This past week, the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis world premiered the new work by Ricky Ian Gordon, “This House.” The work tells the story of the Walker family, who have lived in the same Harlem brownstone since the 1920s, and they fought hard to keep what they have.

The work is conducted by Daniela Candillari, the Principal Conductor of the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Throughout the years, she has conducted at many of the leading theaters and orchestras, including Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, New Orleans Opera, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Washington National Opera, Metropolitan Opera, and Deutsche Oper Berlin.

OperaWire spoke to Candillari about the new work and conducting a world premiere.

OperaWire: How does it feel to world premiere a work with the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis?

Daniela Candillari: This is already my second process of developing a world premiere at the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. The first one was in 2021, a program called New Works, Bold Voices Lab, which was also my debut here. As we are in a festival season, the rehearsal schedule is quite tight. A world premiere is a very special and unique process, as it involves a completely new way of discovering the piece together with the entire ensemble. Usually for a world premiere, one has a bit more time to put all of those pieces together. But Opera Theatre of Saint Louis has an incredible record of producing world premieres and the support here is very strong, so it all culminates in an extreme focus from everyone in creating something truly special.

OW: Tell me about your collaboration with Ricky Ian Gordon, and how does this work differ from his other works?

DC: It’s been wonderful working with Ricky. I’ve been a fan of his music since my student days at Indiana University, and this process has been a great collaboration. Getting to hear exactly how Ricky feels his music, and working on the dramatic pacing of the opera, has been incredibly important. I would describe this opera as a piece that lives in the world of magical realism. It’s an ensemble piece, comprising of 10 singers, with no chorus, and the orchestration is similar to that of the “Grapes of Wrath” with a slightly smaller brass and a larger percussion section. In terms of the flow of the opera, it reminds me a bit of Strauss’ conversation operas, and at the same time there are many different elements at play here. Influences of earlier jazz, rock, R&B, and impressionistic textures in the orchestra are all present and interwoven throughout the piece. The libretto is very poetic and that has guided the music to punctuate those moments.

OW: What are the challenges of this score?

DC: Generally, with any new score, it’s about finding the pacing that supports each singer and that connects the scenes seamlessly. The beauty of this score is in the colors of every scene and different musical styles that are present. At the same time these stylistic shifts can present a challenge in how those transitions need to be connected and seamlessly executed. As the opera tells a story of a multigenerational family, we go from 1930s, 1960s, 1990s to present day, and the music depicts all these timelines and shifts. For a few pages we might have the sound of jazz bands from the 1930s, which then immediately goes into Stravinsky-like rhythmic propulsion. Finding the exact right proportions in timing, voicing, and very frequent pattern changes is something I have been working on very specifically.

OW: What would you tell audiences who are reticent to see new works, and what makes you excited about conducting new works?

DC: Conducting a new work is a privilege. We not only get to share the music and share our interpretations of a certain piece, but in a new piece we also get to work side-by-side with the composer and hear directly from them the exact intention of what they wrote. Personally, I love listening to new music and hearing new pieces, as it keeps my curiosity, not just about music but about life itself, alive. Very often after hearing a new piece I might have a very different take on say a symphony by Brahms. The connection of all these moments makes me see and experience things in life differently. So, I would say the exact same thing to the audiences: come as you are and let the music inspire you, not just for a moment, but perhaps for a lifetime.

Recordings 

Here is Candillari speaking about the recent world premiere “Grounded” and a preview of “This House.”