SFist Interviews Stephanie Blythe

How did you get involved in Covered Wagon Woman?

Stephanie Blythe: The piece was commissioned last year by the Lincoln Chamber Music Society. The reason that we chose Alan Smith was that, a couple years ago, for my 30th birthday, Alan sent me a song cycle as a gift, and it was a piece called Ellis Island Vignette. That piece is roughly 25, 26 songs, and basically, the text comes from immigrants who were interviewed during the Ellis Island history project in the 80s. And these people came through Ellis Island all roughly around the same time. And what Alan did was to take a portion of these interviews, and sculpt it into a journey. So it's in several different sections, and it basically chronicles these folk's journey, from many different countries through Ellis Island.

Alan chose some really beautiful texts, and created this musical journey for Margaret Frink and her family.

Just from the theme of the piece, crossing such wide expenses, being part of the Gold Rush, this seems very operatic to us, quite far from the chamber music setting we'll hear, yes?

Stephanie Blythe: It's not operatic at all, it's very intimate. The Gold Rush is not the theme of the piece. It's about these folks changing their life and going across the country. The reason that it is so successful in this intimate setting, is because it's an intimate story. I mean, the piece for Margaret and her husband, and two young men, for the most part, they were on their own. And the piece has great scope and great depth.

It's a beautiful chamber work. The instruments create a beautiful atmosphere for these words. In some instances, they are the character in the story. Sometimes the strings are portraying the majesty of the West and the sprawl of the prairie, and sometimes they are portraying, the piano and the strings are portraying the donkeys and the horses that are pulling the wagon. And sometimes they are portraying how thin the air is at the top of the mountain, the tallest mountain they had to travel. It's an extraordinary pictorial piece. And it's extraordinary well set for the text. Even though it's prose text, Alan is exceptional good at setting prose text, which is completely different skill as setting a poem. Because the prose has no real rhyme or meter, so he creates that with this music. It's really expertly written, and full of soul.

Do you know if there are still any descendents of Margaret Frink in California?

Stephanie Blythe: I don't know. I have read the journal several times, but I don't know if they are around. Her husband is the one who published it originally. It's set in this book of journals of pioneer women, called Covered Wagon Women.

You''ll come back too SF in May to celebrate the end of Maestro Runnicles' tenure, but you've never actually worked here with him, correct?

Stephanie Blythe: I've never worked with Runnicles. But I'm very excited about having the opportunity with him. I've been a great admirer of him for a long time, and I'm looking forward to this concert.

We were quite impressed with your chemistry with Christine Brewer last time you sung the Requiem here, you seemed to have a blast together. How do you connect with Patricia Racette?

Stephanie Blythe: I've never sung the Verdi Requiem with Patricia, but I've sung with her many times, and we have marvelous rapport, and I'm sure will have a terrific time singing together. She's a brilliant singer. It's a piece that moves me more than anything. I adore singing Verdi's Requiem, and I love the words and the immensity of the piece. It's very magnificent. So I always have fun no matter who I'm singing with.

I've sung it many times with Christine, so we have a very great history with the piece together. But it certainly does not preclude me from having the same kind of experience with Pat.

Stephanie will also be back as Azucena in Il Trovatore next September, but you really can't get enough of her.