The Listeners (opera)

The Listeners
Opera by Missy Mazzoli
Librettist	Royce Vavrek
Language	English
Premiere	24 September 2022 (2022-09-24) Oslo Opera House

The Listeners is an English-language opera in two acts, with music by American composer Missy Mazzoli and libretto by Royce Vavrek. Based on a story by Jordan Tannahill, the opera was commissioned by Opera Philadelphia and Lyric Opera of Chicago. The premiere was staged with Norwegian National Opera in 2022, before the American premiere in Philadelphia in 2024.

Background and performance history

Vavrek's libretto is based on a story by Jordan Tannahill. The hum, which is the main driver of the plot, is a phenomenon in which a person or group of people hear a mysterious humming noise which others cannot hear. This phenomenon has occurred in several places around the world.

The premiere was staged in 2022 at the Oslo Opera House with the Norwegian National Opera.

The opera was then performed in 2024 by Opera Philadelphia at the Academy of Music. This will be followed in 2025 by a production from the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Nicole Heaston will retain the lead role as Claire.

Roles

Roles, voice types, premiere cast

Role	Voice type	Premiere cast – September 24, 2022 Conductor: Ilan Volkov
Claire Devon	soprano	Nicole Heaston
Howard Bard	baritone	Simon Neal
Angela	mezzo-soprano	Tone Kummervold
Kyle Harris	tenor	Eirik Grøtvedt
Dillon	baritone	Johannes Weisser
Ashley Devon	soprano	Frøy Hovland Holtbakk
Paul Devon	bass-baritone	Håvard Stensvold
Thom	bass-baritone	Martin Hatlo

Synopsis

Claire Devon, a teacher living in a suburban environment in the United States, is suddenly disturbed by a persistent humming sound. The mental anguish this results in causes her to lose her job and her marriage also ends. Initially she believes that she is the only one suffering from the sound, until one of her students, Kyle, reveals that he too can hear the hum. She then discovers an entire group of fellow sufferers. Joining the group, led by the charismatic Howard Baird, she finds that the group members have various theories as to the origin of the sound. The group exhibits cult-like behaviours and engage in activities such as shooting at signal towers they believe could be the source of the noise, which attracts police attention. After violent incidents ensue, Claire develops a level of charisma and takes over the cult at the end of the opera.

Reception

Oslo 2022 production

In a review for NRK Eystein Sandvik wrote that The Listeners was Mazzoli's most ambitious work to date, which he felt placed her at the forefront of American composers since John Adams. Sandvik felt that the portrayal of the cult was credible, and that Mazzoli's music created a suitably dark atmosphere. However, Sandvik felt that the second act was weaker than the first, with the action becoming somewhat predictable. He also felt that the downfall of the cult was not quite as powerful as it was intended to be. On the singers, Sandvik opined that Heaston showed adaptability in the lead role, with a warm lyrical soprano. He praised baritone Johannes Weisser as Dillon, calling it a demanding role. Eirik Grøtvedt and Frøy Hovland Holtbakk were highlighted as stand out performers as Kyle and Ashley. The Norwegian National Opera Orchestra's performance under Ilan Volkov played fabulously, according to Sandvik. Finally, he mentioned that Mazolli's creative use of the orchestra was her greatest strength as a composer.

Writing in Aftenposten, Aksel Dalmo Tollåli gave a positive review of the premiere performance of The Listeners, saying that even if audience members saw only one opera that year, it ought to be The Listeners.

Philadelphia 2024 production

Writing a review of the Philadelphia production in The New Yorker, Alex Ross called The Listeners "an opera about music itself", suspecting Mazzoli of "satirizing contemporary choral music". He was positive about the staging and orchestra, and called Nicole Heaston "pristine" in the lead role.

Writing for Bachtrack in a four-star review, Cameron Keshall noted that the Academy of Music was "packed to the gills" for a weekday evening performance. Keshall called the cast "strong" other than Kevin Burdette whom Keshall thought was "more comedic than captivating" in his role as the apparent cult leader Howard Bard. Keshall felt that Adam Riggs scenic design "suggested a darker world...beneath manicured surfaces", but that the dancing could have been cut. Keshall was hopeful than the young audience members would be drawn back to attending further operas, "If the company continues to produce works as daring and satisfying as this".

The Washington Classical Review was less positive, with Alex Baker criticising the treatment of the subject matter, writing "The Listeners feels more like the take on a cult you’d get in a mid-90s Saturday Night Live sketch." He found the first ten minutes "promising" followed by scenes with Vavrek's "beautiful poetry" in the libretto. However, Baker indicated a decline in quality as the cult was introduced, calling many of the plot points "generic" and stating that the libretto contained "filler" in Act II. Baker calls into question Burdette's potrayal of Howard, stating that the audience would find it difficult to identify with anyone would could be influenced by such a "malignant buffoon". Baker described Aaron Crouch's voice as "limpid tenor", as Claire's student Kyle. Baker was critical of the physical production and set design, calling it "cumbersome".