- Anthony Tommasini, Times. "Some seemingly batty elements" - you don't say!
- Martin Bernheimer, FT
- James Jorden, NY Observer
- Eric C. Simpson, NY Classical Review
- Michael Glitz, HuffPost. "As I said, the story is simple." Errm. "A generally happy couple saddened by their lack of children." NO. Read that libretto again, will you?
- Alex Ross, briefly, but click through to both the Opera News article about Christine Goerke and his 2002 review.
- John Yohalem, Parterre Box
- Paul Pelkonen, Superconductor
- Zerbinetta, Likely Impossibilities
- Opera Teen offers cookies to anyone who sticks with a plot synopsis that is in fact a whole lot easier to read and understand than the Met's!
- Lisa Hirsch, right here.
I'm surprised that so many reviewers liked Ildiko Komlosi, who sounded lousy from the Grand Tier throughout the opera. I'm also surprised that Tommasini spent so many column-inches rehashing the plot; link to a synopsis, for heaven's sake.
The Nurse's motivations remain extremely obscure. She hates humans, wishes the Empress weren't drawn to humans, and yet she tries to obtain a shadow so that the Empress can stay in the human world. This seems like a loose end that Strauss and Hofmannsthal never worked out. And the Falcon? What's the point?
It would be more fitting to discuss the "seemingly batty elements" in a certain opera by Johann Strauss, rather than Richard.
ReplyDeleteFrom AT's NYT's review:
ReplyDelete“Frau” emerges as the masterpiece of the team of Strauss and Hofmannsthal
I love FRoSCH, but better than Elektra? Hmmmm....
@ Henry
ReplyDelete"I love e FRoSCH, but better than Elektra? Hmmmm...."
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FroSch is definitely a greater work.
Elektra is obviously more compact but if we are rating them in terms of musical invention and emotional depth it's FroSch all the way in my book.
Plenty of emotional depth in the House of Atreus; also, bloody revenge.
ReplyDeleteI'm just glad I don't have to choose between them.
According to the story, the Nurse is of the spirit world and hates humans but is required to do everything the Empress asks her to do. She does not do it happily but has no choice. The falcon does more in the story but I still don't grasp its significance.
ReplyDeleteAaaaaah, if "is required to do everything the Empress asks her to do" made it into the libretto, I missed it completely. Thank you.
ReplyDelete