Contemporary Opera Analysis: The Opera Otago's 'This Other Eden'

This essay explores how the opera 'This Other Eden' embodies characteristics of modern opera, referencing the 2014 Opera Otago production. It examines the opera's libretto, noting its simpler language, adaptation from Michelanne Forster’s play, and the incorporation of Maori language. The analysis highlights Anthony Ritchie's music, which blends Maori and Pakeha sounds, and the opera's historical context, focusing on the interactions between European settlers and the Maori. Cultural considerations are discussed, emphasizing the authentic portrayal of Maori customs and spirituality alongside European elements. The staging, directed by Jacqueline Coats, incorporates live songs, costumes, and sets, enhanced by technological advancements like visual backdrops and precise camera work. The essay concludes that 'This Other Eden' successfully integrates contemporary elements, offering a unique and modern perspective on New Zealand's history and opera tradition. Desklib provides access to similar essays and study tools for students.

Running head: ANALYZING THIS OTHER EDEN
ANALYZING THIS OTHER EDEN
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

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ANALYZING THIS OTHER EDEN
Introduction
The essay aims to discuss the ways the opera This Other Eden demonstrates
characteristics akin of the modern era. In doing so, the essay refers to the Opera Otago
Production of the play in 2014 (Sounz.org.nz 2018). The play enacts some of the earliest
encounters between the European settlers and the Maori. Changes in opera had been visible since
the start of the 20th century however, major changes occurred only in the mid-20th century and
continued and is still continuing in the 21st century. The analysis will include a discussion on the
opera’s libretto, its music, the historical background, cultural thoughts, staging of the opera the
use of technology.
Libretto
Adapted from Michelanne Forster’s original play with the same name, the libretto has
been able to bring to the stage in clear terms, the different elements of an intricate historical
story. This Other Eden’s libretto has all the elements that make it a nicely knit opera
encompassing all the major elements of the original play. As evident from the librettos used by
the artists on stage, the style had changed drastically from the earlier days. In the days prior to
the 21st century, most of the librettos used to be composed keeping in mind the music of the
composer. The work of the librettists was just to adhere to the requirements of the composer and
their work was not even recognized. With the shift in century and inclusion of different elements
in opera, the importance of libretto increased and the librettists began to be identified as equally
important to the production as the composer.

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In This Other Eden, the libretto clearly shows a shift from the old times from the very
first scene. In the first scene, Jane Kendall, widow of Thomas Kendall is seeing reminiscing
about her husband and expressing her inability to take in the grief of his death.
“Ah, books, papers, untouched. Here is evidence you are truly gone”.
”Drowned at sea, drowned at sea. I cannot take it in” (Sounz.org.nz 2018).
In the above lines, it can be seen the language now used in the librettos are in much
simpler English than those written prior to the 1900s (Lin and Alan 2014). Moreover, the fact
that Forster adapted her original play as the libretto further distinguishes the style of this opera as
belonging completely to the contemporary era. However, one of the most fascinating things
about the libretto of this modern day drama is its use of the Maori language. a major part of the
libretto includes Maori terms and sentences that further establishes the opera’s alignment with
the contemporary setting.
Music
The show stealer, the leading role of opera performances have always been music and
Anthony Ritchie gives it a new dimension with the melodious tunes of Maori music. The
symphonies of Maori, that reverberates through the auditorium energizing the audience cell to
cell, has claims enough at honest appraisal. Ritchie had also arranged for some splendid waiata,
Tutira Mai for example which is still sung all around the world in different countries. This is a
relevant testimony to the contemporary nature of the production. The stage production also plays
some of the recorded songs performed by the children’s choir group in Finland. The use of Maori
instruments like taonga puoro, beautifully merges the pakeha sound with the Maori one. What
deserves special acclaim is the production’s remarkable execution of the Maori music without

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actually borrowing from an existing waiata, but creating new composition, equally sublime, from
heavy influences from the waiata genre. Quite amusingly, the music oscillates between Maori
tribe folk and Greek chorus. The European settlers, fierce warriors and Greek chorus enriches the
physical and musical appeal of the piece. The uniquely talented members of the choir group like
Georgia Gray, Julia Moss-Pearson, Veronika Bell, Angela Wratt, Alex Lee and Reynard Dain
have made notable contributions to the success of the production. The small Otago ensemble in
the opera, comprising of Dunedin’s some of the most skilled musicians, has been a source of
sterile support for the chorus singers all through the opera, under Tecwyn Evan’s baton. The
performance that seems wonderfully controlled on stage, owes much to the new, contemporized
music created by Ritchie. The music suits the passion and emotion so aesthetically that it feels
like watching the composition play itself, accompanied by synchronized dialogues and
captivating visuals. Particularly pleasing is the very subtle interlacing of European and Maori
musical traditions.
Historical background
The Other Eden is one of the very few famous operas that cemented the life of the Maori
tribe, one of the native and aboriginal tribes of New Zealand. The whole opera is an assimilation
of the three British person and their association with the Maoris in very different methods. The
history of the place and along with their interaction has been deciphered in the opera which is
again one of the major sources in which the history. New Zealand being one of the colonial
places of the British Empire in which the nuns as well as the European settled their wholesome
business as well as the settlement, has seen a lot of drama in relation to the tribal and white
people encounter. The overall opera is a consideration of the historical interactions as well as the
background representation of the overall British people and their behaviour towards the native

