Thursday, December 09, 2004

2004/05 National Opera Association Chamber Opera Competition Finalist!

Excerpts from The Filthy Habit were recently performed at NOA's Annual Convention in New York City directed by Gordon Ostrowski, Manhattan School of Music.

A number of organizations have expressed interest in Filthy. For perusal literature and rental information, please e-mail us at info@hilliardandboresi.com


Hilliard and Boresi
peter HILLIARD, composer
matt BORESI, librettist

Performance History:
Premiere: February 22, 2004 – Manhattan Opera Theatre, New York, NY

Excerpted Scenes performed August 2004 – The Tanglewood Institute (Boston, MA)

Excerpted Scenes performed January 2005 - National Opera Association National Convention (New York, NY)

Based on Il Segreto di Susanna (1909) by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari and Enrico Golisciani
Created as a companion to Trouble in Tahiti (1951) by Leonard Bernstein
What is The Filthy Habit?

A comic intermezzo in the spirit of Pergolesi's La Serva Padrona, The Filthy Habit updates the story of Wolf-Ferarri's Il Segreto di Susanna for modern times. Set in Manhattan in the summer of 2003, Habit tells the story of a newlywed couple's struggle with Mayor Bloomberg's new smoking ban.

Like its companion piece Trouble in Tahiti, the music of The Filthy Habit is heavily infused with elements of American Jazz and Blues. There is also an element of 1940s noir film scoring that permeates the harmonic language of the piece. The trio sings close harmony reminiscent of the Hi-Los and similar groups from the 1950s. The role of Susan requires a classically trained voice with the diction and acting ability of a musical theatre performer, and the role of Gil is similarly challenging to the singing actor. The Filthy Habit is an audience pleaser that is also musically sophisticated and multi-layered.
Synopsis:

A trio of hip Greenwich Villagers introduce us to Susan, a newlywed and a sneaky smoker. Her new husband Gil, though sweet, is an ardent health nut, and she must hide her smoking from him. However, when Mayor Bloomberg bans smoking from all bars and restaurants, as well as offices and public buildings, Susan brings her habit home, and has a clandestine puff in their apartment as she rants against the fugitive lifestyle of smokers in New York City.

Gil comes home early from the gym, extolling the virtues of clean living. When Susan runs off to the showers to get the smoky smell out of her clothes and hair, Gil's bloodhound nose catches a whiff of her cigarette, and blind to idea that his wife might smoke, he assumes the worst - that she is having an affair with a smoker, who must have just left the apartment. Gil ponders what kind of man might be seeing his wife… perhaps a rebellious youth, a swarthy European, or maybe a cowboy from "Flavor Country"? (Each incarnation is represented by a mute dancer seducing Susan in pantomime.) Gil runs out of the house, hysterical with jealousy and grief.

Finding herself alone, Susan lights up again, and again indulges in her secret affair with nicotine. (also represented by the dancer.) Gil bursts in and finds her smoking, and Susan admits to him that, just as he has his exercise and health regiment to call his own, smoking is the pastime that keeps her at peace with herself. Gil agrees to be less obsessive in his fitness pursuits, if she will phase out her smoking. She agrees, and they race off to the bedroom to do what newlyweds do.

As the trio sings a welcome to their new honest relationship, Susan runs out and hides her last pack of cigarettes where she might retrieve them later.

Friday, November 26, 2004

Personaggi
Susan.........................Soprano
Gil..............................Baritone

Trio
Mezzo-Soprano
Tenor
Baritone

The Smoking Man........Dancer


Orchestration:
2 flutes, 1 Oboe, 1 English Horn, 1 Clarinet, 1 Bass Clarinet, 1 Bassoon, 2 Horns, 2 Trumpets, 1 Trombone, 1 Tuba, 1 Percussionist, 1 Piano, 2 Violins, 1 Viola, 1 cello, 1 contrabass


Running time: Approximately 36 minutes.