Composer Tobias Picker and librettist Aryeh Lev Stollman have seized on the compelling true story of Lili Elbe, and while their operatic creation has some notable artistic legs, it also sometimes walks haltingly at the esteemed Santa Fe Opera.
Lili was a Danish painter, a transgender woman, and a groundbreaker as one of the first to undergo gender-affirming surgery. Under her male birth name, Einar Wegener, she was an admired painter, married to Gerda Wegener, herself a well-known artist. After Einar/Lili accepted the inevitable, that her identity is feminine, she stopped painting and took on the last name of Elbe. She was the first known early recipient of a uterus transplant since she wanted to bear children, but she tragically died owing to complications. Although the situation strained and altered the relationship between Lili and Gerda, they remained in love with each other to the end.
There is no doubt considerable operatic potential in the material, and it had added resonance since the singer who plays Lili Elbe, Lucia Lucas, is herself a trans woman, and had considerable input about the emotional content and the arc of the journey. Ms. Lucas has publicly said that this mirrored her own experiences, and the piece is a powerful statement of personal identity and acceptance.
Mr. Picker is incapable of creating anything that is musically uninteresting, and his multi-varied writing is at once joyful, poignant, jaunty, haunting, entertaining, and deeply moving. There were so many styles and periods evoked that I rather wished he had settled on one or two and filtered them through his own admirable lens, rather than approximating actual voices of Korngold, Berg, Gershwin, and the like. Still, the overall score had an undeniable pulsating effect, the voicings and colors in the instrumental writing were commendable, and the many orchestral interludes were very enriching. I wished that the angular nattering by the singers would have been more varied, but when the pace and tone settled down to some weighty confrontations and loving exchanges, the writing hearkened back to his masterpiece, Emmeline, which debuted in this theatre thirty years prior.
I was less taken with Aryeh Lev Stollman’s often spare libretto. It is a critical flaw that there is not nearly enough exposition to set up the tragic chain of events. We barely get to know Einar Wegener, and the depth of his loving relationship with Gerda. After the briefest of introductory scenes, the pair is off to the opera to see Orpheus and Eurydice, then head home, where Gerda is thwarted in finishing a female portrait because the actress playing Eurydice has stood her up. With minimal persuasion, Gerda gets Einar, to drape a scarf across his body and take a girlish pose in his tux pants, and in short order, he/she snaps and segues too quickly into an operatic approximation of “I Enjoy Being a Girl.” Matters rapidly improved after this scanty set-up, and the many short scenes were dispatched sometimes with crackling conversation, and more often with too brief deeply felt phrases.
The production could not have been bettered and was worthy of Santa Fe Opera’s international reputation. The estimable James Robinson is almost unequalled in successfully staging such episodic tales, that are almost patchwork-like scenes that he combines to create a unified impression. Mr. Robinson’s deft hand in nurturing character development and meaningful relationships was everywhere evident. He was abetted by a superb creative team.
Set designer Allen Moyer has achieved a minor miracle with his use of bi-parting upstage panels which revealed a variety of locales, and two slip stages on either side that ferried well-chosen set pieces on and off with fluidity. Greg Emetaz is a widely admired projection and video designer and his work on this occasion filled the stage with potent imagery that complemented the scenic transitions and commented on the orchestral musings that separated the brief scenes.
Costume designer Marco Piemontese ably provided attire ranging from simple Danish period dress to medical laboratory garb to elegant Parisian haute couture. He was wholly successful in flattering Ms. Lucas throughout Lili’s transformation. Marcus Doshi’s atmospheric lighting was another key visual delight, whether bight and playful, sulky and portentous, or all points in between.
Roberto Kalb led a committed account of Picker’s multifaceted score, with thrilling attention to detail, and skillful partnering with his onstage cast. The characterful interludes were an aural feast, but the ambitious scoring sometimes eclipsed sung passages. There were a number of instances when I was having to “read” the words rather than hearing them. Kudos to the stunning onstage violin soloist who then merges into an elegant string quartet segment, a really neat trick and a musical highpoint. Praise also for Susanne Sheston’s excellent choral preparation, which made the “Transformation” chorus another pinnacle of the evening’s music making.
