Carlisle Floyd’s 1955 opera has long been a staple of regional opera companies, but it has only rarely been staged by the major urban companies – and, incredibly, this release marks the first time that has ever been presented on DVD. In this new release from the Naxos label, a 2014 version by Florida’s St. Petersburg Opera offers an intelligent interpretation that captures the raw emotional power of Floyd’s imaginative updating of the apocryphal Biblical tale of Susannah and the Elders into an early 20th century Appalachian setting.
As the free-spirited country girl who is slandered and abused by the hypocritical male leaders of her community’s church, Susan Hellman Spatafora offers a stunning mix of tumultuous emotions, from her initial exuberance over the joy of a square dance to her confusion over the townsfolk turning against her to the horrific anguish and climactic defiance at the violence committed against her. Todd Donovan as the villainous preacher Olin Blitch and Anthony Wright Webb as Susannah’s protective older brother provide wonderous depth to their roles, each brilliantly blurring the lines between good and evil.
While this DVD presentation comes across like a videotaped record of a stage work rather than an original video composition – the decision to record the opera was a last-minute notion, hence the surplus of stagnant medium and long shots – the production being filmed, under stage director’s Michael Unger wonderfully minimalist setting and conductor Mark Sforzini’s vigorous orchestral leadership, is highly satisfying. And even those who sneer and shake at the prospect of sitting through an opera will embrace this fine serving of a distinctive American classic.