The novel The Convert by Stefan Hertmans adapted into an opera seemed like an almost impossible task! Not for a composer with an open mind and interest in diverse cultures like Wim Henderickx. It was precisely the impact of diverse cultures on an individual's life that captivated him in the novel, and he set out to compose an opera that bridges Christian-Western, Jewish, and Arab-Eastern cultures. He succeeded brilliantly.
The Story
The "Convert" is a woman who in the 11th century falls in love with a Jewish boy. She flees her prominent Christian family in Rouen and spends time in Narbonne. The couple must flee from the search her parents ordered and end up in Moniou in Provence. Meanwhile, they have married and Vigdis has converted to Judaism. She changes her name from Vigdis Adela to Sara Hamoutal. They have two children. But the violent and fanatical Crusades of the Christians cause a true atmosphere of fear. During a pogrom, her husband David is murdered during the storming of the synagogue and her children are kidnapped. The journey Hamoutal then undertakes in search of her lost children becomes an unbelievable passion, in which she repeatedly finds courage to overcome all threats, often at risk to her life. Only a letter of recommendation from the rabbi of Moniou offers her some protection. In various stages, she reaches Egypt. Rape, the death of the baby she carries anxiously, threats of burning at the stake—with superhuman resilience she endures all suffering. She remarries and tries to rebuild a life. But the news that her two abducted children are with her parents causes her to undertake another journey back to France. Driven mad, Hamoutal ultimately dies in a secret cave of the synagogue of Moniou where she had hoped to find refuge.th Mysticism and magic
While Wim Henderickx may have formally set the harmony between diverse cultures as the main goal of his opera, he has also achieved a fine harmony between all elements of an opera in formal terms. The fact that he could count on several collaborators who he clearly inspired with his vision plays an important role. But the icing on the cake is certainly his music. The dissonant opening chords create an immediate atmosphere of mysticism and magic, two aspects that permeate the opera's tone. His use of electronics is gently united with traditional instruments. The same goes for the use of Eastern elements with which Henderickx is so familiar and which he integrates meaningfully in this story. The baptism of Vigdis/Hamoutal and especially the finale with the "death scene" and the mourning prayer Kaddish work ideally on the audience thanks to the spiritual tone. The emotional passages are always infused with lyricism with strings and woodwinds setting a gentle melodic line. Thus, the vigorous passages often form a strong contrast with sharp brass and percussion. Henderickx is of course not a beginner and has proven his talent and skill as a contemporary composer in various genres with countless works (vocal and instrumental), but his years of evolution perhaps culminate in this opera, in which various characteristics of his work come together and are united in a never obtrusive but especially efficient way to serve the story. In Koen Kessels he has an experienced and extremely motivated conductor to bring the music to life in all its nuances and details.
Drama in need of lyricism
The vocal parts of the soloists are very detailed with an alternation of long melodic lines (for example in the already mentioned love duet between David and Hamoutal) and shorter parlando-like fragments (example for Obadiah). The sometimes demanding key changes in Hamoutal's meditative passages present no problem for Lore Binon and she has some beautiful arias with coloratura character. Once again, she proves what a brilliant singer she is, especially for rather "delicate" vocal music. Her Hamoutal is reminiscent of that other fragile yet determined woman Mélisande, whom she portrayed with such dedication. She can almost be typecast for such roles. She plays her role as lover and mother with moving depth and feeling in all its care and helplessness, to the point of hallucination. Her real pregnancy moreover gives added credibility to the role. Her Jewish husband, David, is portrayed by tenor Vincenzo Neri, with a clear and flexibly deployable voice, allowing him to skillfully vocalize the other roles assigned to him. The procedure of entrusting different characters to the same singers is also applied to other roles. Certainly noteworthy among the singers is Amel Brahim-Djelloul with her distinctly Eastern-tinged timbre. Luvuyo Mbundu is a charismatic Rabbi Obadiah with his soft bass voice.
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A juggling act
Reducing a novel with so many events into a coherent opera-length story, presenting so many different characters and landscapes—it's a juggling act that librettist Krystian Lada has pulled off masterfully. Moreover, he had to navigate the pitfall of the secondary narratives with which Stefan Hertmans justifies the history in his novel while remaining faithful to an accurate representation. Theory about different ways of living and ideologies, with all their discrepancies and conflicts, is embedded in the characters' dialogue and visualized on stage. The second part of the performance is somewhat more chaotic, as Hamoutal's many wanderings during her fatal flight from France to Egypt make the storyline less clear in short order. The text in English (apart from a few short passages in Latin and Hebrew) sounds fluent and poetic. The fact that the opera is in English may seem contradictory to Henderickx's claim that he wants to make "opera for everyone," but the production definitely proves the language works well and of course it ensures international reach (which the work certainly deserves!).
Original direction
It's wonderful to see a contemporary opera that doesn't resort to the by now almost clichéd technique of video. Hans Op de Beeck exercises his painting talent as director with large painted canvases as scenery. There are about sixteen paintings that are changed via a manual rotating system like the old drawings of a theater. The director himself calls it a "picture book" and you couldn't describe it better. Within a frame with an arabesque-like illustration at the top, a page turns per scene as if you're leafing through a fairy tale book. The value of the paintings is that besides being a beautiful print, they help the audience integrate into the emotion of the characters. In the love scene, the moon accentuates the poetry of the couple; the desert landscape heightens the desolation of Hamoutal's wandering, and so on. His costumes also work powerfully in terms of content. Especially for Hamoutal. The double choir is dressed in black, like a sort of Greek choir commenting on the tragedy, with Henderickx's musical style working poignantly here as well. What does disturb in his scenery is the use of some rather kitschy-looking props, such as the shell and toy scales of the children in the opening scene, though that image does convey from the start how strong the motherly involvement of (then still) Vigdis is with her children. The threat of the drama that follows is also immediately insinuated. The shell as a reference to Botticelli and the birth of Venus is perhaps a bit far-fetched? A clever device is the doubling of Hamoutal with a puppet as "alter ego." In this way the director avoids having to show certain sensitive passages as too painful (such as the rape). And at the end of the opera, it's clear that the "old" Vigdis has no reason for existence anymore, while Hamoutal steps into the dark night. The mourning prayer at her death is so beautiful that it evokes the processing of trauma. Deeply moved, you leave the hall as a spectator.
© Filip Van Roe
(The Convert)
WHAT: The Convert Wim Henderickx [music], Krystian Lada [libretto], Hans Op de Beeck [direction]
WHO: Tuesday 10-5-2022, premiere
CASTLore Binon, Vincenzo Neri, Amel Brahim-Djelloul, Luvuyo Mbundu
ORCHESTRASymphonic Orchestra Opera Ballet Flanders, Choir and Children's Choir Opera Ballet Flanders, Madam Fortuna City Choir
WHERE: Phile Deprez
WHEN: The Convert can still be seen until May 19 in Antwerp, and on May 27, 29 and June 2 and 4 in the Gent opera. Tickets and more information on [eafl id="31283" name="De bekeerlinge" text="this link."]
where and when: The Convert is showing until May 19 in Antwerp, and on May 27, 29 and June 2 and 4 at the opera in Ghent. Tickets and more information at [eafl id="31283" name="De bekeerlinge" text="this link."]
