Q & A with Lindsey Anderson of "The Ballad of Baby Doe"

Lindsey Anderson

Mezzo-soprano Lindsey Anderson sings the leading role of Augusta Tabor in Winter Opera St. Louis' The Ballad of Baby Doe. This production will be her second with Winter Opera, having made her company debut as Katisha in The Mikado last November. Operatic Saint Louis recently engaged her in a Q & A session where she offers a perspective on her role and the opera.

Given some of the libretto’s text, it might be easy to write off Augusta Tabor as a serious, cold woman. In your preparation, what have you discovered about Augusta through the libretto or other sources in order to present a well-rounded, three-dimensional character?

Augusta is, indeed, a very serious and proper woman, but after spending all of this time with the character, I found it is truly just the tip of the iceberg. She leads with a harsh facade but this coldness is simply the result of years and years of trials and hard work. Augusta and Horace were pretty much opposites in all respects. This great contrast between them may have caused Augusta to lean too far in hopes of positively influencing Horace's sense of responsibility. She was a woman that got too caught up in details of business and propriety and forgot how to enjoy life. She truly is very tender and loving--she just has a hard time showing it.

Augusta, in the opera, seems very shrewd without a shred of gullibility. Do you believe that she ever doubts the rumors of her husband’s infidelity?

You're very right in saying that Augusta is certainly not a gullible woman. Although she is intelligent and a true realist, she is still a woman whom I believe to be quite a romantic at heart. Who else, other than a romantic, would forge the frontier to support their husband's big ideas? There is a soft side to Augusta, but she doesn't show it and I find that her concealment of it makes her all the more vulnerable. I'm sure she was hurt deeply with every rumor of Horace's infidelity and although she knew them to be true, she no doubt hoped that they were not.

During Act Two, Augusta warns Elizabeth, and thus Horace, to beware the silver crash and get out of the trade altogether. Why do you believe she makes this warning, given her previous vow to ruin Tabor?

This scene comes as quite a surpise. The last time the audience heard from Augusta she was (with inspiration from her friends) making grand plans to ruin Horace's name. But time has passed and wisdom permits her to realize that it would only hurt herself to hold onto feelings of anger and vengeance. I believe she was very lonely when she reached out to help Elizabeth and Horace. She knew her health was deteriorating and saw no logical point in trying further a feud.

Frances Bible, an early interpreter of Augusta, claims that Douglas Moore initially wrote the role in the high register for a Dramatic Soprano, but decided he wanted a darker sound and designated the role for a Mezzo Soprano…yet he didn’t rewrite a single note. As a Mezzo, do you find the role’s more vocally demanding than the rest of your repertoire?

This role which is quite demanding vocally. I just finished singing the role of Sister Helen Prejean in Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking. It was an absolutely beautiful piece and another very strong woman to portray. I was on the stage for the whole 2 hours and 30 minutes but it was a different type of role from Augusta in that it intermixed heavier singing with lighter, more delicate moments. Augusta is a character which has a bit less stage time, but all that she says is poignant and very dramatic. She is decisive with her words but they are packed with a punch! In addition to the vocal demands, the music of Augusta is just as complex as the character. Douglas Moore did an amazing job capturing the many layers of Augusta with unpredictable, complex melodies and rhythms.

What musical moments in the opera are some of the most affecting and rewarding for you?

There are many moments that I find very affecting, but Augusta's Aria, "Augusta! How can you turn away?" is by far the most moving moment for me. It combines a lifetime's worth of emotions into 5 minutes and it is absolutely heart-wrenching. Although very late in the opera, it is definitely the crux of Augusta's character development. It is emotionally and physically exhausting to sing, but few arias touch me as deeply as this one.

Visit www.lindseyandersonmezzo.com to learn more about Ms. Anderson and her upcoming career.

The Ballad of Baby Doe runs February 8th (8pm) and 10th (3pm) at the Skip Viragh Center for the Arts on the campus of Chaminade College Preparatory School (425 S. Lindbergh Blvd; map). Tickets may be purchased by calling 314-865-0038 or online at http://winteroperastl.tix.com/ $10 Student Rush Tickets available at the door; valid Student ID required. For more information on this and future productions, visit WinterOperaSTL.org