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David Means

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In the Forest of Symbols (1989)

In the Forest of Symbols
In the Forest of Symbols

Baritone David Harris as the Hunter, dancer Georgia Stephens as the Swan-Maiden, trombonist Homer Lambrecht as Franz Boas and keboardist Severin Behnen as the Supernatural Being in David Means' 1989 opera "In the Forest of Symbols".

In the Forest of Symbols (1989) | Media List

  • icon In the Forest of Symbols

    Baritone David Harris as the Hunter, dancer Georgia Stephens as the Swan-Maiden, trombonist Homer Lambrecht as Franz Boas and keboardist Severin Behnen as the Supernatural Being in David Means' 1989 opera "In the Forest of Symbols".



Statement

During the 1980s I developed a trilogy of operatic works based on the Haida Indian myth "He Who Hunted Birds in his Father's Village". The last of these Villagers operas, "In the Forest of Symbols" imbedded the Haida myth deeply into the journey of the Jessup Expedition to the Pacific Northwest, led by the anthropologist Franz Boas. The original story of the Swan-Maiden and the Hunter became immersed in the story of the race to gather artifacts and information on the scientific theory of Asian migration over the 'land bridge' of Alaska into the Americas. Boas was the first scholar to encouter stories and artifacts from the Haida, and found them to be far more valuable than the conformation of a theory which most scientific insiders considered already proven.
The nine scenes of the opera flow without interruption on a stage which incorporates graphic and video elements into the set design. Musical materials include soprano and baritone voices, prerecorded and spoken narration, electronic music, saxophone, trombone and keyboard sampling.

Reviews

"Stylistically the opera owes much to Philip Glass; the music typically consists of thematic building blocks that are repeated exactly or with variations, thereby generating relatively long sequences. But it's clear that Means does not intend anything in the opera to be taken literally as drama; it would be more accurate to describe the work as a re-enactment of ritual in which repetition plays a symbolic role. Baritone David Harris and soprano Monica Maye were excellent as the hunter and maiden, Georgia Stephens was consistantly effective as the dancer, and the three offstage musicians - Regina Zakrajsek, Homer Lambrecht and Severin Hiller Behnen - played with spirit. Dianne Beitz's narrration was impeccably clear...It's an appealing work, and it received a solid performance Friday." Roy M. Close in the St. Paul Pioneer Press and Dispatch