Lowell Opera Composers Speak at Hillel

Just one day after the world premiere of their English opera in the Lowell House dining hall, composer and Professor of Mathematics Noam D. Elkies '86 and librettist Jeremy Dauber '95 spoke about their opus at a forum at Harvard-Radcliffe Hillel.

Elkies' and Dauber's opera Yussele Solevey, an adaptation of a book by the same name by Yiddish writer Sholem Aleichem, is the first original opera performed by the Lowell House opera.

"This is definitely our first premier," said the show's producer Heidi K. Kim '01. "Lowell hasn't always done stock opera per se--we've done strange things in the past--but this is new."

The idea for the opera came several years ago, according to Elkies, when former Master of Lowell House William H. Bossert '59, suggested that he write an original opera for the House, which has been putting on an annual opera since the 1930s.

Elkies mentioned the project to Dauber, who had graduated from Harvard and begun working towards his Ph.D. in Hebrew and Yiddish Literature as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University.

Work on the libretto began two years ago, Dauber said.

"All I knew about opera came from a Core class I took," he said. "So I guess we can thank the Literature and Arts B requirement for Yussele Solevey."

Dauber said he chose to adapt Sholem Aleichem's short story Yussele Solevey to the operatic form because he knew of no Jewish operas, and he felt the story would adapt well to opera.

"Melodramas are a boon for opera!" he said.

The opera centers on a cantor, Yussele, whose beautiful voice earns him the nickname Solevey, the Polish vernacular for "nightingale." To study music, he must leave his tiny town and his love, Esther, behind.

When Yussele becomes famous all over northeast Poland, he is pursued by and succumbs to the advances of a rich widow.

When Yussele returns to his village, he finds his childhood sweetheart has married a rich widower in his absence. Still wedded to his own rich widow, he tries to win Esther back, but she has decided upon a life of misery. Despondent, Yussele finally goes mad.

"Why are we telling this story in music," Elkies asks, "besides the fact that it's about a cantor? Because music is characterization."

Dax Skiger, of the American Repertory Theatre, directs the opera, with musical direction by Joel Bard.

After opening last night, Yussele Solovey will be shown in the Lowell dining hall at 8 p.m. tonight, Sunday, next Wednesday and on March 19 and 21.

Tickets are $10--$6 for students--and are available at the Sanders Box Office and Bostix.