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people including the Maori tribe and others. The three foreign men that have been described in
the opera and have been seen in the play are of three considerable influences in the overall genre,
which means that all of them have different alignments towards the tribe as well as their
inclinations towards the establishment of the foreign culture and Christian way of teaching and
education. The establishment of the grammar and vocabulary book by the Christian book is
considerably new in the whole option and different from the Christian perspective of the regular
way of the life in the mental setup (Heller 2017). The foundation of the British Empire on the
soil of New Zealand and along with the tribal population of Maori makes the historical context of
the play worthwhile and has an extreme positive influence on the overall factors of the opera The
Other Eden that has been assessed here.
Cultural considerations
The production is evidently contemporary in musical style and cultural considerations. It
portrays scenes depicting an ancient settlement in New Zealand. The libretto of the opera
reframes the story, telling it from the perspectives of Jane Kendall. It is important to note in this
context that the small missionary community evolved out of a Georgian world, and more
interestingly, the Maori were well aware of the advantages that pakeha could entail, in 1815, but
were equally fretful of losing their sovereignty and manna. A New-Zealand setting of the 1820s ,
featuring local Maoris, convicts, missionary families, very effectively blends the spirituality and
customs of Maori with that of European. The costume designer worked hard to remain authentic
to the culture of the region. Moreover, the production with its simple scenery and visual effects
was culturally appropriate. It connects the audience very well with all the works done in the
Diocese for raising awareness of the beginnings of the Christian story in Aotearoa. The sheer
talent of the team made it possible to bring to life some towering figures of history and some

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ancient encounters between the folk of Europe and Maori. Some of stupendous moments of
ensemble singing and the spell-bounding music weaves together the cultural traditions of Maori
and Europe. The cultural undertones comes across powerfully with the meticulous adherence to
archaic norms of the two countries. Moreover, it can be asserted with very little or no hesitation
that almost every aspect of the 2014 production of The Other Night is an absolute delight. From
the libretto of the Opera and its score to its Otago’s unique and brilliant interpretation of the new
work, it has been a journey of transition from the old and traditional to the new and
contemporary. This is the history of New Zealand that no one has ever seen before, with a
pleasant addition of the country’s tradition of Opera.
Staging
Jacqueline Coats, the stage director of the play has used his skilful guiding ability to
produce a finely executed stage work, excellent enough to win it the Scenographic design of the
year and technical design of the year. The staging includes a magnificent combination of live
songs, beautiful costumes, dazzling sets, live orchestra and lights that has enough glow to
illuminate all the known emotions in the world. The designer of the minimalist, sloping set
Martyn Roberts makes possible the smooth flow of the actions in the opera despite the cramming
of several scenes within limited time slots. Linda Brewster, who led the management team of the
stage sees to it that things retain their steady movement and everything that goes with staging is
taken proper care of. Matt Landreth, the actor who plays the convict, has done a great job in
bringing about a powerful physicality and an amazing vocal cadence to the role. Likewise,
Tamara Maro has done justice to her queenly stature on stage with her praiseworthy voice
modulation and the way she performs her role with elegance. James Roger, the New York based
singer born in New Zealand plays the difficult and central role of Thomas Kendall beautifully,

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accurately bringing out the idealism and passion of the character, while his vocal tenor is just as
brilliant .The otherwise simple set is made extraordinary with a seascape backdrop that appears
and disappears according to the mood and development of the plot. The stage managers have
aptly implemented astute lightening for completing this intense dramatic work of art. One of the
critics commented on the director’s choice of a raked stage, which he felt was a deliberate
choice, as it enhances the theme of dereliction so recurrent in the plot.
Technology
Technological advancements have had a huge role to play in the production of
contemporary operas. Starting from the Baroque-era staging amazing people with live water
features and chariots being ridden across the sky, technology has become a trend in modern
operas. Opera is a rich form of art and has been a source of entertainment for the elite since its
inception. This is mostly because of its inclusion of music, dance, acting, architecture, design,
painting, costumes and many such things. The addition of technology has further enriched this
already rich form of art.
This Other Eden also incorporates technology in a great scale to enhance the grandeur of
this opera. The use of technology has been extensively made in this opera in the background with
the visuals changing as per the libretto. The background in the starting scene had the visuals of
sea to symbolize the death of Thomas Kendall who had died due to drowning in the sea. The use
of this technology further brings to the surface, the contemporary characteristics of the opera.
Other elements in the opera that demonstrated the use of technology were the camera
angles used and the pixel quality, the lighting and even the sound. In the early days of the 19th
and 20th century, lack of technology made the work of artists more difficult. This Other Eden has

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made use of effects like zooming in and out, fading in and out with precision because of the
presence of state-of-the-art technology. It is evident right from the beginning of Act 1, Scene 1
until the end of the play. Incorporating these technological elements influence the structure of the
opera as well because the artists do not have to make that extra effort as the earlier days artists
had to do.
Conclusion
As it can be seen from the above analysis, all the elements including libretto, music,
historical background, staging, cultural considerations and technology make This Other Eden an
opera of the contemporary world. The analysis found that the libretto used in the play was
adapted from the original play by Michelanne Forster, who also happens to be the librettist for
the opera. Anthony Ritchie’s music and Jacqueline Coats’ direction add to this two-act opera’s
grandeur. The analysis further found an overwhelming influence of technology in the opera with
its presence in the background, in the lighting and the music.

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References:
Heller, Wendy. "Tacitus Incognito: Opera as History in L’incoronazione di Poppea." In Studies
in Seventeenth-Century Opera, pp. 101-158. Routledge, 2017.
Lin, Yu-Wei, and Alan E. Williams. "Projecting the voice: observations of audience behaviours
in ICT-mediated contemporary opera." New Review of Hypermedia and Multimedia 20, no. 3
(2014): 207-223.
Sounz.org.nz. 2018. "SOUNZ This Other Eden". Sounz.Org.Nz.
https://www.sounz.org.nz/works/22111