The Dreamers (opera)
Encyclopedia
The Dreamers is a chamber opera
in four scenes with music by David Conte
and libretto
by Philip Littell.
Commissioned and premiered by Sonoma City Opera in September 1996, the opera centers around a town of "dreamers" who, though separated by sexual, racial, and cultural differences, are brought together through their dreams. From a gay man's dream of finding acceptance to an African-American's dream of earning enough money (as a gambler) to buy his wife out of slavery to an American soldier's dream of marrying "pretty Fanny" and obtaining "property," The Dreamers illustrates a fundamental right of America - to dream and pursue said dreams.
at a time when California
was no longer under Mexican
control but not yet a state either (1848). In the opera, the Empress Isadora and Manuel Garcia – two social outcasts – sit around a campfire singing about the “lies and legends” of California when Sam, an African-American, enters. He asks the couple who owns the large house, which is standing behind them. Isadora and Garcia tell him that it is the house of General Vallejo
– the former proprietor of California who lost everything during the infamous Bear Flag revolt
(an incident about which he still has nightmares). And indeed, inside the house, the Vallejos are finding little sleep with tormenting visions of their past and present (so called “dreams that are real and wounds that will not heal.”). The following day is characterized by Colonel Jonathan D. Stevenson
’s Regiment of New York Volunteers’ largely anticipated production of Othello
. The entire town filters over to the Colonnade Theatre where the show is about to start. As Sam approaches the entrance, he is denied admission because he is black. However, they eventually let him into the theatre and seat him in the Vallejos’ box to the bemusement of a gathering crowd. As the production of Othello begins, Johnny Rowe – who has been cast in the title role – is trying to keep the attention of a distracted audience that is now anxiously awaiting the arrival of the General Vallejo and his family. Though late, the Vallejos do indeed arrive only to find themselves the laughing stock of Sonoma. With the performance now completely disrupted, the actors stop and watch as the General launches a vicious racial attack upon Sam. The Vallejos, furious, begin to leave but reluctantly agree to stay after the entire audience apologizes. The crowd sings “My Old Kentucky Home
” to break the tension, which allows the dreams of Sonoma to be shared, and the opera concludes with the town of Sonoma singing about the very nature of dreams.
Chamber opera
Chamber opera is a designation for operas written to be performed with a chamber ensemble rather than a full orchestra.The term and form were invented by Benjamin Britten in the 1940s, when the English Opera Group needed works that could easily be taken on tour and performed in a variety of small...
in four scenes with music by David Conte
David Conte
David Conte is an American composer. He has been a Professor of Composition at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music since 1985, and Composer-in-Residence with Thick Description since 1990....
and libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
by Philip Littell.
Commissioned and premiered by Sonoma City Opera in September 1996, the opera centers around a town of "dreamers" who, though separated by sexual, racial, and cultural differences, are brought together through their dreams. From a gay man's dream of finding acceptance to an African-American's dream of earning enough money (as a gambler) to buy his wife out of slavery to an American soldier's dream of marrying "pretty Fanny" and obtaining "property," The Dreamers illustrates a fundamental right of America - to dream and pursue said dreams.
Main
- General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, the first citizen of Sonoma
- Francisca Benicia de Vallejo, his wife
- Epifania (Fanny), their eldest daughter, the future Mrs. Frisbie
- Adelaida (Adela), the next girl, a little girl
- Platon, the second son, a little boy
- The Empress Isadora, cast-off wife of an Indian mercenary chief
- The Bear/Sam Shattuck, an African-American
- Bear-Flagger Merritt/Johnny Rowe, soldier, actor, dancer, costumier
- Bear-Flagger Semple/James Eastin, a new arrival, local businessman
- Bear-Flagger Grigsby/Captain (later General) John Frisbie
- Mary Eastin, wife to James Eastin
- Elizabeth Fine, her cousin, a recent widow
Secondary
- Major McDonell, retired, Eastin's business partner
- Manuel Garcia, ne'er-do-well
- The men's chorus (bear-flaggers, Stevenson's New York Volunteers, settlers, no-goods) and the Women's Chorus (pioneers, bear-flag women, laundresses, seamstresses, mothers, wives, Cyprians, spinsters, and divorcees)
Synopsis
The Dreamers is set in the town of SonomaSonoma, California
Sonoma is a historically significant city in Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA, surrounding its historic town plaza, a remnant of the town's Mexican colonial past. It was the capital of the short-lived California Republic...
