Presenting… my new opera!
Behrman’s Masterpiece
Opera in 1 Act
Music and libretto by Maxim Samarov after “The Last Leaf” by O. Henry
Dramatis personae
Joni, a painter. Soprano 20s. In a relationship with Liz. Talented, mentally fragile.
Liz, a graphic designer Mezzo 30s. In a relationship with Joni. Tough, assertive, nurturing.
Behrman, a painter Baritone 50s or 60s. Makes a living working as a handyman.
Kiki, a collage artist Soprano 20s or 30s. Prone to making extreme statements. Ash’s sister.
Ash, an art dealer Tenor 20s or 30s. Kiki’s brother and manager.
Sam(antha), a playwright Mezzo 40s. A neighbor, a veteran of the scene
Shannon, an actress Soprano 20s, a neighbor, new to the scene
Gavin, a novelist Baritone 20s, a neighbor, new to the scene
The action takes place in New York City in mid 1990s
SYNOPSIS:
Scene 1
As the curtain opens, we see Joni painting in the Greenwich Village apartment she shares with her girlfriend Liz. The phone rings—it’s Joni’s twin brother Mark. Mark is also gay, but, unlike Joni, is not out and is trying to live his life as a straight man to please their conservative parents; he has recently joined the Marines. Their phone conversation is repeatedly interrupted by a crashing sound from the bathroom, where Behrman, the super, is working on fixing a leak. Joni expresses concern for Mark’s well-being in what she feels to be not a suitable environment for him.
The conversation is concluded and Joni gets back to her work. The bathroom door opens and Behrman enters—the leak is now fixed. He sees Joni’s painting and is blown away by it. He tells her he is also a painter; he only works as a handyman since he hasn’t been able to find success as an artist. Joni says that neither has she—collectors and galleries aren’t interested in the kind of art she makes. Behrman asks her what gives her strength to stick to her vision despite rejection. Joni tells him her artistic vision.
Behrman asks to see more of her work. The next painting Joni shows him reminds him of his estranged daughter and he is overcome with emotion. An awkward pause ensues; to alleviate the unease, Joni asks Behrman about his work. Behrman replies enthusiastically and lists every trend he has followed in search of success. He's grown to accept the notion that he won’t make it big as an artist, but he thinks he still has one masterpiece in him and this is what drives him.
Liz enters. She is jubilant—she just accepted a new job offer. As Behrman is leaving, Joni invites him to the little party they’ll be having later. Liz tells Joni the good news—her new job will allow them to go to Italy, which has always been Joni’s dream. Joni is overjoyed. Liz proceeds to woo Joni—it’s been a while since they’d been intimate. Joni initially demurs, but eventually responds to Liz’ passionate pleading.
Scene 1b
(omitted in the 5-person cast version)
The couple’s neighbors Sam, Shannon and Gavin share a smoke on the stoop of their house as they express hopes and frustrations with their artistic pursuits and gossip about Joni, Liz, and Behrman, who just happened to pass by.
Scene 2
Liz and Joni reminisce about their first meeting and reaffirm their love and commitment to each other. Something is still bothering Joni though, and Liz presses her for what it is. Joni tells her that she feels guilty that her coming out and leaving created additional pressure on Mark; she worries that he won’t do well in the military. Liz tries to reassure Joni that she did nothing wrong and that the situation is her parents’ fault, but Joni doesn’t take this well; Liz backtracks and tries to distract Joni from her worries with the thoughts of Italy, with only partial success.
