Another Storm

Not really a storm;  we saw the Thomas Adès opera, "The Tempest".  We saw it first in the movie theater broadcast presentation, and then in live performance at the Met.  This was my first experience of the Met HD broadcasts, and the difference with the live performance is striking.  The sound is certainly lacking in the HD broadcast;  what you hear is primarily the singing voices, with the orchestra more in the background.  With closeup focus on the singers, what you get is primarily an experience of acting and singing. (It becomes more like a movie going experience.) In live performance, though the orchestra is much more present, and the singers and the acting are part of the overall experience.  This is especially significant in "The Tempest", which Adès has described as a "symphonic opera".  By that he means that the orchestra is the musical focus of the drama, working in parallel with the singers.

I was very much impressed by the opera, in both performances.  It feels to me as legitimate descendent of the tradition of the great 20th century operas like "Lulu" and Wozzeck", a stunning musical vision.  Adès music is both complex and expressive.  As intense a musical experience as I have ever had in an opera house.

Prospero, with Ariel, who sings in Queen of the Night register exclusively...

I was inspired to get a copy of a recent book of conversations with Adès, published in 2012.  He turns out to be very entertaining in conversation, and endlessly provocative in his opinions (and he knows it..)  Both Vera and I were laughing out loud when reading it.   He describes Wagner's music as  "a fungus", and has harsh words for Mahler, Britten, and Brahms.  But he is also very intelligent regarding his own music, and it is well worth reading.