The Queen of the Night!
How to discover Brevard Music Center many extraordinary events, large and small
Opera! I discovered opera when I volunteered at the Brevard Music Center in the 1990’s, soon after moving here. My aunt who lived nearby said, “Come help out at Harmony House” (now called Harmony Gifts). Of course I went, and was enchanted.
I think if you haven’t grown up with opera music in the background, it’s best if you just happen to hear it one evening in a summer outdoor setting, when it can take you by surprise. That’s how I discovered Mozart’s The Magic Flute.
The malevolence of the visually gorgeous Queen of the Night was completely inexplicable! Probably this was because I couldn’t make out all her words that filled the hall to the rafters. But I could tell the Queen’s daughter was in some kind of trouble.
My book of 100 opera stories is small enough to fit in a lady’s reticule or a man’s vest pocket. I came home that night and read the plot of The Magic Flute.
But how could the Queen be so fiercely malevolent? She only wants to free her daughter Pamina who is being held in captivity by Sarastro, High Priest of Isis and Osiris. But it turns out the Priest has not imprisoned Pamina after all. He is protecting her from — her mother! Oh, it’s too much!
But is Sarastro all good? Is the Queen of the Night all bad? There’s a lot to think about.
Then the Queen’s costume makes it’s full impact on me, with all the drama it conveys. Here are three more from different performances.
And what about her voice, the extraordinary power of the Queen’s emotion?
Michael Scott, in his book “The Record of Singing,” wrote of the [soprano] role that it “is considered the most treacherous of all scores written for this type of voice.”
“Apart from the cruel stratospheric top notes — there are five high F’s — it demands a voice able to convey the queen’s anguish and her tempestuous nature,” Mr. Scott added. “Joan Sutherland attempted it (transposed downward) but dropped it from her repertoire soon afterward.”
Recently a friend in the music world told me what The Brevard Music Center means to him:
Brevard Music Center is a phenomenal asset to our community in both economic and cultural terms. More personally rewarding, however, is the energy and vitality displayed by the students. Each is committed to developing their individual artistic and technical talents, while also being dedicated to working as a team in ensembles and orchestras to create beautiful music.
The enthusiasm brought to bear at BMC leaves me with “goose bump” memories every summer, and I am thrilled that these students are going to remember Brevard fondly for the rest of their lives.
— Glenn C.
I’ve been to the Brevard Music Center many times. Straus Auditorium is open on two sides and it must have had a metal roof because I remember a summer rain storm drowning out the sounds of a grand piano and several string instruments.
Walk around the campus in the day to hear young musicians through open windows in the practice buildings. If you can, attend the performance in the large Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium on July 4th, and stay for the magical fireworks reflected in Lake Milner later in the evening.
If you go often, and watch and listen, you will discover magic of all kinds at the Brevard Music Center.
You're right Deda. Opra need to be "discovered" and even if you are not an aficionado there are times when it helps the soul to slow down and breathe.
We moved to Brevard in large part because of BMC (and our wonderful library).We go to over 20 concerts a season, and I guarantee that it is one of the most wonderful community experiences you will ever have. Not only does each performance bring joy but also a deeper understanding of humanity. For a brief time no one is an R or a D (or whatever other division in this country) but just people sharing a common experience. Thank you Deda for this postcard.