The New York premiere of Mieczyslaws Weinberg's "The Passenger" came to the Park Avenue Armory last week, courtesy of the Houston Grand Opera and the Lincoln Center Festival. The three hour exploit explores the human experience of the Holocaust from the side of both the perpetrators and victims—and delves into the tension of facing up to one's past.
It’s difficult to imagine this production, directed by experienced British director David Pountney, being performed anywhere but the Armory. Attention was lavished on a massive two story set atop train tracks, which featured a pristine, white cruise ship on top of a dingy concentration camp. The elaborate lighting took advantage of the vastness of the Armory's Wade Thompson Drill Hall, emphasizing the dark tension of particular moments by creating ominous shadows on the walls.
Alexander Medvedev’s libretto is adapted from Zofia Posmysz’s novel of the same name, which was inspired by her real life experiences during World War II. The opera begins on a ship in the late 1950’s as Liese and her husband, a German diplomat named Walter, head for Brazil where Walter has been stationed. Her husband soon learns that Liese was an SS officer as Auschwitz. Soon after, Liese spots a veiled passenger onboard whom she suspects is Marta: an Auschwitz prisoner who was supposed to have been killed. Liese's confrontation with her sordid past creates an emotional reaction—a reaction that, more than either of their ultimate fates, is the main subject of The Passenger.
In a parallel story, Marta – given an inspired performance by soprano Melody Moore – is seen forming powerful connections with the other female prisoners in her barracks, brought to Auschwitz from all parts of Europe. The action focuses on the women's resilience and ability to celebrate small things, as demonstrated in the small gifts they give to Marta for her birthday as opposed to the horrors of their predicament.
Despite Weinberg’s bleak and largely unmelodic score, the singers managed to coax emotion and meaning from each line. Liese, sung by mezzo-soprano Michelle Breedt, seemed to drip with contempt for Marta as she tells her husband how ungrateful she was for “saving her life.” Liese rationalizes her evil as only a human can, and her husband Walter, sung with emotional strength by tenor Joseph Kaiser, seemed concerned only about how this information could affect his career aspirations.
In a moment of relief from the otherwise bleak landscape of the opera, the second act featured a penetrating duet for Marta and her cell mate Katya, sung by the brilliant Kelly Kaduce. Also of note was baritone Morgan Smith, who sang the role of Marta’s heroic fiancee Tadeusz with the restraint of captivity, lined with subtle defiance and strength. Patrick Summer, Houston Opera's music director, navigated the complexities of the score with authority, drawing dense textures and detail out of the orchestra.
There is much to glean from this little performed opera, and there is especially much to admire from Pountney’s striking production. The Passenger's harsh, unforgiving score may keep it from entering the standard operatic repertoire, but its message to remember those who were lost was hardly lost on those who saw it.