La Chute de la Maison Usher

Performed as part of the Claude Debussy International Congress. Scene 1 - Late one gloomy afternoon in the ancient House of Usher, Lady Madeline, dressed in white, sings a verse of "Le palais hanté” in a distant and sickly voice ("Dans la plus verte de nos vallées"). Roderick Usher, fearing a crisis in his life, has summoned his school-friend (L'Ami), a "gentleman farmer” also in his mid-30s, to his ancestral home. When L'Ami arrives, the hostile doctor (Le Médecin) tries to persuade him to depart without seeing the supposedly mad Roderick, because he cannot alter destiny and the doctor does not want his evil designs upset. Le Médecin reveals his love for the beautiful Lady Madeline and suggests that Roderick's love for her is unnatural and dangerous. However, L'Ami refuses to leave. Scene 2 - A disheveled Roderick sings at length of the 'endless torments' he suffers from the "ancient, pallid stones” of his ancestral home. He keeps thinking he hears the voice of his sister, 'the only companion of his life”. He also sees the black wings of the raven of death that he knows is coming to claim him. After dismissing Le Médecin brusquely, Roderick and his friend embrace and remember the happier times when they were young together. Roderick pours out his troubles, fearing the imminent collapse of his world as he grows prematurely old with worry. He resists L'Ami's persuasion to depart for a new life elsewhere ("Voyons, Roderick, vous etes jeune"), recalls the power of the stones, and shows L'Ami the lengthening crack in the walls. He recalls a terrified sleepless night in the House of Usher (the Nightmare scherzo), breaks down in tears, and leaves the room. Le Médecin enters with the news of Lady Madeline's death and her transferal to a vault directly below. L'Ami again rejects his advice to leave. As the doctor departs with his threats of disaster, Roderick returns, singing a snatch of his sister's song in a low voice and thinking of her angelic voice and presence. He is aware of the doctor's machinations, but not of her premature burial. Roderick asks if his friend has seen her, and then produces an antique book from his library. As L'Ami reads the Mad Tryst about Sire Ulrich, the malicious hermit, the dragon, and the shield of shining brass, a spectacular storm mounts, and the events of Roderick's favorite medieval legend begin to coincide dramatically with those onstage, With growing horror Roderick senses what is happening in the vault directly below, the falling shield coinciding with his sister's subterranean escape. He visualizes her climbing up the stairs and even hears the beating of her heart. At the climax, a furious gust of wind blows all the doors open, revealing a blood-drenched Lady Madeline reeling behind one of them. With a moaning cry, she fails onto her brother who has advanced towards her, arms outstretched. She drags him to the floor and their double death - Roderick's presumably from sheer terror. The "damned” black raven of death has scored his final triumph. The friend flees as the House of Usher disintegrates into the stagnant tarn and the blood-red moon explodes.

Cast   David Small as Roderick Usher Phillip Hill as L’Ami Julie-Ann Hamula as Lady Madeline William Lewis as Le Médicin

Director Robert DeSimone Conductor David Neely Scenic Design Christopher McCollum Light Design John Ore Costume Design Michaele Hite