View: Next message | Previous message Next in topic | Previous in topic Next by same author | Previous by same author Previous page (August 1999, week 2) | Back to main OPERA-L page Join or leave OPERA-L Reply | Post a new message Search Options: Chronologically | Most recent first Proportional font | Non-proportional font ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 00:19:31 +0000 Reply-To: "H.E.Elsom" Sender: Discussion of opera and related issues From: "H.E.Elsom" Subject: Wonderful town, Proms, 10Aug99 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Leonard Bernstein, Wonderful town (1952) Book by Joseph Fields and Jerome Chodorow Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green Ruth Kim Criswell Eileen Audra McDonald Robert Baker Thomas Hampson Brent Barrett, Karl Daymond, Timothy Robinson Conductor Simon Rattle London Voices Birmingham Contemporary Music Group The first part of this prom looked as if it was going to be difficult to top. Thomas Ades directed the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group in a fascinating set of lapidiary works by Charles Ives, all little fragment of vivid experience. Among them was a vicious satire on conventional religion, General William Booth Enters into Heaven, sung by Thomas Hampson, with a marching hymn distorted into a rather cerebral brutality and Jesus ignored on the court house steps. Hampson also sang the lyrical Sunrise, which strikingly foreshadows Vaughan Williams. The final work of the first half was Conlon Nancarrow's Study for Orchestra, which includes a player piano (a Disklavier, run from a disk rather than a paper roll), which used somewhat similar simultaneous conflicting rhythms for more abstract, though no less visceral, effects. There is a bit of imitation of life in Wonderful town, but it really only belongs on the same programme as Ives and Nancarrow because it is consciously modern and American. Wonderful town is a post-war spin on the inter-war type of the sharp working woman who finds love in spite of herself, set in a nostalgic Greenwich Village of 1935. It's a lot less familiar than Bernstein's earlier and later New York musicals, On the town and West side story, and a lot less innovative musically and dramatically. Its plot, music and lyrics are pastiches of happy shows of the 1930s, with a lament of two sisters, Why, oh why, oh why, oh, Why did I ever leave Ohio, and an Irish schtick of laughable corniness. But there are several effective "simple" songs like A little bit in love, and It's love, which are winners, a Conga, of which more later, and other energetic dance numbers. Simon Rattle, who made a fair fist of Rameau a few weeks ago, was totally at home, as were the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and London Voices. No-one pretended this was great art, but it was certainly good music. And a premium cast seemed to be having a great time. Kim Criswell as the tough writer sister Ruth was very funny, particularly in One hundred ways to lose a man (Just throw your knowledge in his face/He'll never try for second base). She also led the Conga (of which even more later) across the stage without a mike and still got every convoluted word over. Audra MacDonald was equally impressive as Eileen, the sweet actress sister, cute but not dim, and Thomas Hampson was splendidly vain but likable as Bob Baker, a struggling journalist who both sisters are in love with. Brent Barrett (who has appeared in Hercules!) was hilarious as the incredibly thick football player Wreck. I think this was the most euphoric prom I've ever been to. The nearly-full hall was ecstatic, and not surprisingly held out for an encore. It turned out to be the conga again, with the line going around the arena. Maybe Rattle is angling for the last night. He's the only conductor I can think of who could have got the audience joining in. I don't think the soloists' "we are not worthy" gestures at the end were totally ironic. Regards, Helen - H.E. Elsom he@helsom.demon.co.uk http://www.helsom.demon.co.uk/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main OPERA-L page ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Back to the LISTSERV home page at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU.