Review: Pittsburgh Opera gives new composer a strong production of 'Sumeida's Song'
Those who braved the nasty weather Feb. 21 and ventured to Pittsburgh Opera's evening performance of “Sumeida's Song” were rewarded with a remarkable production of an important and enthralling contemporary work by a young composer with a bright future.
Composer and librettist Mohammed Fairouz, 29, completed the opera seven years ago, inspired by Egyptian playwright Tawfig al-Hakim's “Song of Death.” The central character, Asakir, lives in a village in Upper Egypt. She is consumed with revenge after waiting 17 years for justice for the murder and dismemberment of her husband.
The opera begins with Asakir and her sister Mabrouka awaiting the return of Asakir's son Alwan. He had been sent to Cairo to learn to be a butcher and become good with a knife, but instead he went to the university and became educated. Reunited with his mother, he refuses the traditional role of avenger, saying he will not kill. Instead, he came home to bring clean water and education to his village. In response, Asakir becomes deranged and banishes him. She orders Sumeida, her sister's son, to go after Alwan and kill him. Sumeida, whose song in the first scene signaled Alwan's arrival, sings again when Alwan is dead.
Pittsburgh Opera's production uses a simple set in a small corner of the black box theater in the opera's headquarters building in the Strip District. Wooden pallets are used for walls on two sides, with sand around the edges of the performance space.
Mezzo-soprano Laurel Semerdjian's portrayal of Asakir was a dramatic and musical tour de force. For nearly all of the opera's one-hour duration, she was potently malevolent. Semerdjian was particularly impressive when Asakir becomes unhinged, a moment when the libretto has her repeat key lines. Her dramatic gestures, including seemingly involuntary twitching, were all the more affecting for being finely graded. By the end of the opera, when she softly sings “My son,” we feel surprising sympathy for Asakir.
Semerdjian was also impressive in handling the musical challenges posed by the musical language Fairouz employs. The composer, born in New York City and educated on the East Coast, was already writing in an individual and persuasive style when he created “Sumeida's Song.” One can hear many influences or musical loves in his score, from Arabic to modern Western classical styles. These include rootless music and fundamental elements of tonality. Fairouz also uses microtonal pitches from Arabic modality. What matters most is the way he forges them into his own language, which is stylistically fluent in a natural way that serves the drama.
The performance was extremely well prepared. All four singers were impressive in moving through the challenges.
Soprano Adelaide Baedeker was terrific as Mabrouka, offering a striking portrayal of her character's multiple dimensions. Baritone Alex DeSocio was impressive as Alwan, mixing conviction with sensitivity in dealing with the village mindset he left behind. Tenor Adam Bonanni sang beautifully and with power as Sumeida.
Conductor Glenn Lewis led a performance that built on scrupulous attention to the score to create a potent dramatic experience. The chamber ensemble, made up of principal players from the opera orchestra, performed with astonishing assurance and virtuosity.
Pittsburgh Opera deserves great credit for introducing the music of Fairouz to Pittsburgh. His recent CD on Deutsche Grammophon, “Follow, poet” also shows this composer is one to take seriously and is winning admirers internationally.
Equally important, in a broader sense, encountering “Sumeida's Song” provides an important perspective on the Arab world, one of many needed to provide a fuller picture than can be learned from news headlines.
Mark Kanny is classical music critic for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-320-7877 or mkanny@tribweb.com.
