The KIAC Ballroom at Dënäkär Zho was host to an evening of opera on Feb. 21, the culmination of a week-long residency co-presented by the Yukon Arts Centre and the Klondike Institute of Art and Culture.
A press release described the week in these terms:
“This immersive one-week residency offers a unique opportunity for an opera composer to delve deeply into their creative process, collaborate with performers, and refine their compositions in a supportive and inspiring environment. During the residency, composers will have access to a range of resources, including rehearsal space and professional musicians to bring their work to life.
“The residency provides the time and space needed for composers to experiment, explore new ideas, and push the boundaries of their work. At the end of the week, there will be an informal presentation of the work-in-progress, offering a chance to hear their compositions come to life and gather valuable audience feedback.
“This residency is designed to support and nurture emerging opera composers by providing a focused, creative atmosphere to take their projects to the next level.”
The performers in the ballroom were: Elizabeth Polese, Soprano; Rachael McAuley, Mezzo-Soprano; Connor Hoppenbrouwers, Baritone; Karim Al-Zand, Composer; and Spencer Kryzanowski, Conductor/Pianist.
The evening before, in a totally different setting, the group performed a set of arias, art songs, and ensemble work at the Westminster Hotel’s Pit Lounge.
At Dënäkär Zho the vocalists, individually and as a trio, performed works composed by Karim Al-Zand, as part of The Book of Tales, accompanied by Kryzanowski on KIAC’s grand piano, which was purchased several years ago from the Van Nostrand family with the assistance of the Arts Centre.
“Before that,” said KIAC’s Matt Sarty, “we didn't have a good enough instrument to support this kind of performance.”
He recalled that there had been a wide range of shows that been offered by YAC, and others, that KIAC had had to turn down due to a lack of equipment.
“This is the third time that the YAC has sent a group of performers here to use this building as a studio space to work on new work and on things that they had on the go,” Sarty said. “Dawson has become a space for people to gather, from all over Canada and the world, who don’t necessarily get to have that dedicated time together.”
The major event of the evening was a 55-minute performance of Béla Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle, presented with English lyrics. This did make the plot of the somewhat bizarre love story more intelligible, although it also underlined how very banal opera lyrics can be. One has to wonder just how dim and besotted Judith must have been to take that long to realize that being with Bluebeard, a man with a very dubious reputation and many previous failed (deadly) relationships, was a really bad idea. This version of the opera does not emphasize the fact that the man murdered his previous seven wives, but the seven envelopes that substitute for the seven doors hint very strongly that Judith can expect a bad end.
The French folktale, best known as the version recorded by Charles Perrault, has been adapted many times, including a variation in a novel by Kurt Vonnegut.
This performance was very effective and the way in which McAuley and Hoppenbrouwers used not just the stage, but the entire crowded room, to tell the tale, kept the audience involved in wondering just what was going to happen next. Several people commented that it was great to be able to hear all the lyrics.
The YAC also provided free food and drinks for the opera evening. Admission was by donation at KIAC, but the performance at the Pit was free.
Dan Davidson taught in Beaver Creek, Faro, and Dawson from 1976-2008. Since 1977 he has been writing reviews, news and commentary for the Whitehorse Star and What’s Up Yukon, and recently for the late Yukon Star. In 1989 he helped to found the Klondike Sun, which he edited for 31 years, and remains on its board of directors.
