Michael Dellaira
's opera
The Leopard
is based on the 1958 Italian novel Il gattopardo, also filmed by
Luchino Visconti
in 1963 with, of all people,
Burt Lancaster
as the star (his lines were dubbed into Italian). This historical epic is about the juncture where the old aristocratic verities gave way to the nationalist impulse and to the new nation of Italy.
Visconti
's 205-minute film is lush and detailed, and composer
Dellaira
adds all the lushness he can within a two-hour, two-act framework. The through-composed setting hangs between tonality and atonality. At this length, the story takes on an action-packed quality, but the characters of
and librettist
J.D. McClatchy
(this is the third collaboration of the pair, and the familiarity shows) are sharply differentiated and passionate. The singers are a mix of well-established figures and young up-and-comers, with baritone
Kim Josephson
cutting a fine figure in the lead role of the titular prince whose world is falling apart. Much credit goes to veteran conductor
Gerard Schwarz
, a professor at the University of Miami, who traces a clear path through the density of the material. The
Naxos
label also does well with the engineering at the South Florida-Dade Cultural Arts Center in this live performance, marking the work's premiere. It is to be hoped that other university groups will take this work up; its dimensions are ideal for that environment, and there are many cross-programming opportunities for literature and film departments. ~ James Manheim