Cover, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
I read Michael Chabon's novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay back around 2000 or 2001; my paperback copy of the book looks exactly like the graphic above, so I bought the book after it won the Pulitzer Prize for literature. I loved the book's immense sweep and its colorful characters.
I raised an eyebrow when Mason Bates and Gene Scheer's Metropolitan Opera commission was announced, because, really, it didn't seem like a great candidate for an operatic adaptation, given the scope and complexity of the novel. I was surprised that the opera wasn't listed for an HD broadcast this season, and I decided against a quick NY trip, given various writing responsibilities I have.
Now the reviews are coming in and it seems reasonable to start a media round-up.
- Joshua Barone, NY Times
- Justin Davison, Vulture/New York, who incorporates a critique of Peter Gelb
- Sylvia Korman, Parterre Box
- Alex Ross, The Rest is Noise (a glancing blow only)
1 comment:
In the course of arguing that opera benefits from simplicity, Barone writes that Wagner's Ring could be summarized in just a few minutes.
Actually, Wagner's Ring has been effectively summarized in just two sentences.
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