Director vs. Composer

During Monday’s class discussion, maintaining the musical intentions of the composer became the lively topic of conversation. Someone mentioned Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, and how he intended the work to be performed by an African-American cast because of the historical background and his intentions should be observed. However, others ideas were tossed around about casting based on the voice versus looks and where do we draw the line? Are performances of Porgy and Bess, performed by an all white cast, true to the composer’s intentions? Suffice it to say, the discussion never came to a conclusion, but it got me thinking…

Art is subjective; it is up for interpretation by those creating it. Yes, there are guidelines that one must follow, like traditional performance practices and the wishes of the composer. However, when an artist enters into unchartered territory with a familiar work, he or she needs to be open to both criticism and/or praise. Recognizing the original intent of the composer is most important, but choosing to put your own twist on it is also okay as long as you have a reason. I think in today’s society we, as artists, need to make opera more emotionally accessible to the general public in order to create a stir or spark some interest, which is why I support new interpretations of traditional and nontraditional operatic works.

Although I’m not a fan of the all white version of Porgy and Bess, I realized I’m a bit of a hypocrite because, as I was watching Satyagraha, all I could think of was Martin Luther King Jr. What if the music and libretto stayed the same, but it was King’s life being portrayed instead of Gandhi’s? Essentially, my idea is comparable to the person who wanted the all white version of Porgy and Bess because it is an event I can relate to more easily, which helps me to connect with the music on a deeper level. If you think about it for a moment it would make since. Yes, the Sanskrit is not authentic to King, but the ideals and the struggles are. Or, what if the opera was a tribute to both Gandhi and King? The stage could be divided in half and the two stories acting out in tandem? Would this make Glass’s opera more accessible to the American people? Would Americans be more likely to go to an opera that is advertised as a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.? I know that this idea is not the original intention of the composer, but if it could reach a completely different group of people, then isn’t that doing the composer a service? I guess I will save the answer to these questions for a later date because I’m a bit torn on how to properly answer them. I guess it boils down to director versus composer; which one do you think should win?