The
Other Wise Man: Leading People to the Savior through
Song
By John Newman
M.
Ryan Taylor is a composer/vocalist living in American
Fork, UT. As a composer his works have been performed by BYU
Opera, Utah Premiere Brass, the Chicago Brass, Timpanogos
Chorale and more. His acclaimed opera, Abinadi, has
been broadcast on BYU TV and KBYU TV, and released to DVD.
His latest opera, The Other Wise Man, will be touring
throughout the Wasatch Front this December. We caught
up with M. Ryan, and he graciously agreed to take some time
out of his very busy schedule to talk with us.
Composer M. Ryan Taylor plays a rabbi in his
own production, The Other Wise Man.
John Newman: Tell me about your new
opera, The Other Wise Man. I thought taking it on tour
was a really interesting idea. What inspired you to move in
that direction?
MRT: Well, many things, actually. I think
foremost is that I realize people don't want to drive an hour
to see something special anymore. There are movie theaters
offering a lot of choices, practically in every neighborhood.
In order to make live arts competitive with all these easy
choices, I think we, as performers, have to be willing to
go to the people.
Also,
let's face it; movies have it all over on us as far as spectacle.
The thing that keeps live theater immobile is trying to compete
with this in the "grand opera" tradition. No matter
how fantastic the sets and lighting and special effects are
in a stage production, it just can't compete with movies on
that front. I mean, the rotating stage (or whatever gimmick
that's been created) is neat for about five minutes, until
the audience realizes that's all there is.
I
think we need to focus on our strengths instead of wasting
resources on things that don't really matter. Opera's strength
lies in how beautiful stories are entwined with beautiful
singing. There is great power in the performers themselves.
They are amazing artists and the live connection they can
make with the audience that transcends anything a movie can
do.
Don't
get me wrong. I love good movies and there are a lot of them,
but each theatrical genre has strengths and each must make
sacrifices. One thing opera doesn't have to sacrifice is this
living immediacy. I mean, there the actor is, right next to
you, singing to you and you are a very real part of the dramatic
experience.
John Newman: Okay, a "reveal"
here. Having been to your house on a few occasions, I couldn't
help but notice your notebooks working on the libretto for
this opera. You've been working on this for some time. What
is your general process when you approach creating an opera?
MRT: Yes, I did work on the libretto for
a good while. I made several false starts on the music. However,
it wasn't until January of this year that I really got going
on it. I'd been writing a lot of choral music (see http://choirworks.com),
some children's music (see http://songtonic.com)and
even a piece for the Utah Premiere Brass (listen at http://mryantaylor.com),
but I felt like I needed to do something big again. It had
been a little more than two years since BYU produced my Abinadi,
and there's no point in letting the moss grow under your feet.
So, once I got going, the music took about five months to
complete.
John Newman: What went into the particular
decisions you made about what parts of this story to feature,
and how to turn that into song?
MRT: Well, my dad loved this story, that's
how I was introduced to it, and as I got older I grew to love
it as well. He passed on a number of years ago, so I've thought
of him often as I've worked on this story. The original is
very short, so it was less a question of what to leave out
and more a question of what to add to it. One of the major
changes is that Vasda, Artaban's trusty horse, becomes Vasda,
Artaban's faithful servant (played beautifully in our production
by Clara Hurtado). In a stage production you have to have
someone for the main character to converse with, unlike in
a book where everything can happen internally.
As
far as turning it into song, I'll just talk about the arias:
I decided at the beginning that this production, unlike Abinadi,
was going to have real arias. To make these you have to look
for high points of emotional reflection, passion or meditation
and then expand on those. You worry about what is being said
first and then, hopefully if you've done it right, the music
will follow. Each one of the actors has an aria or two and
there are some lovely bits, if I do say so myself, "We
look for a son of David" in the third scene is probably
my favorite.
John Newman: As you're composing an
opera like this, how do you balance the desire to write music
for its own sake, following the "muse" if you will,
versus reining your ideas in, sublimating the music to service
the story?
