SUOR ANGELICA: SAINT OR SYBIL?
Op-Ed by Elizabeth Perryman
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Suor Angelica’s 17th century Gualtiero/Clara aristocratic pedigree and extended noble Florentine family eg Parent’s Principessa sibling.
I first sang a scene of Suor Angelica at Louisiana State University from Senza Mamma to the end 24 years ago. It was a crossroad for me as a singer. It forced me to decide whether I had the cojones for this craft. It is quite a schism to face making the shift from being a measured public school teacher to putting it out there as a performer. I have been working on de-editing and leaving it all on the stage ever since. Last night after our final performance of Suor Angelica at Wagner College Main Hall Theater, an audience member kindly sought me out to share that she loved how much I put myself completely out there.
Since my first Suor in 2000, things have most definitely changed. From losing my 63 year old father to a sudden death to….Hey mom, I like chicks to….trying process all of all the terror and societal fissures that have scourged our world since 9.11.01….these life changes and the sands of time have helped me peel my emotional onion or so my wife would say. One thing is for sure. My 1999 vista operating system does not run like my current clouded/AI ram…..I do not memorize like I used to that’s for sure. My memorization process used to be monkey hear, monkey do. Now I have to actually know pronouns, verbs, articles etc to make sense of singing in another language.
So this May, with my Gen X brain, I boned up and coherently learned this score. As a result, these days I have some conflicting thoughts about Sister Angelica, spinto protagonist extraordinaire. I do continue to have empathy for her plight however my view has more shades of gray than my former habit like black and white perspective. So I give you the various sides of Suor Angelica as an acrostic poem. Is she a saint or Sybil? You be the judge.
S Selfless except when it comes to her figlio which is fair.
U Unique/poetic way to communicate her emotions eg. Senza mamma prose “con un leggero scintillar di stella” (with the faint sparkle of a star)
O Obedient to a point with her Aunt. I sense they were very close and she was her Aunt’s favorite. Perhaps Suor’s defiance broke the Aunt’s heart. She probably feels that she indulged her.
R Reliable fellow nun. She’s adept with plants knowing how scourge can heal wasp stings and often lauded for her diligent praying.
A Anxious and prone to anger. She shows much anxiety over the carriage identity and when she will die so she can see her son in heaven. Her anger flashes when her Aunt brings up her immoral discretions.
N Noble. Her nobility comes across in her interactions with her fellow nuns and her unrelenting commitment to her son. Her wishes that he would have known her kiss, embrace, and love before his passing is heartbreaking.
G Green thumb nun extraordinaire. She lavishes love on her herbs and flowers and as she says before she drinks the poison “oh quante cure vo prodigate ora mi compensate” (Ah how much care I lavished on you, now you reward me.)
E Effusive and passionate. Suor is all in on whatever she does whether it is living as a nun, caring for her plants, or being there for her son regardless of mortal sin. Her passion comes out as she sings over the choir of nuns various times throughout the score in one case exclaiming that she is “on fire inside”.
L Last word-itis. Suor seems to love to get the last word in from “I live to serve” to “The virgin watches and judges you”.
I Instigator when necessary. Suor bringing up her deceased mother to the principessa was understandable from the perspective of her hurt but not advisable.
C Contrasting emotions. Suor goes from her penitent Johnny one note phrases throughout the opera to her epic leaps when she sings about how long she’s waited to hear from her family about her son. She brings the tea with the nuns when she says “NO” to having desires. A 72 hour hold may have been an option considering Suor’s persevering and impulsivity (drinking poison after approx 32 measures.)
A Apostle leanings. She definitely has a religious streak especially when she cautions Sister Chiara not to moan in pain from the wasp sting; it is a small suffering compared to Christ’s sacrifice.
akintsucrooner 