at a time when California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
was no longer under Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
control but not yet a state either (1848). In the opera, the Empress Isadora and Manuel Garcia – two social outcasts – sit around a campfire singing about the “lies and legends” of California when Sam, an African-American, enters. He asks the couple who owns the large house, which is standing behind them. Isadora and Garcia tell him that it is the house of General Vallejo
Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo
Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo was a Californian military commander, politician, and rancher. He was born a subject of Spain, performed his military duties as an officer of Mexico, and shaped the transition of California from a Mexican district to an American state...
– the former proprietor of California who lost everything during the infamous Bear Flag revolt
California Republic
The California Republic, also called the Bear Flag Republic, is the name used for a period of revolt against Mexico initially proclaimed by a handful of American settlers in Mexican California on June 14, 1846, in Sonoma. This was shortly before news of the Mexican–American War had reached the area...
(an incident about which he still has nightmares). And indeed, inside the house, the Vallejos are finding little sleep with tormenting visions of their past and present (so called “dreams that are real and wounds that will not heal.”). The following day is characterized by Colonel Jonathan D. Stevenson
Jonathan D. Stevenson
Jonathan Drake Stevenson was born in New York; won a seat in the New York State Assembly ; was the commanding officer of the First Regiment of New York Volunteers during the Mexican-American War in California; entered California mining and real estate businesses; and died in San Francisco on...
’s Regiment of New York Volunteers’ largely anticipated production of Othello
Othello
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565...
. The entire town filters over to the Colonnade Theatre where the show is about to start. As Sam approaches the entrance, he is denied admission because he is black. However, they eventually let him into the theatre and seat him in the Vallejos’ box to the bemusement of a gathering crowd. As the production of Othello begins, Johnny Rowe – who has been cast in the title role – is trying to keep the attention of a distracted audience that is now anxiously awaiting the arrival of the General Vallejo and his family. Though late, the Vallejos do indeed arrive only to find themselves the laughing stock of Sonoma. With the performance now completely disrupted, the actors stop and watch as the General launches a vicious racial attack upon Sam. The Vallejos, furious, begin to leave but reluctantly agree to stay after the entire audience apologizes. The crowd sings “My Old Kentucky Home
My Old Kentucky Home
"My Old Kentucky Home" is a minstrel song by Stephen Foster , probably composed in 1852. It was published as "My Old Kentucky Home, Good Night" in January 1853 by Firth, Pond, & Co. of New York...
” to break the tension, which allows the dreams of Sonoma to be shared, and the opera concludes with the town of Sonoma singing about the very nature of dreams.
Sources
- Conte, David. The Dreamers Official web site. 16 Nov. 2007.
- Hanson, Craig W. and Hoffman, Stanley M. “The Dreamers.” Opera Aria Anthology, Vol.3. Eds. Craig W. Hanson and Stanley M. Hoffman. Boston: EC Schirmer, 2005
- Littell, Philip. “RE: Question.” E-mails. 14 Nov. 2007
- Littell, Philip. The Dreamers.
- Belt, Byron, Review of The Dreamers, Opera NewsOpera NewsOpera News is an American classical music magazine. It has been published since 1936 by the Metropolitan Opera Guild, a non-profit organization located at Lincoln Center which was founded to support the Metropolitan Opera of New York City...
, December 28, 1996. Accessed 24 March 2008. - Ganahl, Jane, Art vs. history: Sonoma city fathers in operatic battle, San Francisco Examiner, July 8, 1996. Accessed 27 March 2008.