MRT: Well, I don't think the two things
have to be in such conflict. I can't say as I ascribe to some
theory that I try to inflict on my music, I try to listen
to what I'm writing and react to that with more music. I'm
often inspired musically by the actions of a story and sometimes
the music comes first and I rewrite a few words. It's best
to remain open to the possibilities and not worry about it
too much. The important thing is to just keep writing. The
process of writing is inspiring. I almost never feel inspired
until I take action and start putting notes on the paper,
then whole worlds open up I don't suppose I would have ever
thought of without taking action first. Faith in a nutshell,
right?
John Newman: I find it interesting
that this story seems more fitting for Easter, given the last
scenes ― and yet we always find it associated with Christmas.
MRT:
That's very true. The story covers a whole lifetime, starting
with the sign of Christ's birth and ending up at the crucifixion
in the closing scene. It is very similar to Ben Hur in that
respect, which is more often associated with Easter. I think
the difference is that this story is about a "wise man,"and
wise men are part of the Christmas story in the public mind.
I think it would be very appropriate for Easter, but I wonder
if the public would view it as odd. In any case, I always
think we could use a little more Easter remembrance in our
Christmas celebrations. I mean, that is the purpose to which
Christ was born.
John Newman: Tell us more about the
production company that's putting this on, New Opera Works.
What's behind that project?
M. Ryan Taylor: Me, though I've drafted help from
a lot of sources. The singers are amazing. The costuming is
incredible. I've got a lot of people to be grateful to. It
is really going to be a great show. However, we are still
looking for sponsors to help cover the costs of mounting the
show (costumes, hall rentals, etc.) in exchange for tickets
and ad space in the program (see http://vocalworks.org/index.htm#BeInspired! ).
Why
did I decide to become a producer? About the time I finished
writing the score to The Other Wise Man, I felt it
was time to take matters into my own hands. So, I started
a chamber opera company. I'd thought about it for a long time
and it seemed like the best thing to do. I had a hard time
deciding what to call the group and asked for input from just
about everyone I could think of, but decided on New Opera
Works, self-explanatory and the acronym NOW is hopefully a
clear signal that this is not your great-grandfather's opera.
It's in English; the music is contemporary and definitely
not academic. I hope to produce works by other composers in
the future, but have been too busy with this production to
put out a call for scores yet.
John Newman: As a fan of chamber music,
I'm fascinated by the idea of chamber opera. How does it differ
from traditional opera?
M. Ryan Taylor: The first generation of opera were
all chamber operas, which simply means they were performed
in a big room somewhere in a rich person's home. There was
no need for gigantic sets, orchestras, and other things, because
the singers were no more than ten feet away from the audience
at any given moment. "Grand opera" developed primarily
as the "blockbuster film" of its day, primarily
to fill a desire for grandiose spectacle (nothing wrong with
that), but a chamber opera plays to a different desire, a
desire for close and intimate, soul-stirring contact with
beauty.
John Newman: You've got quite a cast
lined up for these performances. Why don't you tell us a bit
about them and how you came to work together?
M. Ryan Taylor: I put out an audition notice in Classical
Singer Magazine and voila ― instant opera company. The
tenor, Brian Manternach (who plays the role of Artaban), is
going to knock people's socks off. Beautiful voice. He's just
finishing up his doctorate at Indiana U, which is one of the
top schools for voice. Such a nice guy as well. This is a
demanding role, the story centers around his character and
he doesn't really get a break for seventy-five minutes straight;
he comes through it swimmingly. Having said that, I need to
add, it really is an ensemble show. There are six singers,
and they are all strong. It is a joy to work with them and
sing with them (I sing one of the supporting roles as well).
I was really pleased, though not surprised, to find so many
great singers locally.
John Newman: The Other Wise Man
has an obvious spiritual origin, and message. What kinds of
preparations and considerations do you make in order to tackle
sacred topics in opera?
M. Ryan Taylor: I don't know. I read my scriptures
each day. I pray for guidance. I pray for inspiration. I hope
to do something good with the talents God has given me. Then,
I go to work and hope I don't mess it up with all my imperfections
I've also been blessed with. What more can you do?
