A Story That Sings

“He had that sense of epic scope, likening Grapes of Wrath to a biblical story,” says Johnson. “We were blown away with his sensitivity to Steinbeck and the characters. He felt humbled by the subject, but not intimidated by it as others were.” Korie has since gone on to some prominence, including writing the book for the current Broadway hit musical Grey Gardens.

As the creative team fell into place, the quest for the book’s rights heated up. While performing in Steppenwolf’s production of The Grapes of Wrath, Simonson had met Elaine Steinbeck, the writer’s widow, and she persuaded the publishers to attend a recital of Gordon’s work. “They wanted to see what he could do,” Smith says. “They were very picky.” Ultimately, the publishers were convinced, and, in October 2002, awarded the Minnesota Opera the rights to the book.

Eight months later, in June 2003, contracts with the artists were signed and work on the opera began in earnest. In a flood of inspiration, Korie finished the libretto in less than six months. “Librettos usually take more than a year to complete,” Johnson says, “but Michael was inspired by the story.”

“The libretto retains the structure of the book,” Gordon says, “juxtaposing chapters about the Joad family with chapters about what’s happening in America more generally. All the characters for those alternate scenes emerge out of the chorus. It’s a chorus of individuals.”

Gordon spent a year and a half composing the first draft of the score, completing it in September 2005. He admits he was intimidated at first. “It seemed insane to me,” he says. “It’s such an icon. Everyone has an opinion about it. You take that on. But I reread the book and felt that I was not worth my weight in salt if I did not let that magnificent story come through me. I struggled every minute to be true to the work and the people and to Steinbeck.”

Orchestrating the score took another year, but before that was finished the process of revising it began. In March 2005, the Minnesota Opera hosted a workshop in Minneapolis for the unorchestrated first act. “We were going down the right track,” Smith says. “But even then we began to tighten it. Eric was adamant that the Joads get on the road more quickly,” which necessitated rewrites in the opening scenes.

“We’re still working on pacing,” Johnson says.

“And doing some editing,” Smith says. “The score is still three and a half hours long.”

“We want it to be between three-and-a-quarter and three-and-a-half hours,” Johnson says.

“Between three and three-and-a-quarter hours,” Smith says.

The two men laugh at their disagreement. “We can fight like cats and dogs, but we have a friendship based on mutual trust,” Johnson says. “And he lets me do what I want, most of the time.”

The Minnesota Opera has a long history of presenting world premieres. “We’re lucky that the audience is there for new work,” says Johnson. “They’re actually looking for new work.” But that tradition has been moribund in recent years. It’s been more than a decade since the last world premiere, Evan Chen’s Bok Choy Variations in 1995.

“That one pushed the envelope,” Johnson says. With The Grapes of Wrath, he has a different goal. “I would love to be able to move the audience’s expectation of new work, to get them as excited about new work as Verdi’s audiences were.” Is this opera a budding classic? “It is for smarter people than me to decide,” Johnson says. “But it exceeds my expectations. It has a real opportunity to have a life.”

That possibility increases the pressure and the sense of responsibility the company feels. “The score is very moving,” Smith says. “Our work has to bring out the best in the piece. By default, we’re doing the definitive production.”

William Randall Beard is opera columnist for Mpls.St.Paul Magazine.