A Conversation with Sarah Van Sciver and Kirsten C. Kunkle on their New Opera Girondines

Girondines is a new opera that tells the story of six real-life female French Revolutionaries during the Reign of Terror. It will make its world debut this October in a Wilmington Concert Opera (WCO) production. Composer Sarah Van Sciver and Librettist Kirsten C. Kunkle give folks a bit of background as we gear up to the premiere of the opera.

Question: Sarah and Kirsten, how did you two come to know each other? Can you give us a little background on what led you to collaborate on Girondines?

Kirsten (KCK): Sarah was one of the composers for the Philadelphia Opera Collective’s “Shadow House,” and every song that I sang in that show was one she wrote. We stayed in touch online, and I posted about having written a different libretto. Sarah reached out and said if I ever wanted to write another one that she would like to collaborate. I sent her a message and said, “Let’s do it!”

Sarah (SVS): Right. After being introduced to Kirsten and having the opportunity to write music specifically for her in an original immersive opera collaboration via “Shadow House” thanks to its brilliant librettist and director (our mutual friend Brenna Geffers) I was eager to work with Kirsten again and leaped at the opportunity. A lyricist myself, I also deeply enjoy setting others’ texts to music, and setting Kirsten’s text has been a complete joy.

Q: Without going into what I’m sure are painstaking details, can you tell us what writing an opera from scratch is like?

KCK: It is absolutely thrilling! There is an excitement that comes from putting your ideas on paper, then seeing your words realized into songs… and eventually having someone sing those words and give voice to the characters that you have created. The words and music are complete, but I, personally, cannot wait until the rehearsal process when it all comes together in the studio. It’s creating history from history!

SVS: Using Kirsten’s exquisite text, I improvised at the harp and piano to develop thematic and textural ideas to epitomize our characters, story, and setting. Then I worked piece by piece (I typically start with solo arias first to focus on each singer individually and then work my way out to ensemble sections) to compose melodies, countermelodies, and then piano and harp accompaniment. Each one of our Girondine women has their own musical motif, so I wove these themes and variations on them throughout the opera. Charlotte Corday, whom Kirsten will be portraying, is a catalyst for all our other historical figures’ storylines, so Charlotte’s theme and its variations are threaded prominently throughout the tapestry of this opera.

Composing in this idiom is a balancing act of blending new and recurring elements so that opera pieces thrive together and individually. In crafting this opera, we gave every performer the opportunity to contribute feedback before I finalized composition. It was exciting to have performers involved in the inception phase, and as Kirsten said, I am eager and excited to get started with the rehearsal process to hear the music sung by the exceptional group of performers with whom we’re working.

Storytelling and communing with the audience is at the core of my artistic practice as a musician. Creative collaboration is key, as stories become richer when many voices join in the telling of them. Love of language and a passion for singing make me strive to tell great stories with music that speaks to everyone. My style is contemporary and commercial, inspired by and incorporating classical, rock, and pop sounds, drawing upon media and traditions past and present. It is a thrill to produce new works that can resonate with audiences for years to come, using music as means to maintain stories’ momentum.

Q: What does Girondines mean? Can you tell us a little bit about the plot of the opera?

KCK: “Girondines” is the feminine plural of Girondins, which was one of the political parties during the French Revolution. The title refers to women who were part of the Girondist movement. Based on historical fact, my libretto focuses on the story of six real life French Revolutionaries who presumably knew one another, met in secret before the Reign of Terror, and supported one another during the political upheaval. All six of the revolutionaries are women, three of whom were guillotined and three of whom lived. Sarah and I are working to further our own legacy of women, both in the history of the women featured in the opera, and also by creating visceral and important roles for women in opera.

SVS: For opera buffs, this story presentation definitely has more in common with ‘tragédie en musique’ or ‘opera seria’ (serious opera in the French or Italian traditions) than ‘opera comique’ or ‘opera buffa; (comic opera in the French or Italian traditions). The ‘​​tragédie en musique’ tradition inspired me to write several of this opera’s pieces with classical and contemporary dance forms (minuet and tango, among others) and to incorporate choral stylings in ensemble sections. Unlike many French operas, our story is told in two acts instead of five. And to have the story told exclusively by women characters is really exciting!

Q: How did you come to learn about these stories and feel they would be good subjects of an opera?

KCK: I asked Sarah to send me a list of interesting topics for a possible opera. She sent me many ideas. I ended up choosing none of the ones that she suggested, but it sent me on a long Internet search. I had always had an interest in Charlotte Corday, who was infamous for assassinating Marat in the bathtub. After researching her political leanings, I discovered many other fascinating women who were opposed to the Jacobins. Their stories are true as represented in the opera. The only fictional element that I added is that they could have known and cared for one another as close friends and confidantes. That is the glue that holds together their stories and makes them our “Girondines.” 

SVS: Kirsten’s libretto was my introduction to most of the stories we are telling. It was really compelling to grapple with the French Revolution from a new angle vis-a-vis the perspective of our Girondines ladies’ experiences, to make our unsung heroines sung, so to speak.

Q: Many people are not used to hearing new works or modern opera - what can audiences expect from this text and music?

KCK: I wrote the text to be a story that not only is historically accurate but shows the human side of these real women. My goal was to shed light on these women, not just as characters, but also as humans, and everything it entails to be a woman of intellect or power. Though the story is old, it is still extremely relevant and quite timeless. 

Sarah’s music is incredibly inviting and accessible. There are melodies that you will leave humming. Modern opera, as a whole, can mean many things. Working with Sarah, specifically, meant that the story is always moving forward and always being told in a way that will resonate with the audience. In this instance, the story and words came first, so the challenge was more on Sarah to make sure that my words resonated through the music. I believe everyone who comes to the opera will find something worthwhile to take away - interesting history, fascinating culture, haunting melodies, exciting harmonies and ensembles, and perhaps most importantly, humanity. 

SVS: Kirsten’s text is gorgeous, and I am proud of the music I have composed to stage it. The stories we are telling and characters we are introducing are enticing and enticing. Expect drama, intrigue, and a splash of comedy in our story - and expect beautiful singing with florid accompaniment, with notable percussive piano and a smattering of exciting extended techniques employed on the harp. I hope that audiences will enjoy clever lyrics, catchy melodies, commanding characters, and consequential stories in “Girondines.”

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