December 24, 2005
Wozzeck
We attended dress rehearsal for opera Wozzeck today at the Met. Wozzeck is a study in atonality, relentlessly depressing and usually staged with spare almost empty sets. Opera buffs love the complex expressionist music. My friends who love opera often cite this one as a favorite. I am not a sophisticate. I'll admit to sleeping through the second act. Hard for me to appreciate... After the performance I couldn't wait to leave, but I was in the minority. I overheard a delighted fan, a large man with a thick German-tinged English accent, "So dark. So tragic. The gloom, palpable. The production was a triumph.[Deep satisfied sigh] But... perhaps, wrong for the season, Wozzeck should only be performed in February."
to this site
12/24/05 10:43 AM
david said...
i am a devoted wozzeck fan, but you really do have to relish bad vibes and difficult music (germans dig it). wozzeck is the kind of opera that, when it ends, makes you feel guilty about clapping, but it's a fantastic piece of music and writing. an acquired taste, but a devastating piece.