Sequenza21/The Contemporary Classical Music Weekly

"An American Tragedy" at the Met

Whatever one makes of Tobias Picker�s �An American Tragedy,� it�s a relief to see the Met once again bringing to life new work by a real live American composer. That said, Picker�s latest neither affords this critic the opportunity to write a rant or a rave. �An American Tragedy� is a-okay � never particularly bad, never especially wonderful.

Based on Theodore Dreiser�s novel of the same name, �Tragedy� tells the story of weak-willed Clyde Griffiths, who, after going to work for his affluent uncle, becomes romantically entangled with two women � one rich, one poor. Unable to extricate himself from his indiscretions, Clyde eventually caves under his own burdened conscience and falls victim to the materialistic world around him.

Certainly �An American Tragedy� boasts all the ingredients for a great night at the opera: illicit romance, opulent settings, and crime. But Clyde Griffiths, being such an ambivalent character, is too soft a center for a two-and-a-half-hour opera to revolve around. He�s no match for the passionate women who surround him, and he gets lost in the libretto�s grand thematic sojourns into wealth and religion. As a result, the opera loses steam after one of the women "drowns," and Clyde's eventual fate lacks impact.

Picker�s score, once it finds its legs, has many beautiful moments. The seething cauldron of ninth chords that opens the opera � and recurs throughout � is scrumptious stuff, and the high horn C that closes the work is searing and unforgettable. But, in general, the orchestration is pretty bland, and Picker hasn�t quite figured out how to integrate percussion into his sound: a xylophone keeps interjecting oddly, and the heavy use of piano lends needless timbrel gloss.

But the man can sure set text. Picker�s lines are wonderfully elastic; he finds the right words to emphasize, his melismas feel unaffected, he straightens out rhythms to emphasize points and renders conversation fluidly. Singers must love him. Curiously, he saves the best aria for a minor character, Clyde�s mother, and mezzo-soprano Dolora Zajick, who plays the role, received a wonderful reception during the curtain calls.

The cast is uniformly excellent, though Susan Graham, with her vocal radiance and natural charisma, is (predictably) the standout. The deft production, entrusted to the ubiquitous Francesca Zambello, has perspective problems: sometimes characters and props seem absurdly big against the set (the gargantuan motor car in Act One being exhibit A). �An American Tragedy� may not set everyone�s pulse racing or fire up the imagination, but Picker and everyone involved have produced a fine show that�s worth seeing.

posted by David Salvage 12/09/2005