A Singer’s Guide to John Adams’ Opera “A Flowering Tree”, with a Focus on the Character of Kumudha

Abstract

The American composer John Adams has addressed global issues in many of his operas including Nixon in China, Doctor Atomic, and The Death of Klinghoffer, although they all feature Americans as main characters. His opera A Flowering Tree is distinguished from these other works, since it is based on a traditional Indian folktale. This study is aimed at professional vocalists, to help them understand the characters and music of A Flowering Tree. This beautiful work, which has not received the attention of some of Adams’ other operas, is a valuable addition to the repertoire. I hope to show that singers can gain a great deal from studying its music and staging. Most importantly, I hope that performers will be able to prepare a better performance through the following analyzes. I will focus especially on the main character Kumudha’s transformation into a flowering tree, based on her emotions and the situation in which she finds herself.