A forgotten opera premieres 280 years late
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Belgian soprano Gwendoline Blondeel performs as la Folie (madness) in the Opera Lafayette production of Jean-Philippe Rameau's recently completed 18th century opera Io.Keren Carrión/NPR -
Costume designer Matthew Flower, who goes by Machine Dazzle, adjusts a gold cape worn by Belgian tenor Maxime Melnik in his role as Apollo, one of two gods who tries to seduce titular character Io.Michael Zamora/NPR -
Machine Dazzle alters the Apollo costume during a fitting for Opera Lafayette's production of the previously unfinished Rameau opera Io.Michael Zamora/NPR -
Machine Dazzle removes excess pieces of a costume of Apollo disguised as a mortal – covered in synthetic algae, fishing net and fish – to try to seduce the opera's titular nymph Io.Michael Zamora/NPR -
Abigail Marie Curran checks herself in the mirror before going onstage to play punk rocker Storm Cloud in Opera Lafayette's production of Io.Keren Carrión/NPR -
French soprano Emmanuelle de Negri performs as Io in a production of Rameau's eponymous opera at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.Keren Carrión/NPR -
Seán Curran Company dancers perform as Graces – goddesses of beauty, grace and charm – in a production of Rameau's previously unfinished Io.Keren Carrión/NPR -
Tenor Patrick Kilbride (right) performs onstage as Mercury, the messenger of the gods of Roman mythology, alongside bass-baritone Douglas Williams, who plays Jupiter.Keren Carrión/NPR
This week, an opera was born. But the birth of Jean-Philippe Rameau's Io has been a long time coming — in fact, it took about 280 years.
"We don't know anything about this opera, not the name of the librettist, nor the theater for which it was intended, nor the date of composition and why Rameau has not completed this opera," says French musicologist Sylvie Bouissou.
The longtime Rameau expert recently completed the 18th century French composer's unfinished manuscript of Io, which received its world premiere at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., this week, with an additional performance at New York's El Museo del Barrio next week.
"To try to complete the work and give it a possible life at last after almost three hundred years, it was quite a challenge, believe me," Bouissou tells Morning Edition host Leila Fadel. "I hope the American public feels that because ... it's a gift, really."
As it turns out, Io is a hilarious one-act opera-ballet. The plot pits two gods fighting for the love of a mortal nymph, the titular Io. Mercury plays his traditional role of messenger. There's a storm, a character representing madness ("la Folie") and the two gods just might have something going for each other.
If this sounds frivolous and over the top, that's because it is. The opera has its roots in Rococo, a dramatic and lavish style that emerged in the arts of late 18th century France. This late Baroque period was part of the last hurrah of the monarchy, before it all came crashing down with the French Revolution of 1789 – the one that beheaded a king and queen.
Opera Lafayette's production features an international cast of five lead characters, six Seán Curran Company dancers and 16 chorus members with a chamber orchestra of Baroque period instruments. The Washington, D.C.-based group interprets and produces opera from the 17th to 19th centuries.
Maximalist costumes
"It truly is a maximalist aesthetic," says costume designer Matthew Flower, who goes by Machine Dazzle. His oversized outfits burst with color and texture. There are hints of drag and burlesque, with sequins, glitter and found objects.
"Everything was just like, look at all of those layers of the dress, look at all of that hair, look at all of the flowers in the hair," he tells NPR's Leila Fadel. "Everything is abundance and alive and beautiful and lush. And everything is like a dessert that has 20 layers."
Rococo was a natural fit for Dazzle, who describes himself as an "instinct-based, emotionally-driven, conceptual artist trapped in the role of costume designer most of the time." The designer's star is on the rise after his first retrospective show, which closed in February at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York.
A cascading rainbow of tulle fabric with satin backing wraps Folie, whose head is framed in yellow and green like a peacock train. She stands 12 to 14 feet tall, and her skirt has a 20-foot radius when spread out flat on the floor. Multicolored Graces — goddesses of beauty, grace and charm — dance at her feet. At one point, dancers storm in wearing three large "tornadoes" above their heads.
Apollo's fish-laden disguise as a mortal is a tongue-in-cheek nod to Madame de Pompadour, the onetime official chief mistress of King Louis XV and influential patron of the arts. She was born Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson (fish). Today, she lives on in the dramatic, upswept hairstyle that bears her name.
An 18th century opera relevant to a 21st century audience
Opera-goers may find some similarities with Platée, another Rameau comic opera first performed in 1745 at the royal palace of Versailles. Bouissou found numerous clues that suggest Io preceded Platée and may have even served as a draft for the longer opera.
Dazzle's costumes help bring the opera into the 21st century, turning the production into something modern and edgy — and more palatable to a contemporary audience.
"It's important to make it more current," he says. "You can do that through adding little playful things. I didn't want to create old historical-looking costumes."
For opening night, Dazzle plans to sit in the back row to watch the public react to the culmination of months of long days and sleepless nights.
It's also a landmark moment for Bouissou.
"I was excited with this experience, because it's wonderful, finally it's a rebirth. And with this type of experience and other productions in the world, I know why I do this difficult job — serving Rameau, an absolute genius," she says.
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Transcript
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
An opera is getting its world premiere this week, even though the original music and lyrics are about 280 years old.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
EMMANUELLE DE NEGRI: (As Io, singing in non-English language)
MAXIME MELNIK: (As Apollo, singing in non-English language)
FADEL: Musicologist Sylvie Bouissou.
SYLVIE BOUISSOU: We don't know nothing about this opera - not the theater for which it was intended nor the date of composition and not why Rameau has not completed this opera.
FADEL: She recently completed "Io" by 18th century French composer Jean-Philippe Rameau.
BOUISSOU: It's my life. Do you see?
