For those to whom the word “opera” conjures up the stereotypical phrase, “it isn’t over until the fat lady sings,” the historic performance of Royer’s Le Pouvoir de L’Amour at Finney Chapel last weekend, the first in nearly 200 years, must have been quite a delightful surprise. From the first notes of the overture to the final bows, the audience was swept away by the opera’s comedy and passion.

First staged in 1743, the ballet-heroique had slipped into relative obscurity and hadn’t been performed in nearly 200 years until director Lisa Goode Crawford, professor of Harpsichord, discovered it while researching Royer’s work. She was assisted in her endeavors to produce the work at Oberlin by many important people from the intersecting worlds of opera and ballet, including choreographer of the production, Catherine Turocy.

Particularly impressive were the voices of junior Melanie Besner, Leif Aruhn-Solen, and junior Malia Bendi Merad. Besner and Merad, both voice majors, had beautiful soaring soprano voices that complemented their respective roles as the god of love and the princess Marphise. Aruhn-Solen, a graduate of the Royal University College of Music in Stockholm and Oberlin’s Artist Diploma program, performed well in his double roles as Emire, the ardent lover in the first entrée, and Apollon (Apollo) in the third. His lyrical tenor voice fit nicely with both parts and made an excellent counterpart to the voices of both Merad and Anne Harley, who played Emire’s lover, Zelide.

A typical example of 18th century opera and ballet, the original work consisted of a prologue and three entrées (acts) filled with light, beautiful orchestral and vocal music punctuated by short dance interludes. However, the producers of the Oberlin performance felt it necessary to omit the second entrée.

“The contrast [between the prologue/first act and the third act] would be weakened,” Crawford said.

The central theme of the opera, as the title suggests, is the power of love over human and even divine lives. The prologue set the stage for the remainder of the work by outlining the story of Prometheus bringing fire to humankind and, with the assistance of Imagination, fighting the powers of hell by bringing Amour (love) to Earth.

Like much of Baroque art, L’Amour drew upon classical myths to furnish characters and ideas. The characters in the first act, who are changed by the power of Love, were modeled on figures from Arabian tales of fairies and genies. And the second act featured the Greek god Apollo as well as the ritual sacrifice of the beautiful princess Marphise. The omitted second act, according to the opera’s website, is a telling of the story of King Midas with a love interest that refers to the theme of power of love in the opera.

The impression given by the set design and music was of a simple and light performance meant solely to entertain, but there were many surprises hidden beneath the surface. At first the scenery looked like seven pieces of wood painted with cherubs and other Baroque ornamentations, but soon members of the chorus drew apart the backdrop to reveal les Plaisirs (the Pleasures) and L’Imagination (Imagination) contained within. The set also continued to reveal its hidden depths as panels slid in and out between scenes.
Like the set, the themes presented in the opera had much more weight than the light music and dance steps might indicate. The stories were quite simplistic, at least if one had a clear view of the libretto, but the statements made about love, life and the creation of art were profound.
Of course, to make a production of an 18th century opera written and sung in French interesting and meaningful to a 21st century English-speaking audience, it is necessary to have great singers, dancers and instrumentalists (and supertitles, of course). Bearing this in mind, the cast, a combination of professionals and Oberlin students, was excellent.

Also to be recognized for their hard work and excellent performances are the chorus and the orchestra, who put on a superb show that made the work simply magical. Both Oliver Schneebell, choral director from the Center de Musique Baroque de Versailles, and Gerard Geay, also of CMBV, should be celebrated for their assistance in reviving Baroque opera in America.

In addition, choreographer Turocy should be commended for the dances she created from the limited resources available on eighteenth century dance. They were lively, entertaining, joyful, and well executed pieces.

Le Pouvoir de L’Amour can certainly be called a triumph for all those involved in its production. After nearly three centuries of anonymity it deserved a magnificent second premiere, which is exactly what it received. And for the audience, it was one of the most memorable Valentine’s Day gifts of all time.