A Hand of Bridge was composed Samuel Barber with libretto, or text, written by Gian Carlo Menotti; Mark Adamo wrote both music and libretto for Avow. Both are micro-operas. A micro-opera is a one-act opera that generally lasts under fifteen minutes. Despite being shorter than traditional operas, which typically last well over an hour, A Hand of Bridge and Avow develop complete stories to which audiences can relate. Both feature fast-paced storytelling and the discussion of difficult topics, all of which are characteristics that can be seen in more familiar modern productions.
A Hand of Bridge features two couples, Sally and Bill, and Geraldine and David, all of whom are playing their customary nightly game of bridge. During the hand, each has an internal monologue in the form of an arietta, or short and simple aria. The overwhelming theme throughout the micro-opera is that of marital displeasure. Bill is cheating on Sally with another woman, whom he much prefers to his wife, while Sally is more focused on a hat she saw in the shop that day and not her husband or even the game at all. Geraldine notices that her husband, David, has long discarded her and lost happiness in their relationship. She longs for someone to love who will love her back. David dreams of having more money and power and of exploring his sexual desires. At the time A Hand of Bridge premiered, these topics were not spoken about publicly, let alone depicted on stage. A Hand of Bridge introduced a way to discuss difficult topics.
A modern theatrical work that similarly deals with sexual desire and cheating on a partner is “Say No to This” from Hamilton, which focuses on the character Alexander Hamilton having the opportunity to cheat on his wife and knowing it is wrong but doing it anyway. Although the format and delivery are quite a contrast from A Hand of Bridge, it is hard to imagine the existence of a song about a character’s sexual desire and cheating in a marriage without the precedent set in A Hand of Bridge.
Throughout the work, there are intermittent sections in which the group is actually playing the game, but the opera is primarily composed of the four player’s internal monologues. Other more recent works have followed in kind, utilizing internal monologues through music to better tell the story. For example, the beginning of “So Much Better” in Legally Blonde the Musical is internal monologue with a spotlight on the character Elle and all of the other characters are still and in the darkness. In the original program notes for A Hand of Bridge, Barber states, “While each character sings his internal monologue […] the other three should remain more or less in darkness and remain frozen in an attitude,” for the staging to reflect that the ariettas are not being sung to anyone, but merely express the singers’ own thoughts. Another instance of monologue being expressed with different staging in modern stage works is “What Baking Can Do” from Waitress. In this song, although there is only lighting on the main character, Jenna, she is alone on stage. Despite the difference in staging, we understand that this song is just her internal monologue.
Due to A Hand of Bridge’s condensed nature, being able to distinguish between the characters is crucial. A different musical technique is used for each character to emulate not only who they are, but their mood as well. Sally’s melody is upbeat and simple, similar to her lyrics, merely focusing on her desire for the hat she saw, whereas Geraldine’s melody is much more solemn and free flowing, matching the upsetting nature of her thoughts. A Hand of Bridge was not the first work to use this technique of contrasting musical styles for different characters, but it is a clear example of the concept and after recognizing this you can look for it in other productions. Noticing the difference in characters’ musical styles can help listeners notice more and feel more connected to a production, so once you get a feel for it during A Hand of Bridge try listening for similar examples elsewhere.
Avow features five character, the Mother, the Bride, the Groom, the Ghost of the groom’s father, and the Celebrant. It is somewhat of a sequel to A Hand of Bridge, with the groom’s father as the character David from Barber’s opera. You can see A Hand of Bridge’s influence on the production through the elements discussed earlier, such as internal monologue and the distinction of characters through melodic style, but Avow adds additional components.
In contrast to A Hand of Bridge, Avow contains both internal monologues and interaction between the characters. It maintains a balance between these two perspectives and further expands upon character development in a brief amount of time. This combination of techniques adds another level of fast-paced storytelling not often used in longer works. This also allows listeners to better understand how different perspectives shape the works they may already love. Consider your favorite musical and how getting to hear the character’s inner thoughts as well as how they interact with others gives you a full understanding of the character and their world.
Avow also furthers the discussion of difficult topics through opera, much like in A Hand of Bridge, by discussubg how our upbringing impacts how we live our lives. The Bride and Groom are focused on the relationships their parents had, particularly how the strain on the Groom’s parent’s relationship impacted his own views on marriage as well as the anxiety it created. This then leads into David’s ghost saying that, although he wanted to leave, his son and wife were his home and meant more to him than his desires. Not only are difficult subjects being discussed, but more depth is added by showing how marital displeasure impacts the rest of the family.
As a sequel, Avow takes the influence of the Bride and Groom’s parents on how the Bridge and Groom themselves can possibly move forward in order to be better for each other. Adamo also quotes one of David’s lines from A Hand of Bridge in order to solidify this connection. Although not the same, some contemporary musical theater songs make similar intertextual references to build connections between the character’s world and our world. An example of this is in “King of New York” from Newsies. It takes place in a big city and relates to audiences by referencing the attitude of success in New York City.
I hope these micro-operas have provided a look into the world of opera and how it relates to music you already enjoy. Although A Hand of Bridge and Avow are short productions you may have never heard of, I hope you learned something new about the world of opera and how these works helped shape the music you know and love today.