FADEL: Yeah.
BOUISSOU: So I have the operas in my head. To try to complete the work and give it a possible life at last after almost 300 years - it was quite a challenge. Believe me.
FADEL: That's incredible. You give it life on the stage for the first time.
BOUISSOU: Yeah. I hope American public feels that. It's a gift, really. It's a gift.
FADEL: As it turns out, "Io" was most likely a draft for "Platee," Rameau's first attempt at a comic opera and the most favored of his operas during his lifetime.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
AVI STEIN: Do it a little faster. One, two, three, four.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL ARTIST #1: (Singing in non-English language)
FADEL: "Io" has never been performed on stage before, and we got a sneak peek behind the scenes as a chamber orchestra rehearsed the music using Baroque-period instruments with Avi Stein conducting from the harpsichord.
STEIN: Here we go. Fasten your seatbelts, boys.
UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL ARTIST #1: (Singing in non-English language)
UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL ARTIST #1 AND UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL ARTIST #2: (Singing in non-English language)
FADEL: Lafayette's production, which gets its world premiere at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., this week and an additional performance in New York next week, pays tribute to Rococo. It's a dramatic and lavish style prevalent in the arts in late 18th-century France. Machine Dazzle, a tall and curly-haired rising star in costume design, was tasked to make the outfits. His style fits perfectly with that period. It's anything but subtle. His outfits use excess in scale, color, texture, with hints of drag and burlesque, featuring sequins, glitter and found objects.
MACHINE DAZZLE: When we were reading through it, we were all laughing the whole time. I loved how funny it is, and I loved how short it is. You think of opera, and you think of hours and hours, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but you know what I mean. It's a one-act opera ballet with five lead characters and six dancers and 16 chorus members. How fun. Images came to my mind.
FADEL: So you could already see it when you were first reading through the opera.
DAZZLE: Yes. There really is a lot of humor, and that's something I love to use in my work, is humor. First, there's Io. Jupiter is in love with her, and then Apollo is in love with her too. And then they go back and forth. But of course, Io only chooses one of them. And then there's a storm, and then enters the realm of possibility by way of pleasure and grace and playfulness.
FADEL: The French Rococo period - how does that aesthetic work with your own aesthetic?
DAZZLE: Completely natural. It truly is a maximalist and more - it's more aesthetic, and everything is abundant...
FADEL: Yeah.
DAZZLE: ...And alive and beautiful and lush and everything is, like, a dessert that has 20 layers.
FADEL: So sitting right in front of you, I see a multicolored wig and flowers. Tell me what that is.
DAZZLE: It is the wig for the main character of Io. And she is immortal. It is an ombre from, like, a dark auburn hair color. Then there's - it goes to, like, a fiery orange and then to a yellow. And it completely complements the costume that she is wearing, which is inspired by the Io moth.
FADEL: And based on the hair, this seems to be quite an over-the-top character.
DAZZLE: Well, the whole production is over the top. Sometimes you start somewhere, and there's no going back, you know? But I have a sketch here that I could hold up.
FADEL: Yeah, I'd love to see it.
DAZZLE: So it's this long, floor-length, kind of, like, cape dress thing that is layered, and there's a whole red dress that goes underneath, but the whole cape is inspired by the Io moth, the wings, like, the eyes...
FADEL: I can see that.
DAZZLE: ...On the moth.
FADEL: The cape looks like wings.
DAZZLE: Because the costume is so extreme, you can't just have any regular hairstyle.
FADEL: Yeah.
DAZZLE: I found the perfect wig, and I styled it into this kind of modern, like, beehive.
FADEL: I'd love to hear more about the other costumes and sort of what you've created for them.
DAZZLE: Sure. So Jupiter and Apollo - they have mortal disguises.
FADEL: And Jupiter and Apollo are the gods that are fighting over Io...
DAZZLE: Correct. So, you know...
FADEL: ...For her love.
DAZZLE: ...Jupiter is Jupiter. Apollo is the sun. And so they have their celestial costumes, but they don't get revealed until later. They kind of disguise themselves to woo. Io is the female version of the moth...
FADEL: Yeah.
DAZZLE: ...While Jupiter disguises himself as the male version. Apollo isn't quite getting it right, and he's, like, a bit of a mess.
FADEL: Oh, wow. Yeah.
DAZZLE: It's like he threw out the net, but he kind of, like, failed and got caught up in his own net, and he's draped in fish and seaweed and whatever.
FADEL: Yeah.
DAZZLE: So...
FADEL: He's losing in the love triangle here, I think.
DAZZLE: He's losing. But his outfit is entertaining nonetheless.
FADEL: Definitely. Looking at your costumes, I don't think of the opera in the traditional sense. I see something of today.
DAZZLE: When you take an old opera, I think it's important to make it more current.
FADEL: Yeah.
DAZZLE: You can do that through, you know, adding little playful things. Like, there might be a simmering romance between two heavenly bodies that I cannot disclose. I didn't want to create old historical-looking costumes. That gets done ad nauseam, you know what I mean?
FADEL: I'm curious. What are you thinking about for that first opening night when people will see the visual part of this creation?
DAZZLE: I am going to be sitting in the back row so that I can see everyone's reactions. It will be very satisfying. I am an audience designer.
FADEL: Yeah.
DAZZLE: I am a storyteller. I'm an entertainer. You can simply put costumes on someone and tell a story without them opening their mouth. All they have to do is walk across the room. And you can tell a story that way if you want to. If you can do that and pair it with an amazing opera, then you win.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
FADEL: Costume designer Machine Dazzle, thank you.
DAZZLE: Thank you so much for having me.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
DOUGLAS WILLIAMS: (As Jupiter, singing in non-English language). Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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