Travis V. McGonigle - The Barber Of Paducah Act I, Scene 1

Travis V. McGonigle

At last, after months and months of work, the first section of the opera The Barber Of Paducah by Travis V. McGonigle is done (at least in a working copy) and recorded! The composer, a notoriously cranky man in his nineties, has been amazingly productive for his age. He has completely revised both lyrics and music from the original first written in the late 1940's. The music itself is traditionalesque, but definitely quirky like the composer himself. And the lyrics are even more so. But this first scene of Act I shows his determination to get a fully revised copy finished before he goes. His health remains fragile, as is expected for his age, but his resolve is not. Early on, the tenor Luigi Trasudante, the moving force behind the project, tried to ease some of the burden from the composer in various ways, but was promptly put in his place by McGonigle. Everyone working with him found out he is in charge, and any hint of taking away control or decisions from him have been met with scathing replies. This ha resulted in the original conductor removing himself from the project, along with some others. Now the team is devoted to carrying out his wishes, no matter how  eccentric they are. 

This first recording is of ACT I, Scene 1, and the complete libretto for this section may be found here. The following is a synopsis and commentary on the music and settings:

ACT I

Scene 1: At The Barbershop 

Luigi and his brother Antonio have opened a barbershop in Paducah, Kentucky and offer lots more services than just hair cuts and shaves. There is no overture to open the opera, but the orchestra plays a very small introduction to Luigi the barber's first aria that welcomes new patrons to the shop.  

Luigi's aria - Come On Into My Shop 

This area shows right away that this opera won't be the rarefied language or atmosphere of a classical opera. It is McGonigle's version of a patter song, although the tempo is not excessive, the words come forth fast and close together. All their services tells why they can only stay in a town for a certain amount of time. The law usually catches up to the sooner or later, and the husband's that figure out what's going on threaten real harm.

 

Soon their barbershop has a large growing clientele that enjoy all the amenities the brothers provide. A group of the march to the barbershop after work to relax. A short march in a traditional style.

March of the patrons 

When they arrive, they all engage in singing their praises of Luigi and the shop

Chorus - The barbershop, our safe haven 

 Illegally sold alcohol, illegal gambling, and illegal prostitution is praised by the patrons of the barbershop in this section for men's chorus. It also alludes to Luigi's aid in convincing the wives to let the men stay at the shop. When the wives call, many times Luigi will go to their house to explain, sometimes he's gone for over an hour. Either these guys are dumb or don't care what's going on. This is one area where this opera is like any opera; a certain amount of suspension of reality is needed.

Three months goes by since the opening of the barbershop, and the two brothers are making lots of money. This is portrayed by a waltz.

Luigi's Waltz  

 A waltz in mixed minor and major keys that leads to Luigi's second aria

Luigi Aria - How Much Better Is It Gonna Get? 

 Luigi counts the money earned for the day and is amazed at how much they're making, and at the expense of some very 'stupid hilly billies'. This give a further glimpse into the lecherous and deceitful heart that Luigi has.

 

While Luigi gloats over the money and calls his patrons stupid, his brother 
Antonio has been mopping up to finish the day before they close the shop. Antonio is a big, lumbering man unlike his brother who is of average stature. McGonigle portrays Antonio mopping the floor with what he calls

Antonio - Mop The Floor Interlude

Horns, trombones, and a tuba portray the rather clumsy Antonio. They lead into an aria by Antonio

Aria - That's all well and good

Antonio is more even tempered and practical, and warns Luigi about his philandering, a warning that has been given many times and to deaf ears.

 

End of Scene 1