The Mask in the Mirror
is a chamber opera about the life of Black poet
Paul Laurence Dunbar
; the title derives from that of one of
Dunbar
's most famous poems, "We Wear the Mask." The opera was given a fine studio recording in California in 2016, but this album was not released until 2019 and has not garnered much attention. This is a shame, for it is well worth a new look in an era when performing organizations are seeking out works by African American composers (composer
Richard Thompson
is actually African Scottish). The story is told in three acts comprising 13 scenes from
's life (plus a prologue), mostly focusing on his romantic relationship, marriage, and ultimate separation from
Alice Ruth Moore
, but also includes such episodes as
's discovery by author and critic
William Dean Howells
. The story is told in letters and in
's poems; the letters written by
are spoken by the singer who portrays him,
Cameo Humes
. The accompaniment is by a small orchestra or by
Thompson
's own piano. Director
Stephen Tucker
has chosen a fine group of young, mostly Black singers who do not overwhelm the opera's retrospective storytelling and are committed to the subject of what they are singing.
's story of finding international acceptance only to self-destruct and then to die young is the very stuff of operatic tragedy, and this is an opera of considerable power that sustains its two-hour length. Those interested in or chronicling the rise of classical music by Black people should not overlook this release. ~ James Manheim