Quantcast

UDDER DELIGHT

UDDER DELIGHT
Robert Clark

Even though she’s a veteran of the Metropolitan
Opera stage, soprano Heidi Grant Murphy isn’t yet an operatic
household name.



Murphy, who sings in the world premiere of "The Cows of
Apollo" – a new one-act musical theater work by composer
Christopher Theofanidis and librettist William M. Hoffman – with
the Brooklyn Philharmonic Dec. 14 and Dec. 15 at the BAM Harvey
Theater, obviously doesn’t mind her current place in the operatic
scheme of things. As witness, her most recent Brooklyn Philharmonic
appearance: singing the role of the Angel last spring in several
excerpts from Olivier Messiaen’s five-hour 1983 opera, "St.
Francis of Assisi." Contemporary music doesn’t faze her
in the least.



"I always love to do that Messiaen piece, which isn’t done
often enough – for obvious reasons [length the most prominent
one]," Murphy tells The Brooklyn Papers. "It’s so difficult
to do – the rhythms are just ridiculous to get right! It was
the first time I really heard it done tightly, where it made
some sort of sense instead of just seeming ’out there.’"



For that, credit Brooklyn Philharmonic music director Robert
Spano, who has made a name for himself not just conducting unfamiliar
works like "The Cows of Apollo," a modern-day interpretation
of an ancient Satyr play, but commissioning this new work. Theofanidis
and Hoffman’s collaboration combines dance, theater and song
to give a bracing new slant on the ancient myth of how music
was invented.



The soprano, who hadn’t yet started rehearsals for the work when
this interview took place, discussed what she knew of it solely
through a reading of the score.



"The part of it that I know is really beautiful to hear,"
says Murphy. "It’s a very interesting-sounding piece, mostly
because you can hear [Theofanidis’] operatic tendencies – much
like Carlisle Floyd [composer of the popular American opera ’Susannah’].
It’s beautifully vocal, which for a singer is a plus, of course."
Especially when that singer is known for her lovely voice.



Murphy plays Maia, a nymph who dwells in a cave with her son
Hermes, whose father is Zeus, the god of gods. "It’s definitely
not a tragedy," Murphy says. "It’s definitely a comedy,
which is more appropriate for these times than a tragic Greek
myth."



In "Cows of Apollo," Maia’s son Hermes had stolen his
big brother Apollo’s 50 sacred and beloved cows. Hermes killed
one of the cows to make a new toy – the first musical instrument,
the lyre. To placate the enraged Apollo, Hermes gives the lyre
to him, which Apollo puts to use by inventing music.



Following her performances with the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Murphy’s
next local stage appearance is at Carnegie Hall in February as
soloist in Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, played by the Munich Philharmonic
under her usual Met conductor James Levine. The soprano doesn’t
mind doing a work that only requires her to make her sole vocal
contribution during the very last movement.



"It all depends on whether you’re made to sit out in front
of the orchestra during the whole performance or you just come
out right before the final movement starts," she says. "But
it’s such a wonderful piece, I love to simply hear it even if
I have to just sit there."



Murphy often performs with her husband, pianist Kevin Murphy,
whether on recordings or in recital. They’ve recently released
a selection of songs by the wonderful French composer Lili Boulanger
on the Arabesque label, "Clearings in the Sky." But
the couple also has two young sons, Christopher and Sean, that
they have to think about, particularly now, post-Sept. 11.



"I love performing with my husband, but we have to pick
our spots," Murphy admits. "But we do have some recitals
[together] coming up in March, so I think we’ll end up making
a family outing out of them."

 

Modern composers & ancient
Greeks




In keeping with its season-long theme, "Songs of the Earth:
Mysteries of the Ancients," the entire Brooklyn Philharmonic
program for Dec. 14 and Dec. 15 explores how modern composers
were inspired by the ancient Greeks. Opening the concerts are
"Three Greek Dances" by composer Nikos Skalkottas,
and following that is Leonard Bernstein’s "Serenade"
for violin and orchestra, a virtuosic concerto based on, of all
things, Plato’s essay "Symposium."



Brooklyn Philharmonic concertmaster Laura Park takes the difficult
solo violin part in the "Serenade;" the other vocalists
in "The Cows of Apollo" are baritones Earle Patriarco
and Nathaniel Webster, with the New York Virtuoso Singers supplying
the choral parts. Spano, of course, will conduct the program.

 

The Brooklyn Philharmonic will perform
at the BAM Harvey Theater (651 Fulton St.) on Dec. 14 and Dec.
15 at 8 pm. Tickets are $50, $35 and $20. To order tickets, call
(718) 636-4100 or visit the Web site at www.brooklynphilharmonic.org.