Review: Droning Overwhelms the Lives of THE LISTENERS in New Mazzoli-Vavrek Opera

It’s fascinating that within two weeks, as the new US opera season began in earnest, Northeast operagoers heard a pair of new (or new-ish) operas by well-known creators: the US premiere of THE LISTENERS at Opera Philadelphia, by Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek and the much-revised GROUNDED by Jeanine Tesori and George Brant, the gala opening at the Met.

Both are composed by women, both with libretti by men—and both brought the word “drone” into the opera vocabulary, though with totally different meanings.

The Tesori-Brant work (based on the librettist’s one-act monodrama), which started life at the Washington National Opera, uses the word in its most popular current meaning: a remote-controlled pilotless aircraft or small flying device used for military defense (and some other, more benign) purposes.

THE LISTENERS, which had its world premiere at the National Opera in Oslo, Norway, before making its way to Philadelphia, has something quite different on its mind: a low, continuous hum (ie, drone) that becomes unbearable for those who can hear it (not everyone can) and who band together in a community action group—a cult-like union.

According to the Guggenheim Museum’s Works & Process series preview of THE LISTENERS some weeks ago, the work grew out of one of three original ideas for an opera submitted at Mazzoli’s and Vavrek’s request by Jordan Tannahill. The story clearly had broad appeal: Besides the opera, it has also become a novel and a mini-series. 

It offers a strong score by Mazzoli, under Corrado Rovaris and the Opera Philadelphia orchestra, that never appears to take the easy way out when something more interesting, more melodic, more challenging would do; for example, she avoids over-illustrating what the drone would sound like, while still making her point. Vavrek’s libretto lays out the story and clearly marks the way for Mazzoli to get where she needs to go, at the same time adding some unexpected humor to the proceedings.

The work was a memorable event that the audience embraced. This is no small achievement, considering that the matinee I attended counted many opera newbies attracted by the promotional $11 tickets that are kicking off the regime of new president and general director Anthony Roth Costanzo in Philadelphia.

The gist of the work: For those who can hear the drone, there is safety in numbers as members of the cult. At the same time, there is no room for any serious differences of opinion about the meaning of the hum: Is it penance? Is it electricity? And so on. Join our vision of what the sound might be—or be gone, the cult’s leader makes clear.

He is as charismatic a figure as any cult leader must be. Howard Bard (baritone Kevin Burdette, who has been more effective in comic roles, where his light voice might be more at home), who “could be Jesus incarnate,” says his secretary. “He makes me feel loved and listened to,” says one of his acolytes.

But Howard is not the center of the opera. It is Claire, deftly and dramatically portrayed by soprano Nicole Heaton, who made her local debut in the role and did rightly by Mazzoli's varied score. A teacher, with a petulant teenage daughter (another strong performance, from soprano Lindsey Reynolds) and a marriage that seems to be crumbling before us (the fine baritone Troy Cook), the hum seems the last straw in driving her over the edge.

As she settles in among others of her ilk, however, she seems to become somewhat calmer, though still feeling that something is not right. This discomfort is manifested by the appearance of a coyote (Sydney Donovan), to me a questionable element in the proceedings. It might be the only misstep of director Lileana Blain-Cruz, who otherwise presented the work with simple, yet effective motion.

Still, Claire finds the resources to help not only herself but one of her students, Kyle (a strong presence by tenor Aaron Crouch), and brings him along to her first meeting of the group. In another standout performance in a supporting role, baritone John Moore lends a powerful presence as Dillon, a former soldier who questions what the hum might actually be and is rightly entrusted with an important element in the score in Act II. The chorus of Opera Philadelphia performed smartly under the direction of Chorus Master Elizabeth Braden.

By the end, the leader is [SPOILER ALERT!] unmasked by his #2, Angela (the outstanding mezzo Rehanna Thelwell) as a less-than-true believer. Yet, the cult goes on because even if joining in the group doesn’t necessarily make things better for those involved, most find that it’s helpful to be among people who believe as they do.

The production has been designed modestly by Adam Rigg, with lighting by Yi Zhao, sound by Daniel Neumann, projections by Hannah Wasileski and costumes by Kaye Voyce. The choreographer was by Raja Feather Kelly.

In the age when we constantly witness an ex-president and presidential candidate whose supporters follow him with blind, cult-like devotion, no matter what he says or does, it’s hard not to draw parallels between the opera and our own times. It’s a pity that we can.

THE LISTENERS was co-commissioned by the Norwegian National Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago, where it will be performed next spring.

Caption: Nicole Heaton (in white), Aaron Crouch (center) and cast
Credit: Steven Pisano/Opera Philadelphia

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