Renée Fleming and Rod Gilfry in LA Opera’s 2022 presentation of the song cycle by Kevin Puts, which chronicles the romance of iconic artist Georgia O’Keeffe and her mentor-turned-husband Alfred Stieglitz. LAO conducted by Gemma New. (Photo Credit: Lawrence K. Ho)
Soprano Renée Fleming was the big draw for many at Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s opening performance of the season, but if some were disappointed at the lack of “opera-ness” in the program, I hope they appreciated the intricacies and fun presented in this show.
The title of the show—“The Brightness of Light”—was taken from Kevin Puts’ composition, based on the letters of artist Georgia O’Keeffe and her husband Alfred Stieglitz. The piece was written with Fleming and baritone Rod Gilfrey in mind, who premiered the piece with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood Music Center in 2019.
Puts has concocted quite a painterly orchestral palette (while, yes, there are two characters/vocalists, it is much more an ensemble piece than a vocal showpiece). This was presented concert style, the Kansas City Symphony onstage, conducted by Robert Moody, who showed a commanding sensitivity and attention.
The piece followed the arc of O’Keeffe and Stieglitz’ relationship, from introduction to love, marriage to separation, acceptance to goodbye. The frenzied energy of their courtship was demonstrated in overlapping lines from the singers, the projections behind them showing a layered series of handwritten letters.
These projections, designed by Wendall K. Harrington, were a fascinating component of the storytelling, combining O’Keeffe’s drawings and paintings, their letters, narrative text, photographs and film, mapping out not only their relationship, but her development as an artist and changes through her life.
Fleming, singing O’Keeffe’s words, was not acting as O’Keeffe (Fleming’s cobalt blue off-shoulder gown matched the color of some of the painting, but was nothing like what O’Keeffe generally wore, in her artistic practicality) but demonstrating her longing, joy, frustration, loneliness, sense of humor and stoic individuality. O’Keeffe’s pride radiated in the steady gaze in photographs.
Gilfrey, singing the fairly older Stieglitz, was overall assertive and declamatory, but brought an air of reminiscent regret as he reflected on their relationship.
The piece included dozens of surprising and enlightened orchestral moments, from the soft stirring of the strings under an oboe solo, to pulsing brass, a beautiful choral in the horns; everything from a lovely piano melody set against O’Keeffe’s diaphanous charcoal drawings of clouds to a screechy, scratchy violin solo (played with determination by concertmaster Jun Iwasaki), offset by O’Keeffe’s revelation to Stieglitz of her amateur endeavors with music, a little break of humor in an otherwise serious piece.
It was a wonderfully rendered piece, an exquisite portrait of an American artist.
The second portion of the program was devoted to selections from the American songbook. Both Fleming and Gilfrey have extensive experience with Broadway, and they put together a pleasing little arc of personal favorites from that genre.
The first few tunes were a little marred by a weird chirping sound, but the band played on, as it were, and eventually that distraction, wherever it had come from, ceased.
The projection screen became a background of color, shifting through the rainbow song by song, for a bright but unobtrusive backdrop.
Together they performed classics like “Almost Like Being in Love,” “‘Til There Was You,” and “People Will Say We’re In Love,” a particularly charming performance between two long-time friends.
The orchestra had two shining moments, with Leonard Bernstein’s Overture from “Candide” and the Waltz from “Carousel.”
Gilfrey commanded the space (poor Fleming had a hard time maneuvering, given the length of her admittedly stunning coppery sequins garment) using every inch of the 20 or so feet at the front of the stage. From his formal tuxedo in the first half, he changed to a slick Rat Pack-ready gray suit, fitting for his rendition of Frank Loesser’s “Luck Be A Lady.” He was also riveting in “Some Enchanted Evening” and “The Impossible Dream.”
Fleming’s heartfelt version of “So Big, So Small” from “Dear Evan Hansen” was sincere, and offered a different perspective as an example from contemporary musicals. Her finale of “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” didn’t have quite the flamboyance of a program closer, but you could tell it brought her satisfaction to include it.
Their encore, on the other hand, exemplified their friendly partnership with an exciting, loose performance of Irving Berlin’s “Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better).”
Reviewed Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. For more information on Lyric Opera performances visit kcopera.org.
