''Willie Stark'' is an opera in three acts and nine scenes by

Carlisle Floyd Carlisle Sessions Floyd (June 11, 1926September 30, 2021) was an American composer primarily known for his operas. These stage works, for which he wrote the librettos, typically engage with themes from the American South, particularly the Post ...

to his own libretto, after the 1946 novel ''

All the King's Men ''All the King's Men'' is a 1946 novel by Robert Penn Warren. The novel tells the story of charismatic populist governor Willie Stark and his political machinations in the Depression-era Deep South. It was inspired by the real-life story of U ...

'' by

Robert Penn Warren Robert Penn Warren (April 24, 1905 – September 15, 1989) was an American poet, novelist, and literary critic and was one of the founders of New Criticism. He was also a charter member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers. He founded the lit ...

, which in turn was inspired by the life of the

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is bord ...

governor

Huey Long Huey Pierce Long Jr. (August 30, 1893September 10, 1935), nicknamed "the Kingfish", was an American politician who served as the 40th governor of Louisiana from 1928 to 1932 and as a United States senator from 1932 until his assassination ...

. The opera was commissioned by the Houston Grand Opera, which premiered it on April 24, 1981, in a production directed by

Harold Prince Harold Smith Prince (born Harold Smith; January 30, 1928 – July 31, 2019), commonly known as Hal Prince, was an American theatre director and producer known for his work in musical theatre. One of the foremost figures in 20th century America ...

and conducted by

John DeMain John DeMain is an American conductor, currently in his 29th year as music director of the Madison Symphony Orchestra in Wisconsin, as well as serving as artistic director of Madison Opera. He was music director and principal conductor of Housto ...

. The original production was dedicated to the American radio journalist

Lowell Thomas Lowell Jackson Thomas (April 6, 1892 – August 29, 1981) was an American writer, actor, broadcaster, and traveler, best remembered for publicising T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia). He was also involved in promoting the Cinerama widescree ...

. Floyd made cuts to the score for a television presentation of the opera, and the edited version was shown on US public television in September 1981. The opera was remounted in 2007 by the Louisiana State University Opera. The composer visited the university and advised on the production. The production was recorded and released on DVD, by

Newport Classic Newport Classic, Ltd, is a record label of classical music, founded by Larry Kraman, and is located in Newport, Rhode Island. In its catalog are recordings of both familiar and unusual works, including ''Casanova's Homecoming'', ''A Waterbird Talk ...

. The work generated some small controversy among music critics, as it draws upon elements of Broadway musical theater more than Floyd's other more traditionally operatic works. The involvement of Broadway director

in the initial production contributed to the emphasis of these elements of the work. In the years since its premiere, this sort of blurring of boundaries between opera and

Broadway musical Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...

s has become commonplace.

Roles

Synopsis

The setting is 1935, in the state capital of an unnamed southern American state. The story covers a period of 10 days. Willie Stark is a southern American politician, of humble origin, now a state governor. He began his political career as an idealist and champion of the working class, but as his career progresses, he becomes more and more corrupt, shrewd and ruthless, willing to stretch the boundaries of the law as far as he can. The plot involves Governor Stark's attempts to avoid impeachment for his tampering with his state's legal system for his own ends, by which he has ruined many lives. Meanwhile, he falls in love with socialite Anne Stanton. Anne is engaged to marry Jack Burden, the Governor's aide. Judge Burden, Jack's father, is a highly respected judge and favors impeaching Stark. Willie tries to persuade Anne to break off her engagement with Jack and marry him instead, which she finally agrees to do. The governor’s longtime political associate and advisor, Sadie Burke, finds Willie Stark and Anne together. Sadie is furious at this, and realizes that she is no longer the only woman in his life. At one point, Judge Burden is charged with bribery. Jack finds evidence to support the accusation, though he does not want to believe the evidence. Jack confronts his father, after which Judge Burden commits suicide, with a pistol hidden in his desk. A few days later, Jack is distraught to learn from Sadie of Anne’s plans to marry the Governor. At the end, Willie is giving a speech to a crowd. Jack emerges from the crowd and assassinates the Governor, and in turn, Jack is killed.

References

External links

Opera synopsis and details at Boosey & Hawkes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Willie Stark Operas Operas by Carlisle Floyd English-language operas Operas set in the United States Operas about politicians 1981 operas Opera world premieres at Houston Grand Opera Operas based on novels