Libretto | Piano-vocal score excerpt | Press | World-Premiere Production
Duration: 75 minutes without intermission
Cast: chorus of women (minimum 8, SSS MMM AA), baritone, 2 sopranos, mezzo
Instrumentation, total 7 players: piano/organ, percussion (vibraphone, hand bells, music boxes), string quintet. Accordion may be added where available
LOOK/LISTEN SELECTIONS
SEMMELWEIS trailer from Ray Lustig on Vimeo.
ABOUT
SEMMELWEIS is a new 75-minute music-theater work inspired by the tragic story of nineteenth-century Hungarian obstetrician Ignác Semmelweis (1818-1865), who discovered the cure for a devastating epidemic but could not convince the world of the simple solution, and died alone in an asylum. Dr. Semmelweis had been the first to see an unthinkable truth: that the deadly disease was passing from the bodies of the dead to healthy mothers on the unwashed hands of the doctors themselves.
SEMMELWEIS explores the theme that everything we think we know can be overturned violently, and asks what is it like to be the first to see into a terrible blind spot and perceive a truth too awful to believe? To be an “outsider”—a “foreign” doctor, Hungarian, but living and working in Vienna’s top hospital in a xenophobic era—and to fear that no one heard you, that the answer may die with you? To hold an earth-shattering insight, and yet be haunted by all the mothers that would not be saved.
Though the year 2018 marked the 200th birth year of Ignác Semmelweis, our world seems still not to have absorbed the powerful lessons of this story. There has never been a more urgent moment in history to reflect on the mystery of insight, the tension between truth and hubris, our cultural myopia, and the clear truth that we, as individuals and as a society, need our “outsiders,” our fresh and brave ideas, literally to survive.
SEMMELWEIS is a 75-minute continuous song cycle, abstracted from direct plot or historical documentary. The “story” is symbol-driven and tightly integrated with movement, staging, lighting, projection, and voiceover design to convey the essential narrative outline. It is scored for women’s vocal ensemble (8 voices minimum, SSS MMM AA), one male soloist (baritone), and seven instrumentalists (piano/organ, percussion, and string quintet), as well as specially designed music boxes and tuned bells played onstage by all soloists and chorus (additional onstage instruments may be used at the director’s discretion, including singing mediation bowls, accordions, and other simple percussion).
Most of the musical and dramatic weight of the work is on the chorus of women, who represent different women haunting Semmelweis’s failing mind (patients, mothers, midwives, nurses, his wife). The work has a mostly seamless feel, woven from instrumental or un-texted choral music that allow the song-like arias to stand out. The staging is abstract and suitable for contemporary performing arts spaces or music theater venues, as well as small-to-medium opera houses.
The SEMMELWEIS project owes its inception to American Opera Projects‘s Composers and the Voice residency. Several early workshop prototypes were staged with AOP‘s generous support at Galapagos Art Space in Brooklyn, HERE Arts in New York City, the New York Academy of Medicine, and South Oxford Space, Brooklyn, and selected for a special AOP workshop with eminent director Jonathan Miller. Additional support comes from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Ensemble Studio Theater, Musiktheater Wien, and Dr. Warren Widmann.
Interested presenters and supporters please contact
PRESS
Press from 2018-19 tour:
Gulyás Gábor, Papago, “Clean hands,” January 13, 2019
“…a spectacular project…a non-typical opera…outside of musical genre here in a particularly compelling way, given the question of opera vs. operetta of the Operetta Theater, and that the female chorus and soloists give the overture and the main themes.”
“The narrative is not lost in details (dramaturg: Diána Mátrai Eszter). The story is not the least ornate; we don’t see much about how Semmelweis gets to his current renown; neither is the emphasis on the psychological analysis of his madness. The work focuses more on highlighting truths beyond the specific cases, and this gives the basis of the direction of Martin Boross.”
“The world-class, beautiful video (Dávid Maruscsák) also serve the purpose”
From the Budapest premiere of SEMMELWEIS, September 28, 2018:
“a gripping and unique experience…spectacular…a performance that provoked multiple catharses…one of the best theatrical productions of recent years” — Magyar Midök, Hungary
“the strength of Semmelweis as a written piece is its music…strong images and without pre-digested clichés turning the fable of hand-washing into a contemporary message” — Élet és Irodalom, Hungary
“truly contemporary direction that is filled with great ideas…well worth seeing as it has so much to offer ” — Theater of the Whole
“the term ‘operetta’ must not mislead from the seriousness of the musical argument…solid dramatic construct” — Sipario, Italy
“No sentimental story in the romantic style, no concession to mythologies or stories of the supernatural, nothing like a hero story…an opera quite distinct from the genre of operetta or musical…stunning performances that allowed the work to masterfully realize the universal sound world conceived for this work by a particularly inspired Ray Lustig.” — operaclick.com, Italy
“ethereal…mysterious…a colorful and rich musical composition.” — Csillagpont Radio, Hungary
“powerfully resonant…gripping” — New York Music Daily, USA
“alternately austere and lustrous…otherworldly” — Lucid Culture, USA
“unusual, convincing and imaginative piece…floating…exciting and powerful” — Fidelio, Hungary
Noémi Herczog, Élet és Irodalom, “I wash my hands,” October 19, 2018
“the strength of Semmelweis as a written piece is its music: the choir singing in countless parts and the acoustic sections reminiscent of Philip Glass, opposing these the musical-like arias”
“The current director, György Lőrinczy…calls for [genre-defying works] many times and gives complete freedom to some creators who are thinking of a non-operetta but not pure genre. It is not a criticism if I say that presentations have changed but have not changed their hopes, since it is the essence of experimentation.”
