Marcus Maroney - Sounds Like New

Forgotten Symphony

I agree (though to a much less vicious degree) with much that ACD writes in his pretty scathing review of John Adams' Dr. Atomic, heard on broadcast from Chicago Lyric Opera.  I saw the European premiere at the Netherlands Opera last summer. 

I'm confused, though, about ACD's third "suggestion" at the end of his review, the one about how he wishes Adams would: "chuck the present libretto altogether into the rubbish bin where it more properly belongs, and rework that glorious music into either an extended tone poem or three-movement dramatic symphony."  I'm confused mostly because ACD commented on Stephen Hicken's post about the premiere of the Dr. Atomic Symphony, premiered nearly a year ago:

'The Doctor Atomic Symphony is based on orchestral music from the opera. Among the music incorporated and reworked into this 30-minute symphony are passages from the overture, Oppenheimer’s Baudelaire soliloquy, the electrical storm music, “Batter my heart”, and the culminating “Countdown” music.'

And ACD shouldn't lose hope.  Adam's A Flowering Tree works much better as dramma per musica, although Peter Sellars still had something to do with the libretto.  Broadcasts are floating around various places and I'm sure both it and Dr. Atomic (symphony and opera) will make it to disc soon. 

No more Holland

According to Musical America:

"Downsizing at The New York Times has hit the culture department. Among those taking the recently offered buyouts are Bernard Holland, music critic; Jennifer Dunning, dance critic; Diane Nottle, deputy editor for classical music and dance; Gwen Smith, assignments coordinator for dance and art; and Lawrence Van Gelder, senior editor."

RIP Robert Rauschenberg

1925-2008. 

Crisp on being a model

From Caleb Duepree of Classical Drone, this meme:

1) Pick up the nearest book.
2) Open to page 123.
3) Find the fifth sentence.
4) Post the next three sentences.
5) Tag three people, and acknowledge who tagged you.

"You only had to say 'I do' and you were stuck with it like marriage.  It was also easy work to get.  The war was on and I was almost the only roughly male person left with two arms and two legs."

--Quentin Crisp, The Naked Civil Servant

I tag (sorry if you've already been tagged, and assuming they're still blogging): trill, Patty at oboeinsight.com and Jeremy Denk.

The pearl of great price.

One performance remains of what I would consider the best musical production in Houston this season: Houston Grand Opera's production of Britten's Billy Budd.  Easily the most strongly cast of HGO's productions this season, it bodes well for a five-year look at the composer. 

Neil Armfield's production (from Welsh National Opera and Opera Australia) is stunning visually.  Charles Ward says he "...did get tired of the endless rotation of the set piece...", but I'd have to disagree.  The set makes one feel appropriately uneasy and afloat.  The angeling of the hydrolic set-piece was always well thought-out and made the singers project to full advantage as well as giving a creepily skeletal representation of the ship's positioning on the ocean.  Yes, the set-piece did creak, as mentioned by our oh-so-observant critics, but don't all moving set pieces?  This was far more effective than staging this opera flat could ever be. 

Daniel Belcher is certainly a strong Billy Budd, presenting a strongly sung and characterized portrayal.  He doesn't make one forget Thomas Hampson on Nagano's recording or the originator of the role, the powerful Theodor Uppman, but he is new to this role and I have a feeling will be called around the world to sing it as he grows into it.  Andrew Kennedy steals the show as Vere, singing the demanding part with utmost ease and shading of voice.  I hope to hear more from him at HGO.  While there was some strain in the upper register in Phillip Ens' Claggart, it suited the character, and he was stunning in his low register.  The HGO chorus is simply amazing and dug into Britten's part beautifully.  The orchestra also played magnificently in what was easily their most challenging score this season.  While both Ward and Scott Cantrell feel that Patrick Summers hushed the orchestra too much, from where I was sitting (Row E orchestra), the power was there when necessary, as was the repose. 

Next season brings A Midsummer Night's Dream with a dream cast indeed: Laura Claycomb singing Tytania is something I'll be eagerly awaiting all year.