By MINGSI MA
The Traveler (Yazid Gray) and the Ferryman (Erik Nordstrom) and The Madwoman (Logan Wagner, middle). (Image Credit: David Bachman Photography)
In the Director’s Notes for Pittsburgh Opera’s Curlew River, the Stage Director Dana Kinney writes that “…[Curlew River] offers a more intimate, ritual-like experience, inviting stillness and careful listening.” I couldn’t agree more.
As the opera begins, the light in Calvary Episcopal Church dims, leaving only the chancel gently lit. From afar, the intoning of the plainchant “Te lucis ante terminum” echoes through the church. I turn to look around as the soft chant drifts through the air. The church’s reverberation makes it hard to tell at first where the sound is coming from. By the time I realize it, monks in black robes, candles in hand, are passing down the aisle beside me. The flames from the candles dance in the dark. The proximity lets me identify each singer’s ethereal voice outside of the chorus, making the moment so intimate and otherworldly that it gives me goosebumps. For a moment, I forget where I am.
First premiered in 1964, English composer Benjamin Britten’s opera Curlew River is based on the Japanese Noh play Sumidagawa by Kanze Motomasa. It was conceived for performance in a church setting. Given Noh’s historic ties to religious ritual, staging the opera in a church feels like a natural choice. Even the above-mentioned singers walking down the aisle to reach the stage resembles Noh actors crossing the bridge-like stage passageway used for entrance. In Noh theater, this architectural feature is often interpreted as symbolizing the divide between the human and the spiritual realm, reflecting the mythic and supernatural themes common in Noh plays.
The Abbot (Matthew Soibelman, far right) and his monks (left to right, Pittsburgh Opera choristers David Scoville, Brian Doherty, Andrew Bloomgarden, George Milosh, Jeff Gross, J. Patrick McGill, Eric Garber, and Joshua Mulkey). (Image Credit: David Bachman Photography)
The music and the minimalistic stage setup also reflect Noh influences. In the composition, one can hear drums resembling Japanese instruments like the kotsuzumi and taiko; the harp evokes the koto, and the flute recalls the nohkan. A group of monks acts like a Greek chorus, providing the background story, similar to the Jiutaikata, the chorus in Noh theater that typically narrates the play. In this Pittsburgh Opera production, the performance takes place in the chancel, with the orchestra seated behind the performers. Onstage, like a typical Noh play, there is no backdrop or set. Such a minimalistic setup places high demands on the singers’ acting and expressive abilities to sustain this opera’s dramatic intensity.
Curlew River remains faithful to the original Japanese story while reframing it as a Christian parable with an all-male cast. Matthew Soibelman performs as the Abbot, Erik Nordstrom as the Ferryman, Yazid Gray as the Traveler, and Logan Wagner as the Madwoman. The Abbot and his group of monks share a story: In search of her lost son, a woman has gone mad and encounters a ferryman while trying to cross the river; only later does she learn of her son’s tragic fate.
The Traveler (Yazid Gray, left) and the Ferryman (Erik Nordstrom) look to see what the commotion is. (Image Credit: David Bachman Photography)
Erik Nordstrom’s entrance as the Ferryman is such a delight, dominating the room with his powerful resonance and clear articulation. His firm gaze into the distance gives the Ferryman a sense of restraint and dignity—impersonal, but not cold per se. The lack of emotional display gives him an almost ritualized neutrality.
What excites me most is Logan Wagner’s performance as the Madwoman. This is my second time seeing him perform this season with Pittsburgh Opera, after Fellow Traveler in November. The same as what I commented last time, Wagner’s voice gets less stable in passages that require greater volume and quick shifts in range. After he falls back to melodic lines concentrated within a narrower register, the improved articulation and the singing quality are noticeable. However, such imperfection does not detract from the overall merits. His performance as the Madwoman is weary and overwrought, vividly capturing the state of mind of a woman who has lost her son. The music’s chromaticism in the Madwoman’s line also contrasts with the Ferryman’s, symbolizing her unstable mind. With the lighting cast from the bottom pointing to the top, light and shadow cover Wagner’s face with contrast, emphasizing his pain and internal turmoil. Wagner’s body language and facial expressions convey great emotional depth, demonstrating his remarkable ability to act. What struck me most is the scene in which the Madwoman learns of her son’s fate: the longing look Wagner gives, and the way he reaches out as if to touch the unfortunate kid, only to find it impossible, draws his hand back and touches his own face instead. The vulnerability stemming from the motherhood here is exceptionally moving.
One special shoutout also goes to Ava Chismar, who sings as the spirit of the boy. Kudos to this teen talent. Her voice of piercing purity soars in the air.
Pittsburgh Opera’s production of Curlew River is indeed a spiritual experience, moving and vulnerable. Thanks to Dana Kinney’s direction and interpretation, the production comes together cohesively. As the monks take up their candles again and walk in a line down the aisle to exit, their voices gradually fade. The story ends, leaving only silence behind as we in the audience ruminate on our compassion for the Madwoman.
TICKETS AND DETAILS
Pittsburgh Opera’s Curlew River runs on January 24, 27, 30, and February 1, 2026. It takes place at Calvary Episcopal Church in Shadyside. These performances mark the first production of Curlew River by Pittsburgh Opera. Find more here.
Categories: Arts and Ideas, Reviews
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