Religion battles science in Philip Glass' 'Galileo Galilei' at Opera Theatre St. Louis (2024)

Daniel DurchholzSpecial to the Post-Dispatch

For the finale of its 2024 Festival Season, Opera Theatre of St. Louis will perform Philip Glass’ “Galileo Galilei.” It wasn’t originally on this year’s schedule, but when the piece that was planned turned out to need a bit more work, the company had to make a move.

“It was pivot time,” says OTSL Artistic Director James Robinson, who is also the stage director for “Galileo.”

“‘Galileo Galilei’ is something I’ve been really interested in for a long time,” he continues. “We’ve only done one Philip Glass piece — the American premiere of “The Trial” in 2017 — and it seemed time to do another one.”

In an email, Glass recalled visiting OTSL for “The Trial.” He called that work “an opera about the nature of the world” and added, “Galileo is not altogether different in his desire to describe what he observed in the heavens.”

The opera, with music by Glass and libretto by Mary Zimmerman, premiered in 2002 at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre.

It has not been performed often, however, which was part of its allure, Robinson says. Substituting it for the work that was put on hold, he says “made sense and we could get a really good cast together for it, so we were off to the races.”

Because the opera is about the clash between science and religion, it’s difficult to think of another piece about a centuries-old conflict that is as relevant today.

“Galileo Galilei” is based on the life of the 16th-17th century astronomer, physicist and engineer, whose work proved Copernicus’ theory that the universe is heliocentric — that the sun, not the Earth, is at its center — which contradicted the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Glass describes the subject matter and his treatment of it this way: “As Galileo looked outwards, observing what he saw as basic truths about the nature of our solar system, he endured the political consequences of standing by findings he saw as undeniable. In the realm of the theater, Galileo can put those questions in a way he never could have in life.”

Because “Galileo Galilei” is about the clash between science and religion, it’s difficult to think of another piece about a centuries-old conflict that is as relevant today.

That “was a real selling point,” Robinson says. “And while we may not have the all-powerful Catholic Church of the 16th and 17th centuries that he had to confront, we certainly have legislative bodies that are often tied to very strict religious dogma.

“You see cases where people are challenging climate change or vaccinations or AIDS or whatever,” he continues. “It’s interesting that things were very, very specific for (Galileo) in his day, but this is something that is still going on.”

(An aside to composers and librettists: The opera “Fauci” is just sitting there, waiting to be written, isn’t it?)

The scientific subject matter of “Galileo” is one element that drew conductor Kwamé Ryan to the piece.

Ryan, who was recently named music director designate of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (his appointment begins this fall), was born in Canada and raised in Trinidad. His interest in science and technology started in high school, where he took physics, chemistry and biology, but he was most interested in physics.

“Even after I stopped studying those subjects in school, my interest in astronomy has persisted to this day,” he says. “I still watch documentaries about the universe and I was, in my youth, absolutely fascinated by Carl Sagan and watched his ‘Cosmos’ series and the recent remake. This project offered me the perfect mix of physics and storytelling and technology.”

Of course, Glass, too, is clearly a fan of science. “Galileo Galilei” is the second of his three operas based on scientists, the others being “Einstein on the Beach” (1976) and “Kepler” (2009).

A novel feature of “Galileo” — which is presented as a single act with 10 scenes and no intermission — is that it unfolds in reverse chronological order. When it begins, he is old and blind, reflecting on his life and what his work has cost him. (He died while under house arrest, and it took the Catholic Church centuries to admit it was wrong to accuse him of heresy.)

Subsequent scenes show him earlier in his life, as he develops his theories and discusses them with his friend, Cardinal Francesco Barberini, who warns him of the line he is crossing. The relationship of Galileo and his daughter, Maria Celeste, is also explored.

In the end, Galileo is a young man, observing an opera written by his father, Vincenzo Galilei. That brings the subject of art into the equation, along with science and religion.

“I think one of the things that is quite ingenious about the piece is telling it backwards,” Robinson says. “It gives us an interesting perspective on, OK, why was there this recantation (of Galileo’s theories)? Then you rewind the tape and it’s like, ah, there was the Inquisition.”

But Robinson notes that the ending — spoiler alert! — “is not a tragic, tear-jerker, beat-your-breast type of ending. It’s really a celebration.”

Another interesting aspect of the piece is that, unlike most operas, the music is not supplied by as many players as can fit in the orchestra pit. Instead, there’s a small ensemble — Ryan prefers to call it a band — numbering 13 in all: three woodwinds, three brass, three strings, two percussion and two keyboards, one of which is a synthesizer.

A synthesizer?

“One of the reasons why I was intrigued with the piece is the synthesizer,” Ryan says. “It’s a sort of xenomorph — it can be an organ or it can be a harp or it can amplify the strings or it can be a synth bass, which somehow doesn’t fit at all with 16th and 17th century Italy, but it takes its role in the storytelling.”

Many of the performers take on multiple roles. Paul Groves is both Older Galileo and Speaker; Sean Michael Plumb is Younger Galileo and Salvati; Vanessa Becerra is Maria Celeste and Eos; and Hunter Enoch is Pope Urban VIII, Simplicio, Cardinal Barberini and Father.

“What makes it interesting having multiple people playing multiple roles is that there are certain links between them thematically,” Robinson says. “So they’re not arbitrary choices. It’s very theatrical.

“That’s a hallmark of the way Philip Glass writes his pieces. Sometimes he’s working in collage, other times it’s disjointed scenes that all add up to something. But that’s what makes it interesting — really stressing the theatricality of the opera.”