her Jim. What's Della like. What's she like. My Della. Take on this. Oh of that was

just waned in time. Oh oh.

Oh oh. She sure sounds wonderful Jim the way you tell about her. She's the very best. Kelly is now you see why I'm so upset. She's a girl who deserves the finest only only what Jim broke. There's much worse things than being broke Jim for instance what if you were broken didn't have Bella. I know there wouldn't be much to live for. I sure would like to give out those pretty tortoise shell combs for Christmas. I can see her now a beautiful hair on those bones on her head like a crown on a princess you know GM back where I come from folks used to say where there's a will there's a way and I'll bet the fellow who made it I've never run into a case like mine but if I were in your shoes I'd take what money I had and get what I could with it and I'd hurry to because Christmas is sure on its way

and the stores do close. For Pete's sake what time is it Jim. What does your watch say. It says it's already. Music from the gift of the magic with William Pickett as Jim Young and Mason Johnson as the narrator and now quite in contrast to the foregoing I'd like for you to hear a brief episode from my score called bridal suite. The song you're going to hear is done in the opera by the bell captain at the hotel who has just brought tons of baggage to the bridal suite only to receive a quarter as a tip. He thinks the prospect the bridegroom sarcastically and then talks of the joys of being wealthy with I'd rather be rich. I'd rather be with. This.

Man. Oh. Well son of the good. Wow tank you don't have a boat. Henry he doesn't have to run to dream. Of more than lots of yachts and I wish I were rich instead of good looking. But the fact that I haven't got a. Little Son of a gun. No money. This year healthy was in rational you know me. The second Nice know you can still life. Wonderful. I'd rather be rich.

Then but. With some money and just money. Well son of a gun. If I'm not mistook. I would be on your leg I stand in line. Just. Sling. My two redundant dancing really would. Go away. Yeah I wish I were rich. Instead of. Just just. Well son of a gun. Let's really get. This gal this nice in pleasure. The federal treasury year.

Music was I'd rather be rich from the one act opera bridal suite and you can say that was opera. To which I say yes. You know a star at least. And it amply illustrates what I said earlier at intermission tunes that people can sing stories with which the audience may in his mind at least leave his auditorium seat and move around on stage with the actors. I may be wrong but I think given a chance he would enjoy seeing the show like right on suite or Park Avenue kids or gift of the match I and I hastily add a couple of hundred other worthy scores written by my determined colleagues who have a deep in and relearning faith that you the public will someday tire of standard brand diets and rise up to demand opera of American style. And I for one will sure be glad when that golden day arrives so that you can make out rafters ring with your applause and I hope it doesn't take too long. After all you can stall off

posterity forever you know. Be back with us again next week won't you. We're going to begin the second of our 13 week series with music in a sort of pop art mood or what you're going to hear is an unwritten score called The Frog who sang at the Met and during the weeks to come I hope to bring you still more music. Previously not heard on our series your cards and letters as always are welcomed and you may send them to the station to which you are now listening. Music by Don Gillis is produced by Riverdale productions for the national educational radio network. Keith Donaldson is our director. This is Don Gill as saying so long until next week. This is the national educational radio network.