“…we have found that established institutions can constrain the young director who wants to renew it. Boross Martin’s Semmelweis is perhaps the first example of a case where this is the reverse.”
“[articulated] through strong images and without pre-digested clichés turning the fable of hand-washing into a contemporary message”
“tableaus, the gracefully proud movements of Julia Jakubowska. The choir appearing like Fates in a tragedy. ”
“in the feminine reading of the director, we can be made to recall the recent #MeToo movement”
Zsuzsanna Szekáry, Magyar Idők, “Soul-anatomy with Catharses,” September 29, 2018
“Even the next day I find it hard to find the words for this work, described as an ‘oratorical diagnosis,’ as it was such a gripping and unique experience.”
“Beyond the storyline itself, the play transmits impressions, images, and feelings: we look inside the soul of the self-defeating Semmelweis, who burns from his inner turmoil and the desire to act, and crumbles under the weight of guilt, shame, and self-accusation, conveyed onstage with profound empathy by Szilveszter P. Szabó.”
“Similarly, towering was the performance of Veronika Nádasi who authentically brought to life the despair of the wife of a doctor balancing on the edge of insanity.”
“The other protagonists of the production are the Bartók Béla Chamber Choir of Szolnok, who sang with astounding professionalism, often in eight parts, at times ethereal and other times dissonant and unpredictable, suitable to their haunting role, for which the Budapest Operetta Theater Chamber Orchestra provided live music using special instruments.”
“spectacular…the choir, soloists, and contemporary dancers, all representing women who have died of childbed fever, come together to haunt Semmelweis”
“a performance that provoked multiple catharses for me…one of the best theatrical productions of recent years”
“[Music director] Dániel Dinyes , who is also the conductor of the performance, played a great role in the music’s interpretation…he is always a guarantee for emotional, fierce, quality gameplay.”
“the 16-women choir (Bartók Béla Szolnok Chamber Choir), mostly represent the spirits of dead mothers who are constantly tempting Semmelweis. They are present as the audience enters, singing, which sets the appropriate atmosphere, and their introduction is well-conceived.”
“…video in the background, on the stage wall, only adds to the visual world. Just as spirits (Anna Biczók, Júlia Hadi, Julia Jakubowska, Lili Raubinek) who, as Semmelweis’s team of doctors, or as a parent or dying mother, bring a real motion-theater dimension to the stage.”
“in the last third of the story…we can get an insight into their married life. In addition to being the most beautiful part of the opera’s opera… [Veronika] Nádasi once again proved that she is one of the most powerful actors in the Operetta Theater.”
“[Semmelweis’s] despair and struggle are particularly touching, as evidenced by the high number of spectators’ handkerchiefs…”
“truly contemporary direction that is filled with great ideas.”
“well worth seeing as it has so much to offer ”
Andrea Stub, stubandrea.hu“Napló,” September 30, 2018
“The visual world of the performance is almost astute, but still precisely poetic: three pulpits horizontally divided, and above them the actors: mourning women in black, their golden gloves tracing white and bloody stripes flooding the walls – this impressive view is the start.”
“considering that both an autopsy and a birth happen on stage, every action is theatrical and beautifully stylized”
From the Miskolc world premiere, June 9, 2018:
Federica Fanizza, Sipario, Italy, “In search of the new opera,” June 17, 2018
“the term ‘operetta’ must not mislead from the seriousness of the musical argument…solid dramatic construct”
David Toschi, operaclick.com, Italy, “Miskolc – Teatro Nazionale: Semmelweis”
“No sentimental story in the romantic style, no concession to mythologies or stories of the supernatural, nothing like a hero story”
“… an opera quite distinct from the genre of operetta or musical, allowing for an effective investigation of the dramatic features of the main character presented by Szilveszter P Szabó, who delivers excellently in both both acting and vocal interpretation…”
“The ‘oratorical diagnostic report’ is transformed into a work of contemporary music with a great many folkloric elements…a score both refined and primigenial, where the dialogical and rich singing of Szabó merges with the conspicuous and precise sound of the Chamber Orchestra of the Budapest Operetta Theater, and of the Bartók Béla Chamber Choir of Szolnok, well directed by the calm Dániel Dinyés”
“…stunning performances that allowed the work to masterfully realize the universal sound world conceived for this work by a particularly inspired Ray Lustig.”
“The success of the show is certainly a good omen as well for the scheduled performances at Budapest Operetta-Theater throughout the summer.”
