| Excerpts
from a telephone interview with Jerry Hadley during which he graciously
shared with FanFaire his insights on The Conquistador
and incidental thoughts on other matters musical.
 Part
3. At San Diego Opera: working with the composer and the librettist
There must be something extraordinary
about working with the creators of a new opera. Can you tell us
a little bit about your own experience?
As soon as I
met Don and Myron there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted
to do it. People like that who are full of warmth and humanity
and intelligence and craft, those are people that I want to work
with.
I got the libretto and a piano vocal score first. Myron is a fantastic
orchestrator and he knew from the very beginning how he wanted
to orchestrate it. Things didn't really change during the rehearsals;
there was very very little fiddling around with the orchestration
- I'm not aware if there was any that went on.
There were some things that were discarded during the rehearsals,
because they were simply unnecessary. There were some spoken things
that took place between scenes to sort of give us some historical
context as to what was going on, but Don and Myron watched it
evolve and said - we don't need that. So they cut it. There was
a big portion of my last scene in the cell about which I said,
"You know what, I think we don't need this text here, I think
we should get rid of this text and simply have a moment where
the music plays, because the music can much more powerfully express
my inner torment than anything words can say." So Don agreed
and cut out some 20 lines or something.
I have tremendous respect for those guys, because I think The
Conquistador is one of the most beautifully fashioned pieces
I've ever done. Whenever I would make a tiny suggestion to Don
or to Myron about something - "Is there a better way we can
say this, this feels awkward to me, or can we notate this differently
rhythmically so that it felt more like speech?" - they were
very open to it, because they knew I was making those requests
or suggestions after having thought about it for a long long long
time.
And I really loved the collaboration that went on. Any time I
made a suggestion to them, it was always with the caveat that
"I'll ask you this question, but you are the composer and
you are the librettist and if this makes no sense to you, tell
me it makes no sense and I'll find a way to make it work."It
was a joy to work with those two people, because I think they're
both wonderfully sensitive and creative. I can't imagine a better
working situation with a composer and a librettist than I had
with Don and Myron.
And your thoughts about San
Diego Opera?
San Diego Opera deserves a tremendous, tremendous bit of congratulations
because there are very few opera companies in the world that could've
pulled off what they pulled off.
I don't know if the people of San Diego know how good that company
is. For me it is one of the best run opera companies in the world!
Oh, it is. Everybody who goes to San Diego loves to go there.
You know why? Because Ian Campbell cares. I know that that's really
a simplistic thing to say. It all filters down from the top, yes
everybody there cares. I have nothing but respect for Ian Campbell
- because he puts his money where his mouth is, he takes responsibility
for everything that happens in that company.
And the thing which I will never to my dying day forget about
Ian Campbell was on opening night. I saw Ian walk around to everybody
on the stage and behind the stage before the performance started
and thanked them personally for all of their hard work. He thanked
not only us the performers, I watched him thank the crew, I watched
him thank the costumers. Now, that to me bespeaks somebody that
is possessed of tremendous character and who really does give
a damn about what happens.
And I will tell you that I'll go back and work for Ian Campbell
as often as he asks me to come back and work for him, because
there are only a handful of people in the world- and I work for
a lot of people- whom I would say that about and I think that
San Diego is so, so blessed to have somebody like him there running
the company. I'm coming back in a few seasons to do something
and I always look forward to the opportunity to come back there.
(An interview
with Jerry Hadley in the spring of 1997 by Carol Plantamura, Professor
of Music at the University of California, San Diego, was telecast
by UCSD-TV in connection with the world premier of The Conquistador.
The interview is available on video from UCSD-TV.)
CLICK
the links below for more of the interview:
The Music / The Story &
The Role / At San Diego Opera:
Working with the Composer
JERRY
HADLEY sadly passed away on July 18, 2007. Let us remember him in
our prayers.
CLICK HERE if you wish to post a TRIBUTE to JERRY HADLEY.
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