Archive for June 2006

It’s difficult to imagine how metaphysical meditations of this kind can be made into a successful opera – at least the kind of opera we usually love: the kind with hate, love and revenge personified by living, breathing men and women. Operas present the entire range of human passions through musical dramas involving situations, action and interaction. None of these things are inherently present in Grendel. Of course, even the original epic poem would make tough operatic material; the characters are not conflicted and they do not develop. They are largely mythic types lacking human dimensionality. You do not weep for them. You might not even give a damn about any of them. They’re just there, doing their heroic (or monstrous) things.

Celebrated puppet master and stage director Julie Taymor takes all of this and makes it into the expected fabulous stage spectacle: high-wire high jinx, eye-popping projections, incredible puppet creatures, flaming funeral pyres, shifting stage pictures, and acting and singing integrated with dance choreography. The whole nine yards. Goldenthal’s music, although tremendously derivative (Glass, Adams and a host of others), serves its purpose well and, despite long dull stretches, is attractive even in its dissonances. (There’s a great deal of doubling of the vocal line in the orchestra – just so you know you’re hearing a tune.) All the singers are marvelous. But the work’s plea for our emotional identification with the characters is one that did not work on this particular listener. I was intrigued in the way the material was being handled – the use of modern English and Old English, for instance (for the most part, Grendel is the only up-to-date speaker/singer), and I enjoyed the knowing literary references. It was, in fact, virtually impossible for me to imagine what someone unfamiliar with Beowulf or Gardner’s novel would think of the entire experience.

At the moment, you can find an excellent synopsis online.

Los Angeles Opera managed to assemble a stunning cast for this World Premiere, one that ran into more than its fair share of production difficulties. Technical and mechanical problems delayed the planned first performance, May 27, and subsequent performances on June 1 and 3 were designated as “previews.” It appears to have been worth waiting for – although, to be frank, it is almost impossible to imagine Grendel surviving as an opera on its own. Without the direct contributions of Taymor (stage director, co-librettist and puppet designer), George Tsypin (set designer), Michael Curry (puppet builder and designer), Angelin Preljocaj (choreographer) and Constance Hoffman (costume designer), the opera probably would not fly, literally or figuratively. Grendel needs the entire package.

Eric Owens as Grendel. Photo by Robert Millard, courtesy of LA Opera.

Dominating the stage all evening was, of course, American bass Eric Owens (creator of General Leslie Groves in John Adams’ Dr. Atomic) as the opera’s eponymous monster. It was a long, long role, and he brought it a fully realized performance in every department. If this man cannot move you with the story and the music, nobody can. I was not especially moved, but I was immensely impressed.

Glued into his harp costume, tenor Richard Croft was always a welcome presence as The Shaper. Tenor Jay Hunter Morris epitomized the pathetic hero manqué, Unferth. The fabulous Laura Claycomb is likely to go without competition as the embodiment of the beauteous Queen Wealtheow, the only feminine touch in an awful world largely without women. Mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves was supremely “diva-ish” as the jaded Dragon with the wonderful Dragonettes — Maureen Francis, Hanan Alattar and Jessica Swink – embedded in the tip of her stage enveloping tail. The shadow selves of Grendel (Jung times three!) were excellent: David Gagnon, Jonathan Hays, and Charles Temkey. Bass Charles Robert Austin was a superb Hrothgar (the definitive name for an ancient Lord!), running his medieval real estate developer’s tractor over trees and people while making one of the opera’s several environmental statements. Chorus and supers were super – but dancer Desmond Richardson, one of today’s great male dancers (Alvin Ailey, Frankfurt and ABT), may have stolen the show as Beowulf – not singing a single note.

The 100,000 lighting demands were superbly filled by Donald Holder, while Steven Sloane conducted persuasively. Both Taymor and Goldenthal received curtain calls before a cheering audience. But the Transcendence of the Great Big Bad must still survive New York before it can go on to eternal glory, momentary glory, or total defeat.