“ethereal… mysterious… a colorful and rich musical composition”
Zsófia Hózsa, Fidelio, Hungary, “The surreal Semmelweis operated in Miskolc,” June 10, 2018
“unusual, convincing and imaginative work…floating…exciting and powerful”
Additional press from the New York concert showing, September 11, 2017:
- “powerfully resonant… gripping” – New York Music Daily
- “alternately austere and lustrous… otherworldly” – Lucid Culture
DEVELOPED WITH GENEROUS SUPPORT FROM
American Opera Projects (Semmelweis received development support in American Opera Projects’ First Chance and Composers & the Voice programs. www.aopopera.org )
The Sloan Foundation Science and Technology Project
Ensemble Studio Theater
Andrew Mellon Foundation
Warren Widmann, MD
Ana Berlin, MD
SPECIAL THANKS TO
The National Arts Club
Edward Andrews
Inge Ivchenko
Musiktheatertage Wien
Thomas Desi
The Balassi Institute
Carmina Slovenica
Karmina Šilec
Operadagen Rotterdam
Music Theater Now
Guy Coolen
Erwin Maas
Ryan McAdams
Charlotte Mundy
Marcy Richardson
Catherine Hancock
Brett Umlauf
Charlotte Dobbs
Emi Ferguson
Jennifer Panara
Guadalupe Peraza
Katelan Terrell
Peter Flint
Samuel Katz
Eszter Nemethi
Christopher Botta
Sandcastle New Music
Evan Fein
Moirae Ensemble
Opera Grows in Brooklyn
Glimmerglass Opera
The New York Academy of Medicine
Mc Ginn Educational Center at Staten Island University Hospital
Galapagos Art Space
South Oxford Space
Angel Orensanz Center
Matt Gray
Charles Jarden
Charity Wicks
Robert E. Lee III
Bill Jones
Laura Kaminsky
Norman Ryan
Hungarian Consul General Ferenc Kumin
Marton Szegedi
Zita Vadasz
Sára Zalányi
Máté Vincze
Sherwin Nuland, MD
Warren Widmann, MD
Jonathan Miller, MD
Mila Henry
Alejandro Berlin
Audrrey Jakab
Susan Jakab
Gary Shapiro
Thomas Campbell Jackson
Penny Jackson
Kiara Duran
Samuel McCoy
David Bloom
Ben Grow
Dr. Daniel Seidman
Ildiko Eri
Alice Lustig
John Lustig
Raymond Sr. and Regina Lustig
Conrad Cummings
Kendall Briggs
Greg Knowles
Greta Berman
Samuel Zyman
Michelle DiBucci
Kelly Horsted
Steven Osgood
Ned Canty
Daisy Press
Joseph Keckler
Matthew Curran
Amy Justman
Patrick Porter
Abigail Fisher
Dina Rose Rivera
Jessica Savage
Luke Canterella
Michael Marcotte
Kate Maroney
Glenn Fleshler
Donna Smith
Jessica Miller-Rausch
Jeffrey Tucker
Maeve Höglund
Amy Shoremount-Obra
Marguerite French
Harrison Unger
Josh Mertz
Ryan Andes
Paul Schneider
Megan Ketch
Alisha Spielmann
Angus Hepburn
Olivia Baseman
Jerry Marsini
Christof Knoche
Joerg Ahlgrimm
James Schaeffer
James Paulk
Gerd Kühl
Dora Halas
Joanna Ebenstein
Kerry B. Grennan, N.P.
Bryan P. Hurley Ph.D.
Elena Kowalsky
Molly and Marvin Brooks
Stephanie Griffin and Phil Simmons
Brian Meece
John and Mary Brown
Tara Geer
SOME HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Vienna, ca. 1848 Hungarian-born obstetrician Ignác Semmelweis, working at Europe’s premier hospital the Vienna Algemeine Krankenhaus, is drawing upon every experience of his life as he struggles to find the solution to one of history’s most devastating childbed fever epidemics, which is killing mothers at a horrific rate. But convincing the world of his simple solution will be a battle not just against the rigid Viennese status quo, but against his deepest demons.
Working on the front lines of the deadly fever—and with decades to go before Lister, Pasteur, and Koch formulated the germ theory of disease—Ignaz Semmelweis, struggles in darkness to understand the strange pattern of disease transmission he is observing. Why are his brilliant doctors losing more women than the midwives next door? Why does physical proximity to sick patients not seem to to be very relevant in the fever’s transmission patter? The tragic death of his dear friend and colleague Jakob Kolletschka provides a valuable clue, but he must search far and wide, to reach deep into his mind, into his past and the stories of others, to memories strange and sometimes painful, to see the disturbing answer—that it is the doctors themselves who are transmitting the fever, their healing hands carrying unknown particles from autopsied corpses into the bodies of healthy women. Without an explanation for these mysterious particles, he is powerless to convince the medical establishment of this terrible truth. Each new death begins to seem a murder, and the ghosts of the dead women haunt him to madness.
For booking and press inquiries: Christina Jensen, Jensen Artists – christina@jensenartists.com | www.jensenartists.com
