One of the most engaging intellectual pursuits of the late, internationally recognized Mexican composer Daniel Catán (1949-2011) was the debate over what is more critical in opera – music or words. This was revealed by orchestra director Eduardo Diazmuñoz, who was a close friend, collaborator, and partner in several projects with Catán for over 35 years.
Diazmuñoz explained that Catán, when faced with the age-old argument, typically chose to sidestep it, asserting that he held both music and words in equal esteem. Catán always aimed for the perfect melding of music and words in his compositions. He believed that a good play could stand on its own without music, but a good opera needed a libretto to be more than just a symphonic work. For an opera to truly be an opera, it must first have music, then a libretto, and finally words.
Diazmuñoz reflected on these considerations while discussing a new production of Catán’s first opera, Rappaccini’s Daughter. The opera, which has not been presented in Mexico in its full orchestral version since its world premiere in 1991, was performed in a chamber version by UNAM in November 2019. Now, 33 years after its initial debut, it will be performed in three shows in Monterrey, marking the close of the fourth Mexican Opera Cycle of the Mexico Opera Studio (MOS).
The production features the Symphony Orchestra of the Autonomous University of Nuevo León (OSUANL), with artistic direction led by Diazmuñoz, who has a profound connection to the work.
Diazmuñoz stated that Rappaccini’s Daughter had a transformative impact on opera in Mexico. He had the privilege of premiering the opera in 1991, and he maintains that the work marked a pivotal moment in Mexican opera history. After its world premiere and subsequent recordings, the opera was sent to numerous opera houses worldwide. The San Diego Opera was the first to respond, staging a production in 1993.
Following this, Catán’s career took off, with commissions from prominent opera houses such as the Met in New York, Paris, and the Teatro Colón. This led to his first commission, Florence in the Amazon, by the Houston Grand Opera and the Seattle and Los Angeles operas. This was the first opera in Spanish commissioned by three significant houses in the United States.
Later, as a result of another commission, Catán composed his only comic opera, Salsi cans or love, war, and some anchovies, which humorously criticizes politicians of banana republics. Then, Plácido Domingo commissioned him to compose The Postman for the Los Angeles Opera.
Unfinished Work
Sadly, Catán passed away before he could complete what would have been his fifth opera. The unfinished piece was based on the feature film Meet John Doe by Frank Capra and would have been his first title in English. Despite this, Catán consistently advocated for Spanish to be recognized in opera houses worldwide, and he was successful in this regard.
Diazmuñoz clarified that Rappaccini’s Daughter is based on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story, not Octavio Paz’s play of the same name, except for the dream scene ending the first act, taken from Paz’s work. Diazmuñoz remembered Catán as a humble and kind man, whose simplicity contributed to his greatness as an artist.
For the MOS team, led by stage director Rennier Piñero and musical director Alejandro Miyaki, having Eduardo Diazmuñoz involved in this new production was incredibly significant. His close relationship with Catán and his experience directing the world premiere of the work made his participation invaluable.
According to Rennier Piñero, Rappaccini’s Daughter is a rich, complex, and fertile ground for creativity, featuring realistic and dreamlike elements, and a synergy of languages, art, and dance. He noted that the story opens up space for not only a typical opera love triangle but also a deep debate about the ethical and moral limits of scientific progress.
