I'm feeling miffed at this one. You know why? Because there were supposed to be five mini-operas, but in fact, there are only four. That's the case for next week, too, but this is the one that bothers me, because as far as I know, they'd never claimed there were going to be five next week, but this one, they did: it was a piece with a super-long comedy name about British football fans having a Zoom meeting because they've heard that someone's going to be moving their favorite team. But it was dropped from the schedule with no fanfare or explanation. So now there are only four, and I am disappointed. I mean, I know it's free stuff that they're giving us, but still...
Rose Miranda Hall, Wisdom of Stone
This one is about a woman in a house--somewhere in Europe, it seems; it looks very old and crumbling when we see the exterior--singing about the situation, and comparing it to the past: supposedly, plague victims lived in this house. We hear a ghost singing. This very explicitly tries to grapple with the pandemic, for which I give it credit. The videography is appealing; I sort of feel like the libretto is more heat than light, but hell, it's fine. I like the music.
Judith Lynn Stillman, Essential Business
This one depicts a pastor having a Zoom conversation with God--but God's video and audio are both off. That's kind of clever. He's grappling with the situation and how you can social distance while still, you know, doing what he's called on to do. Also, his daughter has died, apparently of the pandemic, which must be kind of an unusual situation. I dunno. Again, I like the concept, but the libretto seems clunky. And there's only piano accompaniment, which will never be my favorite thing.
Byrony Purdue, Sleeping & Waking Are Their Names
This is about two sisters: one has been sleeping for four hundred years; the other never sleeps. And, as the Operavision description says, "their mother worries." As indeed who wouldn't? It keeps being the case that I find these concepts more interesting than the actuality. This is the shortest piece this week, at just five minutes, and it honestly didn't make much of an impression on me.
Ergo Phizmiz, No Room. No Room. No Room.
Apparently each week is going to include one piece that, even by the loosest standards, probably can't be classified as an opera. Here we have a series of pictures of rooms with little visual effects accompanied by a glitchy electronic soundtrack, with voices having conversations about the situation: what the letters in "Rooms" stand for, the dimensions of the rooms, how they're supposedly growing, specific pandemic reactions--did I love this? Well, that would be an overstatement, but given how generally unimpressed I am with the rest of the lot, this is my favorite of the week. It's kind of fun. It's also the longest, at seventeen minutes.
I hate to say it, but this whole project is thusfar not exactly blowing me away. It's possible to write good short operas! Barber's Hand of Bridge is great! But...not everyone can do it, I think it's safe to say. You want rankings? Fine. Have your damned rankings!
1. No Room. No Room. No Room.
2. Wisdom of Stone
3. Essential Business
4. Sleeping & Waking Are Their Names
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