HN008 OPERA INFLUENCES AN ARCHITECT

Louis Sullivan, the great American architect of the late 19th century, called ‘Lieber Meister’ by his better known protege, Frank Lloyd Wright was not only a builder of theatres for Grand Opera, but an early lover of the Art of Opera.

Most architecture aficionados know that Sullivan and his partner Dankmar Adler designed the Auditorium Building in Chicago, a 4,500 seater for Grand Opera completed in 1889. Though sadly the theatre Sullivan designed no longer exists as envisaged, contemporaries marvelled at the acoustics which were considered the best in the world.^[i] It also was at the time, the tallest, largest and most expensive building in the world. At its opening the President of the United States attended and Adelina Patti sang. It was as we might call it, the social and artistic event of the year.^[ii]

But what makes for a great architect when it comes to opera houses? Perhaps there is a clue in Sullivan’s own writing. In his Autobiography of an Idea published in 1924 a few years before his death in poverty in 1926. ^[iii]

‘About this time flamboyantly arose Patrick Gilmore with his band and his World Jubilee. Then Louis discovered there had been in existence music quite other than oratorio, hymn, sentimental songs of the hoi polloi and burnt-cork minstrels, or the classic grinding of the hurdy-gurdy.

He found it refreshing and gay, melodious above all. When he hears full bosomed Parepa sing in coloratura, he could scarcely keep his seat; never was such a soprano heard in oratorio, and when the elder Strauss like a little he-wren mounted the conductor’s stand, violin in hand, and dancing, led the orchestra through the lively cadence of the blue Danube, Louis thought him the biggest little man on earth; and when it came to the “sextette” from Lucia, Louis roared his approval and listened just as eagerly to the inevitable encore. And the “Anvil Chorus” – oh, the Anvil Chorus! And so on, day by day, night by night from glorious beginning to glorious end. He had heard the finest voices in the world, great orchestral out-pouring, immense choruses. But he was, above all, amazed at the power of the single voice, when trained to perfection of control. He felt again with delight its unique quality, its range, its fluency, its flexibility, its emotional gamut, its direct personal intimate appeal; he felt a soul, a being, in a single voice, the heartful, the perfect instrument whereby to interpret and convey every state of feeling and of thought; and he was glad indeed.’ ^[iv]

Let’s unwrap this a little, and repeat the words… ‘above all, [he was] amazed at the power of the single voice, when trained to perfection of control. He felt again with delight its unique quality, its range, its fluency, its flexibility, its emotional gamut, its direct personal intimate appeal; he felt a soul, a being, in a single voice, the heartful, the perfect instrument whereby to interpret and convey every state of feeling and of thought;’ Has anyone expressed so perfectly what great singing brings? How could such a human being have not known how to design a setting to bring out the best in a voice?

Also, think that Louis in the year that he first heard Euphrosyne Parepa-Rosa was a mere 16 years old. Hearing Strauss senior play and conduct the Blue Danube, … I think its tempting to say that Sullivan’s encounter with Opera and great classical music was one of the greatest formative experiences in his life.

It doesn’t end here though. Sullivan is credited with the first true ‘skyscaper’ aesthetic.^[v] Yet even here, when he expressed his thoughts he had to refer to music. In 1896 he wrote, ‘…what is the chief characteristic of the tall office building? And at once we answer, it is lofty. This loftiness is to the artist-nature its thrilling aspect. It is the very open organ-tone in its appeal. It must be in turn the dominant chord in his expression of it, the true excitant of his imagination. It must be tall, every inch of it tall…..It must be every inch a proud and soaring thing, rising in sheer exaltation….’^[vi] [italics mine].

Opera and music was integral to the way a great visual artist such as Louis Sullivan saw and created their world. It was one of the supreme aesthetic awakenings in his artistic life to hear performances by great musicians and this in turn influenced the course of architecture.