SFOpera's premiere of "Appomattox", the new Philip Glass opera

Okay, I don't attend opera regularly. In fact, the last opera I saw before this was "Dr. Atomic", the Peter Sellars opera that also premiered here about a year and a half ago. Funny, because both these operas deal with relatively modern happenings. Of course, the case of the atomic bomb was much more recent than the Civil War (the subject in "Appomattox"), but when they are placed next to classic operatic themes, I think we can call them modern.

But yes, it had been quite a long time since I attended the opera. I happened upon opening night tickets that did not set me back one penny and jumped on the chance (normally they sell for around $625. I find that insane).

"Appomattox" is, as stated, the new opera by Philip Glass, a three-time Academy Award-nominated American composer. He often associated with Kurt Weill and Leonard Burnstein as one of the great composers who has brought music and art to the general public. This particular opera treats the subject of the surrender of Lee and the signing of the treaty to mark the end of the Civil War. The treaty was signed in a courthouse in Appomattox. Hence, the title of the opera.

While "Appomattox" has very realistic ambitions and sets out to perform something very intriguing and interesting, it comes out slightly awkward. At curtain rise, we are presented with a large metal wall that holds just one small opening, where General Grant's wife is standing in era attire. The set is very impressionable from the get-go: the wall rises so high up that we can't see where it ends, and this huge metal slate shines and glints in front of us.

The first act took a fair amount of time to get started. I felt it trudging along quite steadily, like a pace that all the actors felt was comfortable for them...I also felt it when both my brothers fell asleep on either side of me. I remained awake, if only at this point because I was so very intrigued by how the signing was to be turned into an operatic performance and because I wanted the images of Ulysses S. Grant and Abraham Lincoln singing opera to be in my mind forever.

The music was quite haunting. I would describe Philip Glass' music to be minimalistic, and that is exactly what gave it it's haunting qualities. While everything happening onstage was a bit slow in the beginning, the underbelly of eerie tunes added to the whole thing. I could almost feel myself in the situation of wanting the war to end so badly, but having it continue on regardless. The music was like the ticking of a clock, just wanting it all to be over. The melodies stuck in my mind.

The opera picked up when both Grant and Lee came into the picture. Both were played, in my opinion, very well. Their acting was strong and I felt like I could be watching real war generals conversing with their captains about plans and strategies, only they were singing all the plans very loudly. The scenes showing civilians in the midst of the war were particularly good as well. As the south leaves their cities behind, burning them to leave nothing for the north, lights flashed and bombs went off. Hanging from the ceiling were sculptures of realistic, dead (and life size) horses, strung up by rope, and dangling threatingly (at the sight of them, my mother leaned over and whispered "My friend made those! Don't they look great?" momentarily pulling me out of the opera.) I thought this scene was the most stunning visually, not only because of the dead horses hanging all over the place, but also because the sight of all of these people lined up and watching bombs go off in awe and shock was a strong one.

The first act ended on Lee finally deciding to sign a treaty that Grant will draw up.

The second act starts very strong. The exchange in Appomattox between Grant and Lee is very well done, even managing to throw in some humor. I liked the way they potrayed their conversation, talking about the treaty and the terms of surrender in that courthouse.

Unfortuanetly, the signing, which was what I thought to be the main focus of the play, became muddled and lost in a series of attempts to draw the Civil Rights movement into the play. As they were signing the treaty, they would sometimes freeze, and the audience would become witness to scenes from either the near future or far future, all scenes of Civil Rights movements and events.

While I can understand the importance of the Civil Rights movement in the US (believe me, there have been about twenty papers on it), I just have to say: slow down! Slow. Down. Yes, the civil war had a lasting impact on the US, but save all the events from post Civil War to 1950 for another opera! You'll have plenty of material, Mr. Glass. Because this opera was entitled "Appomattox", most were expecting something about, oh, the signing at Appomattox. Yes, it was present, but it was lost beneath all this intense Civil Rights/black empowerment imagery. The Civil Rights movement also felt diminished through this. Trying to show the progression through a half hour of play was not substantial, and it ended up coming out messy and random.

As the opera ended, they hoisted up the dead horses again, something I do not believe they should have done. The opera ends with many women all singing together, the horses awkwardly being raised (getting caught on thing on the way up) and as their voices are just fading, there is an abrupt blackout. I found this end to be a weak one for such an ambitious and intense opera. I was dubious as I began to applaud, wondering if we had been tricked. I didn't think it could end like that, but it did.

I suppose the thing that most drew me in and brought me to enjoy it despite it's flaws would be the set. I adored the set (and I think I might be the only one). Everything was metallic and modern looking, very angular with lots of lines and straight bars used. The backdrop at one point was a bright orange, taking us in entirely. The lighting was used very well, casting enormous shadows of the actors onto the back of the stage. This made for an impressionable view from the audience. The dead horses were, at least the first time around, visually stupefying and shocking. I often enjoy the set above anything else in plays; having spent so much time backstage, I appreciate these aspects very much (but not necessarily more than the play itself). For "Appomattox" the set definitley did a lot.

From the slow start, to the build up at the end of the first act and start of the second, then the slow decline back down into a messy muddle of information, I felt this opera could be described as: awkward. A sort of tumbling around history, set to beautiful eerie music and incredible, booming voices.
I would say the highlight of the play for me would either be those hanging dead horses, or Abe Lincoln belting out in his long coat and enormouse top hat. That's one to remember.