Most of PDQ Bach's operas are fairly short (Hansel and Gretel and Ted and Alice; The Stoned Guest). His really long one is mostly lost (Einstein on the Fritz). The Abduction of Figaro is a 3-act extravaganza, almost 2 1/2 hours long, set in Seville, North Africa, and Cuba. Somehow the Minnesota Opera Company was inveigled into performing it in 1984 and William Pierce was hijacked to do the commentary.
Mozart was a fabulous composer, so one can hardly blame PDQ for stealing so liberally from him. Had he done so more competently he would have written a much better opera. But PDQ never wrote a much better anything.
The opera is very tuneful. Other peoples' tunes, mostly. PDQ Bach (1807-1742?] was an equal-opportunity plagiarist. "Abduction" is something of an upstairs-downstairs opera, considering the number of master-servant pairs involved. There's Figaro's wife, Susanna Susannadanna, and her servant Pecadillo; Donald ("Don") Giovanni and his servant Schleporello; Dona Donna and her servant Blondie; Pasha Shaboom and his servant Opec. Schleporello is a mute, doesn't like it at all, and argues about it quit a bit.
Although the singers' names appear on the jacket, I'm sure they would prefer to remain anonymous. The performance is defective in that it uses a piano for continuo, when of course PDQ wrote for a harpsichord. Harpsichords are far superior anyway.
The overture is sprightly and sounds almost as if it had been cobbled together by Spike Jones -- except that Jones would have done a better job. The opera itself is sung in English, unfortunately -- not because English isn't the original language (there's some debate on that), but because it allows you to understand the fairly idiotic libretto. If it were in Italian or German, you could pretend it's better than it is.
Act I opens at the palace of Count Almamater, in the bedroom of the sick Figaro, who has mostly lapsed into a coma. After Doctor Al Defonso sings his aria ("Found a Peanut") (I told you English was a bad idea) he leaves. Susanna sings her aria, "Stand By Me", which has given rise to an acrid debate as to whether PDQ invented do-wop. Pecadillo comes in to announce the arrival of Dona Donna, who immediately charges in to sing a condemnation of Donald Giovanni and ask if she and Blondie can stay the night. Outside, later that night, Donald and Schloporello show up, while Pecadillo tries to serenade Blondie ("My Dog Has Fleas" ... should have performed this in Lithuanian or something else nobody understands). Donald meanwhile, is unaccountably smitten with Susanna. Things get increasingly complicated until, when the scene returns to the bedroom, Captain Kadd (who has a hook) breaks in. He sings (with hornpipe) about how bad he is and how he's on his way to retrieve a treasure in Cuba. Using Figaro's covered bed, he sails off in with the title character. There is general lamentation. Donald confronts Donna (or vice-versa). Donald, Schleporello, and Pecadillo sail off to rescue Figaro. Almost immediately their ship sinks in full view of everyone (so that's where Bernstein got the idea for the shipwreck in Candide!).
In Act II the 3 men are washed up on shore and sing at length about it. At the court of the Pasha, Opec picks fruit and sings (but not about that)(Opec is played by the inimitable John Ferrante, a countertenor who was so long associated with PDQ Bach's stuff ("Iphegenia in Brooklyn", "The Seasonings", &c.) he wouldn't mind being identified. The Pasha (who's pretty much out of it) comes in and his dancing girls do the Dance of the Seven Pails. Donald and Schleporello discover that Blondie and Donna are somehow already there and part of the Pasha's harem. The latter pair are mightily annoyed when the former put moves on them. Capt. Kadd passes through. Blondie and Donna are disgusted with men ("Macho, Macho"). Schleporello tries the serenade bit again ("You Can Beat Me"), this time with a steel guitar -- obviously an unwonted interpolation in an effort to get a modern audience interested, but by this time they're laughing too hard to notice. Donald makes another pass at Donna. OK, confess; how long ago did you get lost in all this? Donna has a hissy-fit and walks out without singing her aria. Conductor (and PDQ Bach discoverer) Prof. Schickele skips ahead. Donald, Schleporello, Pecadillo -- AND Opec -- decide it's time to go and wind up in ....
Act III is set in Cuba. The 4 guys arrive, walk offstage and then there's is completely senseless ballet that's sort of Carmen Miranda meets Swan Lake, in which PDQ Bach actually plagiarizes himself. The 4 men come back and meet Mama and Papa Geno (hard "G") and their pigs. Captain Kadd now shows up, the bed loaded with pirates, Blondie, Donna, and (of course) the still-comatose Figaro. Kadd gets the treasure map from Papa Geno (huh?) and when it appears that the treasure is in the bed, it turns out that Figaro has disappeared and the Maltese Falcon ... huh? huh? Well, now I'm lost and I'm actually watching it. Anyway, Schleporello gets an aria and ... where did those Valkyries come from? ... and then happily all ends. The idea of a "spoiler" in a work of this sort is ludicrous, of course.