Scene 3
Evening of the same day, the party. Besides Behrman, the invited are the couple’s closest friends, Kiki and Ash, as well as Sam and Shannon (the latter two only in the 8-person-cast version). Ash is annoyed with Behrman’s presence and is skeptical when Joni says Behrman is also an artist. The artists share their news and play a game of “never have I ever” in the process of which all kinds of information about the participants are revealed. One of the answers prompts an argument about the current state of the art world. Ash speaks dismissively of Liz’s work as a graphic designer and her presumably selling out and of Joni as not being up to the latest trend, brags about selling Kiki’s work. Kiki doesn’t really participate in the conversation throughout the evening, just making extreme-sounding statements. Joni defends Liz; Liz counters Ash’s discourse with the notion that the art world is corrupt and the people in position of influence don’t care about art or artists, but only about money and power. Tensions rise. In the middle of the argument the phone rings—this is Joni’s father, who called to let her know that her brother is dead, killed by what he says was an accidental discharge of his weapon. Joni collapses.
Scene 4
Some months later. Joni has suffered a nervous breakdown and is not doing well. She is barely eating and the medication doesn’t seem to work. Kiki and Ash stop by, ask about Joni. Liz tells them that the news isn’t good and the doctors think they’ve done all they can. The key problem is that Joni must recover her will to live, and there’s no pill for that. Liz goes to check on Joni, who is awake. She is fixated on the tree outside her window that is losing its leaves. She is counting the leaves, telling Liz that she’ll die when the last leaf is gone. Behrman comes to check on Joni; Liz tells him about her fixation on the tree. He takes a close look at the tree and rushes off.
Scene 5
Liz convinces Joni to close the curtains and get some sleep. When Joni wakes up and demands that Liz open the curtains, the last leaf (unknown to her, this is not a real leaf, but a painting by Behrman) is still there. Time passes, Joni repeatedly passes out and wakes up to find that the leaf is still there. The next morning, when the leaf is still there, Joni has a turnaround and feels that this is a sign that she should go on living. She asks Liz to make her breakfast.
Scene 6
Airport, a couple of months later, Christmas time. Joni, who has recovered, and Liz are leaving for Italy. Behrman is there to see them off. Behrman tells Joni that he is leaving New York to move closer to his daughter and try to win her forgiveness. Joni tries to talk him out of leaving and mentions his future masterpiece. Behrman replies that Joni’s illness and his role in her recovery has changed his perspective and he no longer feels that he needs to be an artist for his life to matter. As Liz and Joni walk off happily hand in hand, Behrman presents them to the audience as his masterpiece.
Technical details
The full version is about 70 minutes long and requires a cast of 8 (3 sopranos, 2 mezzos, 1 tenor, 2 baritones). The three major roles are soprano, mezzo, and baritone; the rest are essentially supporting roles of some substance. The two male supporting roles (Ash and Gavin) can be sung by the same singer, thus reducing the cast to 7. A shortened version (60 minutes) with 5 characters (2 sopranos, 1 mezzo, 1 tenor, 1 baritone) is also available. The opera can be done with a single set; the airport scene can be acted out in front of the curtain and doesn’t require a set of its own.
Orchestration
This is a chamber opera orchestrated for the 7-piece ensemble of flute, clarinet, violin, cello, bass, piano and percussion. Both full-orchestra and piano trio versions are in the works; custom orchestration is also possible.
Possible pairing
While this is not a Christmas-themed opera, there’s enough mention of Christmas to make it a natural pairing for a double bill with either Amahl and the Night Visitors by Menotti or Gift of the Magi by David Conte (the latter is also a setting of an O. Henry story, and its 7-piece version has almost identical orchestration).
What People are saying about Behrman’s Masterpiece:
“An engaging and moving interpretation of O. Henry's short story, Behrman's Masterpiece examines love, family, and art in Greenwich Village as different generations consider their commitments to each other and their art. Thoughtful and funny.”
-Kate Pitt, Dramaturg
“I am so in love with this opera. It’s the first time I’ve seen queerness represented in opera, and it is so beautiful and validating of my experience as a bisexual person.”
-Rachel Steinke, Mezzo soprano
"Maxim Samarov gives us an artfully updated operatic realization of O. Henry’s short story The Last Leaf. It is beautifully constructed for emerging professional voices and can be customized for a cast of 5 or a larger cast of 8 singers."
-Amy Pfrimmer, Soprano, Director of Tulane Opera