Ruth: A Musical Drama (1996)
Libretto: Roger Bayley
Music: Ronald Beckett
Performed by Arcady
Composer Ronald Beckett’s opera Ruth (1996) is the first in a trilogy of biblical musical dramas. It was followed by John (1997) and I Am… (1998). Ruth has been performed in a number of venues in Ontario, including Central, Brantford, where Beckett is music director. The CD of the opera lasts just over an hour, and is performed by a chorus of Israelites, a chorus of youths, and soloists who portray the characters Ruth, Naomi, Boaz and a Narrator.
The music is impressive, drawing from established traditions of opera recitative, chorus and solo passages, accompanied on the CD by piano, percussion and a small string ensemble. Beckett’s musical vocabulary is loosely tonal (I’ve heard the term neo-tonal) with a use of dissonance that is more reflective than biting or aggressive. In fact, to my sense, this retelling of the story of Ruth is on the whole reflective rather than dramatic. The story ends not with the wedding celebration of Ruth and Boaz, but—closely following the biblical account—with a catalogue of succession. The opera itself ends with an anthem-like meditation on the text “The good that men do lives after them,” which opens the opera, and a final, simple “Amen”.
In all, Beckett and Bayley’s retelling of the story of Ruth is one for those who already know it, those who are biblically aware, rather than those who need to be drawn into the drama with a fresh reinterpretation. Also, my appreciation of this work would have been greatly enriched by having a libretto included with the CD. Those reservations aside, Ruth rewards repeated listenings. Beckett draws excellent performances from instrumentalists, soloists and choristers with music that is assured and well-crafted.
Ruth was recorded by the Arcady ensemble, dedicated to the performance of Beckett’s music and the music of the Baroque period.
