The Vanishing Bridegroom

The Vanishing Bridegroom is an opera by composer Judith Weir to a libretto by the composer from work edited by J. F. Campbell of Islay. Commissioned by the Glasgow District Council, the opera was premiered by the Scottish Opera as a part of the 1990 European Capital of Culture celebrations in Glasgow. The United States premiere of the opera was given by the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis in 1992 (under the title Highland Wedding)[1] with soprano Lauren Flanigan as the Bride/Wife/Mother.[2]

Operas by Judith Weir

The compositional style is primarily polytonal and polyrhythmic, with elements of minimalism and atonality. Woodwinds are used throughout to introduce Gaelic folk melodies, with violin often being employed as a fiddle, either solo or in duet. The three acts vary stylistically, although some musical gestures are common to all three, such as long rising glissandos in the string section.

The opera was broadcast by BBC TV in 1991 in a production directed for television by Mike Newman, with the Scottish Opera production, directed by Ian Spink and conducted by Justin Brown.[3]

Synopsis

The opera is written in three acts, each a retelling of a Scottish folk story. The opera loosely weaves the stories together into a narrative thread.[4]

Act 1. The Inheritance: a man dies, but his legacy is missing: one of his three sons must have stolen it, but which one? The Doctor investigates by telling the sons a tale of a woman, forbidden to marry her lover, and married off to a richer man.

Act 2. The Disappearance: on the birth of the Bride and Bridegroom's daughter, the husband leaves to fetch the Priest who will christen her, but on the way is lured into a brightly lit hillside - the "Land of the Young". His friend is accused of murder.

Act 3. The Stranger: a handsome prosperous stranger arrives to woo the daughter, now a young woman. The girl is suspicious, and a passing preacher tells her he is obviously the Devil: she retires to a holy spot and the Devil is unable to harm her.

References
  1. Davies, Robertson, Scottish Folklore and Opera (Lecture, St. Louis, 18 June 1992). In Happy Alchemy (Penguin Books, 1997)
  2. Rothstein, Edward (June 4, 1992). "Review/Music; A Scottish Opera Has U.S. Premiere in St. Louis". The New York Times. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  3. Weir, J. Memoirs of an Accidental Film Artist. In: A Night in at the Opera, Tambling, J.John Libbey & Company Ltd, London, 1994, p59.
  4. http://www.musicsalesclassical.com/composer/work/2761#
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