Word: ethane
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Opera, whose birth coincided with the advent of enlightened ideas in the late 17th and 18th centuries, is a relatively young genre. Opera is as "modern," as epic is "ancient." So it comes as no surprise that the decision to transform Ethan Frome from literary text into opera would be made by an innovating Harvard alumni. Written by Douglas Allanbrook '48, the libretto is also the work of fellow Harvard graduate (John Hunt '48) while the production itself is headed musically by Douglas Allenbrook's son, John Allanbrook...
...Poulis '02, in the lead role of Ethan, offers a star turn as the stodgy, emotionally numb farmer, trying to break free from his oppressive marriage to Zeena. Poulis' deep, rich voice, along with his uncanny portrayal of Ethan's isolation and frustration, is by far the best performance in the opera...
Emily Browder, a faculty member at the New School of Music in Cambridge, convincingly plays the charming Mattie Silver, Ethan's love. Her soprano voice conveys the lightness and beauty of her character, literally breathing fresh air into the opera. Emily perfectly captures the spirit of the naive Mattie who--all alone in the world and pursued by men--still managers to keep her innocence. The petite, red-haired Browder shines in the role, a natural foil to Anita Constanzo's embittered Zeena. Although at first Constanzo's performance seems too rough in her expression of anger, the audience soon...
...Ethan Frome's only flaw is its set and production design. Although it is certainly cozy to be seated near the orchestra and to see all of the musicians, it eventually becomes distracting; the orchestra even drowns out the singing at some points. The stage itself is sparsely decorated: though not out of sync with the plain New England farmhouse of Wharton's novella, it still appears lacking. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that the stage is so small that the actors often have nowhere...
Although the lighting is minimal, it is used to good effect, highly symbolic of the events unfolding on stage. Whenever Ethan appears, the blue light shines, emitting an atmosphere of desperation; whenever Mattie appears, a bright yellow light is used, thus emphasizing how she literally brightens up the stage...