Okay, here is this, based on a series of Ukrainian folk stories as retold/collected by Ivan Franko, who also wrote the poem that Skoryk's Moses is based on. In preparation for seeing this, I read this English version of it. I wasn't what you'd call impressed, but let's see how the opera's gonna handle it.
The story follow very closely with the original work: this here Fox is called in by King Lion to be punished for playing mean tricks on everyone, but he manages to wriggle out of it, murders a handful of other animals, and then, for extremely unclear reasons, is lauded by everyone. WOW did I ever not like this story.
Still, I'll give the opera credit: I liked it more than that book. There's some pretty darned fun music here, especially at, like, the climax of tricks where it gets all carnival-sounding. There's also a strong folk element, and the use of traditional Ukrainian instruments. It makes for an interesting sound. Fox is still unlikeable; I hope this isn't sexist, but I think it might've been a good idea to make it a trouser role; it seems like a woman might have a bit better luck at making the character even marginally charming or appealing. I'm sort of on the fence about whether subtitles--me being able to understand specifically what they're saying as opposed to just generally--would've made him more likable or less, and I'm kinda guessing yes. He is most unpleasant.
Well, what else can I say? As contemporary operas go, it's not terrible, but I do think it's held back by the unpromising source material. Dangit, I obviously didn't mean to end up in a place of slagging off Ukrainian culture when I started this, but this story, man. It's not good. I would love--and I mean this sincerely, I want to learn--to talk to a Ukrainian person and learn why they like it so much.
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