MISSING, with music by Brian Current and libretto by Marie Clements, got its Eastern Canadian premiere at Koerner Hall on July 24th as part of Toronto Summer Music. I reviewed the CD recording of this work by essentially the same cast in these pages a few weeks ago so it seems redundant to repeat what I said there. Instead, I’ll focus on how the work came over at Koerner and any differences of emphasis noticeable in a live performance.
The presentation was billed as a concert performance, but it was probably closer to “semi-staged” (or some version of that ambiguous term). Here, that meant that the instrumental ensemble was on stage with the singers arranged behind them in concert dress, slightly elevated.
The elevation was probably more apparent to tall people and those further back in the hall. A short person in the first few rows might have had problems seeing the singers! There was some basic blocking, but the main visual attraction was an excellent set of projections by Andy Moro presented, along with the surtitles, on a circular screen above the stage. The projections were beautiful, but not so close to the narrative as to feel like a visual soundtrack.
Melody Courage (Native Girl) and Caitlin Wood (Ava) in Toronto Summer Music’s MISSING. Photo: Lucky Tang
The orchestral/singer balance was excellent. Everyone could be heard clearly and the blocking served to reinforce the ambiguity of the relationship between the Native Girl and Ava. The live experience also seemed to reinforce the difference between the occasional passages that are very direct, perhaps even didactic, and those which are more allusive. I’ve felt all along that the strength of the piece lies in the ambiguity; in forcing the audience to make its own connections where they aren’t explicit.
In this context, to some extent, a scene like the very direct confrontation between Dr. Wilson and Jess seems a bit crude, though it could be argued that some key premises need to be hammered home. I really liked the way that the similarity of Melody Courage and Caitlin Wood’s voices helped reinforce the sense of connection (even, in some sense, identity) between the Native Girl and Ava. There are also passages where overdubbed recordings of the singers are played over multiple speakers. It’s an effect that’s far more apparent in a live performance than a recording.
It’s a wonderfully atmospheric score, and conductor Timothy Long got the volume just right. The seven instrumentalists of the Continuum Ensemble filled the hall with sound without, bar one or two very short patches, overpowering the singers. All the singers did a good job.
A scene from Toronto Summer Music’s MISSING. Photo: Lucky Tang
As previously mentioned, the two sopranos blended well and Marion Newman as Dr. Wilson added a pleasing darker tone. Andrea Ludwig, once more, bravely tackled the really unsympathetic character of Jess. Michelle Lafferty was dramatic and emotionally convincing in the passage where she explores the meanings of “missing.” Evan Korbut seemed more prominent than in the recording, acting almost as a bridge between possibly different worlds, and singing with exceptional clarity. Asitha Tennekoon’s lyrical tenor was heard to good effect in the relatively small role of Devon, Ava’s husband.
It would of course have been ideal to have a fully staged production in Toronto but this cleverly contrived method of delivery showed the work and performers to good effect. MISSING is an important landmark in Canadian opera and it deserves a chance to be seen/heard to advantage. It got that at Koerner hall on July 24th.
Information about how to purchase the newly-released recording of MISSING can be found here.
