Concerning the quality of John Adams’s Doctor Atomic, currently playing at the Metropolitan Opera through November 13, I am of many minds. This may be due in no small part to the opera being of many minds itself. Doctor Atomic is about as good as any opera could be given that its creators do not seem to have a cogent idea of what drama is.

At first a documentary-style perspective on the events leading to the first atomic bomb test holds sway. In the first scene, the chorus and characters sing lines containing all the poetry of a Pentagon press briefing. (Adams’s program notes describe his and Peter Sellars’s scrupulousness in basing the libretto on language from primary sources.) But after the initial oddness, one gets used to hearing the chorus describe the structure of the bomb’s core and so forth. Then scene two arrives, and we’re in Puccini-land. Robert and Kitty Oppenheimer, in the intimacy of their bedroom, rhapsodize in florid soliloquies about their infinite, cosmic love for one another. In scene three, the opera begins to hit its stride by coming to favor panoramic montages over dramatic scenes. After intermission, Act II increases this trend: characters more often speak to us (or to no one) than to each other, and we wait and wait for the bomb to drop.

With so many different dramatic angles rubbing elbows–the documentary, the lyrical, the montage (and the first two do not disappear entirely in Act II)–awkward moments abound in Doctor Atomic. The beginning of the second scene is needlessly jarring; the discussion of General Groves’s diet in scene three does not belong here; the “earth-mother” lullaby (sung by the Oppenheimers’ Native-American nanny, Pasqualita) is portentous; after an inert debate about the possibility the bomb might ignite the atmosphere, Edward Teller, one of the scientists, offers everyone sun screen.  The entire second act fails to establish a common consciousness from which characters’ lines can emerge logically: instead, these lines often sound arbitrary and pretentious.  Kitty Oppenheimer is a character almost entirely without dramatic support from her surroundings: she seems out of place, despite some ravishing music; and even Doctor Atomic himself, despite his riveting John Donne aria that closes the first act, ends up being a weak center for the action.

But in the end Doctor Atomic is saved by the sheer talent of its composer. Adams’s score is absolutely fantastic. The tonality roves from chromatic to triadic with discretion and power; Adams’s command of rhythmic contrast–especially in how well the wildly exciting concluding countdown is prepared–is masterful; the orchestration is luscious and fluent; the vocal writing maneuvers deftly between the florid and the declamatory; the strident choral writing packs a wallop, especially in the Bhagavad Gita settings in the second act. And the entire musical component of the production, already at a high level, benefits from the inspired, committed conducting of Alan Gilbert, whose approaching tenure at the New York Philharmonic must be more eagerly anticipated than ever before.

Doctor Atomic‘s flaws are serious, and the second act in particular breaks down badly. But Adams’s power is at its zenith, and one continues to look forward to his coming creations.

We need somebody to do a pre-concert interview with Terry Riley and maybe review his Bang on a Can happening at Le Poisson Rouge on November 8.  Free tickets, of course.  Hands? 

For those of you who, like me, have been wondering whatever happened to the once ubiquitous S21 familiar Ian Moss but have been too forgetful to ask around, we have news of two upcoming concerts and an explanation for his absence.

Corey Dargel sings “All Other Sounds (for Brian from Molly)” from his new album Other People’s Love Songs, which will be officially released on Wednesday.  Video directed by Oleg Dubson.  (Correction from Corey:  “The concert is tomorrow, but the album is released today (Tuesday) and is available from newamsterdamrecords.com as well as iTunes and eMusic, etc.  Yay!”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2CsQrg031s[/youtube]

Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten already!

Also: S21 concert update:  The S21 concerts in December are the 1st at Waltz–that’s a changed date, yo–and the 5th at Good Shepherd Church (152 W 66th).  On the program: Samuel Andreyev, Rusty Banks, Galen Brown, Rodney Lister, Alex Kotch, Jeremy Podgursky, me, and Samuel Vriezen.  (Hope I didn’t leave anyone out.)

Later, er, today I’m handing in the second draft of my dissertation.  It’s about Kurtag. 