This opera is unsuitable for children because they won't understand. Besides, nowadays children quickly reach the point where they don't like actual music and won't discover it again (if ever) until they get dragged to real concerts. On the other hand, an opera written at the time of Salieri, by a composer who was actually inferior to him, isn't a really good place to start. By the same token don't watch "Abduction of Figaro" alone. You may laugh hard enough to require CPR
Mozart was a fabulous composer, so one can hardly blame PDQ for stealing so liberally from him. Had he done so more competently he would have written a much better opera. But PDQ never wrote a much better anything.
The opera is very tuneful. Other peoples' tunes, mostly. PDQ Bach (1807-1742?] was an equal-opportunity plagiarist. "Abduction" is something of an upstairs-downstairs opera, considering the number of master-servant pairs involved. There's Figaro's wife, Susanna Susannadanna, and her servant Pecadillo; Donald ("Don") Giovanni and his servant Schleporello; Dona Donna and her servant Blondie; Pasha Shaboom and his servant Opec. Schleporello is a mute, doesn't like it at all, and argues about it quit a bit.
Although the singers' names appear on the jacket, I'm sure they would prefer to remain anonymous. The performance is defective in that it uses a piano for continuo, when of course PDQ wrote for a harpsichord. Harpsichords are far superior anyway.
The overture is sprightly and sounds almost as if it had been cobbled together by Spike Jones -- except that Jones would have done a better job. The opera itself is sung in English, unfortunately -- not because English isn't the original language (there's some debate on that), but because it allows you to understand the fairly idiotic libretto. If it were in Italian or German, you could pretend it's better than it is.
Act I opens at the palace of Count Almamater, in the bedroom of the sick Figaro, who has mostly lapsed into a coma. After Doctor Al Defonso sings his aria ("Found a Peanut") (I told you English was a bad idea) he leaves. Susanna sings her aria, "Stand By Me", which has given rise to an acrid debate as to whether PDQ invented do-wop. Pecadillo comes in to announce the arrival of Dona Donna, who immediately charges in to sing a condemnation of Donald Giovanni and ask if she and Blondie can stay the night. Outside, later that night, Donald and Schloporello show up, while Pecadillo tries to serenade Blondie ("My Dog Has Fleas" ... should have performed this in Lithuanian or something else nobody understands). Donald meanwhile, is unaccountably smitten with Susanna. Things get increasingly complicated until, when the scene returns to the bedroom, Captain Kadd (who has a hook) breaks in. He sings (with hornpipe) about how bad he is and how he's on his way to retrieve a treasure in Cuba. Using Figaro's covered bed, he sails off in with the title character. There is general lamentation. Donald confronts Donna (or vice-versa). Donald, Schleporello, and Pecadillo sail off to rescue Figaro. Almost immediately their ship sinks in full view of everyone (so that's where Bernstein got the idea for the shipwreck in Candide!).
In Act II the 3 men are washed up on shore and sing at length about it. At the court of the Pasha, Opec picks fruit and sings (but not about that)(Opec is played by the inimitable John Ferrante, a countertenor who was so long associated with PDQ Bach's stuff ("Iphegenia in Brooklyn", "The Seasonings", &c.) he wouldn't mind being identified. The Pasha (who's pretty much out of it) comes in and his dancing girls do the Dance of the Seven Pails. Donald and Schleporello discover that Blondie and Donna are somehow already there and part of the Pasha's harem. The latter pair are mightily annoyed when the former put moves on them. Capt. Kadd passes through. Blondie and Donna are disgusted with men ("Macho, Macho"). Schleporello tries the serenade bit again ("You Can Beat Me"), this time with a steel guitar -- obviously an unwonted interpolation in an effort to get a modern audience interested, but by this time they're laughing too hard to notice. Donald makes another pass at Donna. OK, confess; how long ago did you get lost in all this? Donna has a hissy-fit and walks out without singing her aria. Conductor (and PDQ Bach discoverer) Prof. Schickele skips ahead. Donald, Schleporello, Pecadillo -- AND Opec -- decide it's time to go and wind up in ....
Act III is set in Cuba. The 4 guys arrive, walk offstage and then there's is completely senseless ballet that's sort of Carmen Miranda meets Swan Lake, in which PDQ Bach actually plagiarizes himself. The 4 men come back and meet Mama and Papa Geno (hard "G") and their pigs. Captain Kadd now shows up, the bed loaded with pirates, Blondie, Donna, and (of course) the still-comatose Figaro. Kadd gets the treasure map from Papa Geno (huh?) and when it appears that the treasure is in the bed, it turns out that Figaro has disappeared and the Maltese Falcon ... huh? huh? Well, now I'm lost and I'm actually watching it. Anyway, Schleporello gets an aria and ... where did those Valkyries come from? ... and then happily all ends. The idea of a "spoiler" in a work of this sort is ludicrous, of course.
This opera is unsuitable for children because they won't understand. Besides, nowadays children quickly reach the point where they don't like actual music and won't discover it again (if ever) until they get dragged to real concerts. On the other hand, an opera written at the time of Salieri, by a composer who was actually inferior to him, isn't a really good place to start. By the same token don't watch "Abduction of Figaro" alone. You may laugh hard enough to require CPR