John Newman: How many of the characters
in the opera, including their names are from the original
story, and how many were your own creation?
M. Ryan Taylor: Many of the names are taken from the
original story, but there are some notable exceptions. I thought
it was important to give names to the characters Artaban helps
along his way. I chose Joshua for the sick man because that
is the Hebraic version of Jesus. I chose Miriam for the woman
in Bethlehem because Miriam is the Hebraic equivalent of Mary,
the name of the Savior's earthly mother. In the last scene
Artaban saves a woman from being sold into slavery; I named
her Shibyah, this is the Hebrew feminine word for captive.
I wanted to emphasize, through these names, the point of the
story; that by serving these people, though he thought all
the time he was failing God, he was truly serving God. We,
as a people, try so hard, and are so hard on ourselves, I
think it is an important message that we need to take to heart.
Love your fellowman, and all will be well.
John Newman: In perusing the score,
I noticed that in the first scene the characters are paying
homage to Ahura Mazda, an early name of the god creation.
Was this taken straight from the original story? I don't recall
enough of the details to remember. I found it interesting
and compelling that you would use the name. Ahura Mazda was
not only the Zoastrian creator god, but the god of truth and
compassion, very much keeping in line with Christian and Hebrew
ideals. How much of those ideas were in your mind when you
wrote that scene, and others?
M. Ryan Taylor: Yes, Henry Van Dyke obviously did
a lot of research. I kept coming
Across
things in my research that made me realize, "Oh, he didn't
just make that up." Once I found out there was a basis
in history for all this speculation on the Magi I began to
research the Zoroastrian religion more carefully. There are
a lot of parallels with Judeo/Christian tradition, especially
when it concerns the belief of a coming Savior, "he that
shall make life everlasting, incorruptible and immortal."
Ahura Mazda translates to Lord Wisdom, certainly one of many
appropriate titles for God.
There
are a lot of scholars out there that try to make an argument
that these similarities make Zoroastrianism the parent philosophy
behind Hebraic and Christian belief. From a gospel perspective,
I think it is more likely that Zoroastrianism held on to splinters
of the truth from pre-Abrahamic times. We will probably never
know the whole truth of the matter in this lifetime, but it
does make for interesting conjecture. James E. Talmage thought
it was ridiculous to speculate that the wise men spoken of
in the bible were Magi; he was more of a scholar than I am.
Still, it makes for a good story, and there is no harm in
the speculation.
In
the end, though it is interesting, I don't think that's what
this story is really about anyway. There have been many people
inspired throughout history, people who were living up to
the light and truth that they'd been given. This is a fiction,
but I think represents a greater truth, the truth contained
in the phrase, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one
of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
John Newman: While the name and concept
of Ahura Mazda predates Zoastrianism, do you ever worry that
there are some people who will be offended by the reference
to Ahura Mazda, instead of just a more generic term for God?
M. Ryan Taylor: Well, I didn't worry too much about
this issue, because I'm personally fine with it. There is
a lot of truth out there that people of many faiths reverence.
God is known by many names and one like this is completely
appropriate, "Lord of Wisdom." To apply a Book of
Mormon example to this; when Ammon goes before king Lamoni
and asks him about God, Lamoni responds by speaking about
a "Great Spirit." Ammon reaffirms Lamoni's weak
faith by saying, "This is God." He doesn't take
the opportunity to tear Lamoni's faith down, instead he builds
upon it. Artaban's character in The Other Wise Man,
is a lot like Lamoni. He longs and yearns for truth and builds
upon what he has, "line upon line," and in the end
it leads him to the Savior.
You
can enjoy performances of M. Ryan Taylor’s “The Other Wise
Man” at the following times and places:
December
15th : Provo Tabernacle
December
16th, 22nd & 23rd : Salt Lake City Recital Hall
December
21st : American Fork Jr. High
January
6th (Three Kings Day): Tahitian Noni Auditorium
Time:
7:30 p.m. at all locations.
Tickets
are $16 and are available at http://www.VocalWorks.org
or by calling Brown Paper Tickets at 1-800-838-3006.