Hi Jerry,

We’re opening up a search for pianists for the Bang on a Can All Stars.
Please see the ad below . We’d appreciate this if you can make a post about this on Sequenza21.

Thanks!

Annie

Bang on a Can All-Stars Seek Pianist
“The Bang on a Can All-Stars present new music the way it should be presented — with passion, precision, dynamism, stylistic authority and a welcoming informality.” – NEWSDAY
“A fiercely aggressive group, combining the power and punch of a rock band with the precision and clarity of a chamber ensemble.”/- NEW YORK TIMES

The Bang on a Can All-Stars announce an immediate opening for the position of Piano.  The All-Stars seek a pianist of exceptional ability who has a demonstrated commitment to the music of our time. Applicants should a) have outstanding chamber music skills and be skilled as a soloist, b) have an enthusiasm for working in a wide variety of styles and genres, c) be comfortable working with living composers in a traditional composer/performer relationship AND be engaged in the collaborative process of experimenting with unconventional musicians on boundary-breaking projects.  Applicants must be available for approximately 15 weeks per year for concerts, US and International touring, recordings, the Bang on a Can Summer Festival, and special projects. Experience with amplification and knowledge of electronics is not required, but it is a plus.  The Bang on a Can All-Stars are based in New York City. Residence in the vicinity of New York City or willingness to re-locate is not a requirement, but is preferred.

Application Procedure:
1) Applicants should send;
a)  A short cover letter detailing their interest in the Bang on a Can All-Stars
b)  A comprehensive resume
c)  Three letters of recommendation

2) Applicants may be asked to submit recordings at a later date.
3) Selected applicants will be invited for a live audition and possibly to perform with the All-Stars.

4) Applications will considered on an ongoing basis, and will continue to be considered until the position is filled.
5) Send all application materials to:
Bang on a Can
Attention: Annie Chen
80 Hanson Place, Suite 701
Brooklyn NY  11217
USA

6) Applications should be post marked no later than November 14, 2008 to be eligible for the next round of auditions.

If you have any questions, please write to Annie Chen: annie@bangonacan.org  or call 718-852-7755.

More information about Bang on a Can and the All-Stars: http://www.bangonacan.org/

Jacaranda Music opened its sixth season last night, but not in their usual home. Instead, they opened in Santa Monica’s lovely new Broad Stage, a 500-seat venue at the grounds of the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center. The opening concert was given the title “Tipping the Scales” for works by Harrison, Cage, and Partch.

The opening half of the concert comprised four late-period works by Lou Harrison, the period in which his core work explored use of the gamelan, implementing the sounds, textures, and scales into his music. The 12-person CalArts Gamelan Ensemble (see them in this short video from 2007) provided the gamelan. The works included two of Harrison’s best works of the period: his Double Concerto for Violin and Cello with Gamelan (1982), and a work I really like, Cornish Lancaran (1986) for soprano saxophone with gamelan. The middle movement of the Double Concerto, in which the gamelan rests while the violin and cello are accompanied by hand drumming on a Western drum, was particularly effective. Works for other combinations were In Honor of the Divine Mr. Handel (1991) for harp with gamelan and Main Bersama-sama (1978) for flute and French horn with gamelan. The best of these works rise from being merely pleasant sounds to works in which the contrasting textures, tones, and attacks play off against each other.

The second half of the concert began with John Cage’s String Quartet in Four Parts (1950) in an impressive performance by the Denali Quartet, the resident quartet of the Jacaranda series. The music was both contemporary and timeless, strong in its simplicity. It was the sort of performance in which I really wanted the concert to stop right there and play that work once again.

The concert ended with a performance by the Partch Ensemble of Harry Partch’s Castor and Pollux (1952) for harmonic canon, kithara, diamond marimba, cloud chamber bowls and bass marimba. We’re lucky that we have John Schneider and a group of dedicated musicians to keep the unique sounds, scales and instruments of Harry Partch around and occasionally performed.

The majority of programs in Jacaranda Music’s season will center on works by Olivier Messiaen, in Jacaranda’s second year of recognizing the Messiaen centenary.