A musical offering

Susannah Martin, the really outstanding director of Mrs. Warren's Profession, now appearing at Shotgun Players Ashby Stage in Berkeley (tel 510-841-6500 ext. 303 for tickets) came up with a really enchanting idea for the sound design of the show, which has actually introduced me to a significant composer I had overlooked -- the early 20th century German master, Max Reger. Susannah has selected an underlying musical theme for the entire play, specifically the theme and variations found in the first movement of W.A. Mozart's piano sonata in A major, K.331 (that's the sonata with the famous Rondo alla Turca last movement). However, the actual piano music is not heard until the last part of the play. Instead, Susannah uses a recording of Reger's early 20th century orchestral Variations on a Theme of Mozart, Op. 132, which employs the melody on which Mozart based his piano sonata varations.

The effect is wonderful. The audience first hears the lush, complex sound of the Reger orchestral variations, as appropriate for the situation at the beginning of the play. As the play progresses, and the central characters become more and more enmeshed in the consequences of their lies and secrets, and the social consequences thereof, the music is progressively "stripped down," until the audience only hears the solo piano playing the melody. The effect is to hear, as well as see, the heroine of the play (Vivie Warren) similarly stripped of the social comforts to which she had become accustomed, as she learns the truths of her background and makes difficult decisions about how to face the future and live her life in the light of those truths.

I highly recommend both the Mozart Piano Sonata K.331, and the Reger orchestral variations thereon. Reger is unfairly maligned today as a somewhat heavy, "difficult" composer. His Mozart Variations, Op. 132, is a great introduction. They are enchanting. And there's a good Naxos recording.