God, love and death

From the applause meter, it is an undeniable great success, more than fifteen minutes of standing ovation at the end of the third act. Does the opera look like the movie? Yes and no. The answer is nuanced. The Opéra-Comique had the happy initiative of programming Breaking the Waves adaptation of the eponymous film by Lars Von Trier, Grand Prix of the Cannes Film Festival in 1996. We find the setting, the passion, the ardor and the torments, even the alienation, of the film but the librettist Royce Vavrek and the composer Missy Mazzoli introduce subtleties and above all empathy which make the subject less equivocal.

God, she loves him, Jan…

In a strict Calvinist community in northern Scotland, young Bess thanks God for the greatest gift of all: her love for Jan, a stranger working on an offshore oil rig. Bess, everyone wants her well. Everyone advises her, when not putting pressure on her. Bess is madly in love, literally, with worry and… love. When Jan goes back to work on her platform, Bess breaks down psychologically and asks God to bring him back to her, whatever the price. Jan returns but under the conditions expected by Bess. Her husband survives an accident and is now paralyzed. On his hospital bed, he asks her to seek love from other men. For his own good, for his own health. Otherwise Bess would never agree.

Passion according to Bess

Her love, her faith, her kindness make Bess a sacrificial heroine. She is convinced that her husband’s state of health would improve if she obeyed him, as religion had taught her. Obey, don’t question anything. When Bess speaks of herself in the third person, when she addresses God, the lover lets all her flaws burst. His hardline is the result of social and religious pressure. American soprano Sydney Mancasola takes her character to the limits of reason. With a strong voice in the strong moments, crystalline, she brings to life a Bess in search of her own path. Jan, played by the very inspired baritone Jarrett Ott, changes after his accident. Wounded, he seeks to humiliate, to hurt. Lover or megalomaniac manipulator?

Music, this gift

How was this opera born? “I loved this film by Trier from the first time I saw it, when I was 14. I remember it was at a friend’s house, on a tiny television, not ideal for taking the measure of all its cinematic qualities. What captured my imagination was the story and the acting.”says librettist Royce Vavrek.

What are the differences with the film? “One of the most powerful characteristics of opera is its ability to communicate multiple layers of emotion simultaneously. It seemed to me that I was going to be able to explore the psychology of the characters in a very deep and very complex way because I was going to use music as my main means of expression. This is where our opera differs from the film, which underlined fewer aspects at the same time”, explains composer Missy Mazzoli.

With a minimalist, refined staging by Tom Morris and with the baton Mathieu Romano, breaking the waves is a work of rare dramatic power. The last performance is scheduled for Wednesday, May 31.

Form

Title : breaking the waves

Opera in 3 acts (2h45)

Music: Missy Mazzoli

Libretto: Royce Vavrek

Musical direction: Mathieu Romano

Director: Tom Morris

Cast: Sydney Mancasola, Jarrett Ott, Wallis Giunta, Susan Bullock, Elgan Llŷr Thomas, Aedes Choir, Paris Chamber Orchestra

Note: Not suitable for all audiences, contains nudity.