Above: Philippe Jaroussky and Davóne Tines in Kaija Saariaho's Only The Sound Remains; photo by Ruth Walz
~ Author: Ben Weaver
Saturday November 17th, 2018 - Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho newest opera, and the latest collaboration with director Peter Sellars, arrived at the Rose Theater of Lincoln Center for its US premiere performances. Only The Sound Remains is an adaptation of Ezra Pound’s translations of two unrelated Japanese Noh plays. The somber play Tsunemasa became Part I, titled “Always Strong.” And the slightly more whimsical Hagoromo became Part II, titled “Feather Mantle.”
Both operas are written for a countertenor and bass-baritone, a 4-part vocal ensemble (performing from the orchestra pit), and an instrumental ensemble of 7 musicians. The music is meant to be amplified and electronically processed. This is mostly discreetly done: occasionally a sound traveled to a speaker in the back of the theater, creating a surround-sound effect. Or, more noticeably, a singer’s voice was turned into a hazy shimmer. These things were always done in the service of either the story or Saariaho’s musical conception of the work.
Like much of Saariaho’s music, Only The Sound Remains is filled with extraordinary aural textures. There are no melodies to hum and it never matters. Saariaho is a master at creating a magical sound landscape. In this score she writes extensively for the kantele, a Finnish variation on the zither, which creates an unusual and exotic bell/chimes sound. The 4-person vocal ensemble, Theatre of Voices, frequently doubles the singers on stage or whispers and hisses, creating an eerie atmosphere filled with ghosts, a Noh staple.
In Part I - “Always Strong,” - bass-baritone Davóne Tines is a Monk praying over the dead body of Tsunemasa, a famed lute player, who died in the battle of the Western Seas. Tsunemasa’s unhappy ghost - sung by countertenor Philippe Jaroussky - comes to the Monk to lament his fate. In Part II - “Feather Mantle” - the fisherman Hakuryo (Tines) takes a feather robe off a tree branch, not realizing he is stealing the robe from a Moon Spirit (sung by Jaroussky and danced by Nora Kimball-Mentzos) and she is unable to return to heaven without her robe. The Fisherman agrees to return the robe to the Spirit if she dances for him: she agrees and with her robe once again in her possession, she vanishes beyond the peak of Mount Fuji.
Saariaho’s thoughtful, mystical music for “Always Strong” and a somewhat more rustic and varied score for “Feather Mantle” are ravishing and her writing for the two singers is gorgeous. Jaroussky was in terrific voice, with rich low notes and seamless transitions to the highest. Saariaho originally intended the Moon Spirit to be sung by a soprano, but Jaroussky convinced her write it for him without fearing the high tessitura. The countertenor’s control of his beautiful instrument was admirable throughout the night. The dancing by Nora Kimball-Mentzos, using her own choreography, was wonderfully evocative. She beautifully expressed the Spirit’s fear for the safety of her robe and desperation to claim it back. But the real star of the evening was the bass-baritone Davóne Tines. A wonderfully physical actor he also posses a beautiful voice, strong and virile, with an easy bottom and effortless top. His total commitment to the words and music was admirable. Mr. Jaroussky could occasionally be a little distant - perhaps not entirely inappropriate for a ghost - whereas Tines, as the mortal in each Part, was the reliable center of gravity.
Peter Sellars created a moody and lovingly staged production, set against simple backdrops (designed by Julie Mehretu), with wonderful lighting effects designed by James F. Ingalls. Shadows grow and shrink, sometimes seemingly taking on a life of their own, separate from the singers. For a work as dramatically and musically static as Only The Sound Remains, Sellars, his production team, the singers and conductor Ernest Martínez Izquierdo managed to create enough momentum so that the performance itself never became static. But the opera did last perhaps 15 minutes longer than it should have. By the time the Fisherman has surrendered the robe back to the Spirit the opera feels like it should end, except Ms. Saariaho kept it going for some time. If the audience felt my reservations about the finale, they did not show it. A massive standing ovation greeted the cast and Ms. Saariaho herself, as well as the entire production team led by Mr. Sellars.
~ Ben Weaver