Given that the role of Lili Elbe was written for Lucia Lucas, it should be no surprise that it fits her like a comfortable glove. Her robust baritone has fine range, and it rings out in the house with ample power, but not a lot of sheen. She is able to modulate her moods effectively with sincere acting, but there is a relatively narrow palette of colors. Nonetheless, Ms. Lucas invests herself wholly into the role and her dedicated personalization is infectious and moving.
Sylvia D’Eramo is a dreamy Gerda, her shining soprano encompassing all of the role’s demands. Ms. D’Eramo’s radiant top range is wedded to a substantial mid-lower register that are uniformly appealing. I wish that some of Gerda’s rapid-fire lines in the mid-range hadn’t been overtaken by the orchestral writing, but overall hers was a treasurable role assumption.
As Professor Warnekros, Andrew Harris deployed a forbidding bass to solidly intone the ominous pronouncements of the duplicitous surgeon. Josh Lovell cut a handsome figure as Claude LeJeune, Lili’s new love interest, and his honeyed, poised tenor fell pleasantly on the ear.
Joshua Klein’s buzzy, smooth baritone was a perfect fit for the part of Major Fernando Porta, while fellow baritone Ryan Wolfe as Marius Wegener, regaled us with his suave, ringing vocalizing.
There were other real standouts: Lindsey Ammann was a searing Mother Wegener, her mezzo-soprano limning a powerhouse presentation. As Dagmar, mezzo-soprano Deann Ray Eberhart showed off a luminous, warmly enveloping sound. Audrey Welsh’s rich, full-bodied mezzo saw admirable double duty as the flighty Eurydice, and the soberly affecting Young Woman. Lindsay Martin’s clear, shining mezzo and engaging stage presence made for an enjoyable turn in the twin roles of Anna Larsson Bjørner and Orpheus.
Rounding out the large cast, Evan Lazdowski’s rolling, imposing bass-baritone informed the Art Critic; Ann Kelly’s dark, plummy mezzo was a wonderful match-up for the demands of Hélène Allatini who was well paired with Kyle White’s burnished, pliable baritone as Eric Allatini; Drew Comer’s Christian X was well served by his vibrant baritone; Lauryn Davis’ rich supple soprano made the most of her time as the Danish Countess; and Alexis Seminario’s assured, empathetic soprano was a treat as the Matron.
To my taste, the adage, “Leave them wanting more” applies to Lili Elbe. I wanted more. The piece runs two hours with one intermission, and I felt that too much got packed into too little time. I think that expanding the scenes would allow for more detail, richer character development, and a more powerful punch.
As it is, Sante Fe Opera is to be commended for their enviable track record of World and U.S. premieres, and if Lili Elbe has some shortcomings, it is nevertheless an important, heartfelt effort by some of the industry’s top practitioners about a very contemporary issue, and deserves to be seen.
James Sohre
Lili Elbe
Music by Tobias Picker
Libretto by Aryeh Lev Stollman
Cast and Production Staff:
Anna Larsson Bjørner/Orpheus: Lindsay Martin; Eurydice: Audrey Welsh; Gerda Wegener: Sylvia D’Eramo; Lili Elbe: Lucia Lucas; Art Critic: Evan Lazdowski; Hélène Allatini: Anna Kelly; Eric Allatini: Kyle White; Claude LeJeune: Josh Lovell; Major Fernando Porta: Joshua Klein; Danish Countess: Lauryn Davis; Dagmar: Deanna Ray Eberhart; Marius Wegener: Ryan Wolfe; Professor Warnekros: Andrew Harris; Mother Wegener: Lindsay Ammann; Matron: Alexis Seminario; Christian X: Drew Comer; Woung Woman: Audrey Welsh.
Conductor: Roberto Kalb; Director: James Robinson; Set Designer: Allen Moyer; Costume Designer: Marco Piemontese; Lighting Designer: Marcus Doshi; Projection and Video Designer: Greg Emetaz; Chorus Director: Susann Sheston; Choreographer: Seán Curran.
Top image: Lucia Lucas (Lili Elbe) and Sylvia D’Eramo (Gerda Wegener)
All photos by Bronwen Sharp for the Santa Fe Opera