Search - Aaron Engebreth, Drew Poling, Lukas Foss :: Foss: Griffelkin

The devil made them do it!

OperaOnline.us | Boston, MA | 05/10/2004

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Gil Rose and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project with the able augmentation of the Back Bay Chorale and members of the Boston Children's Opera, have given a truly brilliant technical rendition of this uninspiring opera in three acts by Lukas Foss. The production notes say it all: "He (Foss) wrote in the style that was his own in the mid-1950s: rhythmically vivid, harmonically varied with a modern tonal idiom, and rich in instrumental colour." All the code words are there to stay away, but I ventured forth, nonetheless, and listened, patiently, reading, waiting for something to happen, anything to redeem this horrible, disappointing work. There was nothing, save superb performances all around and wonderful voices of the entire case - crisp, understandable, flawless, but for what purpose? The CD is a technical achievement worthy of high merit as are the performances all around. It is all wasted, however, on a musical score that has not one single theme that can be remembered or cherished for the moment it creates. It is incredible that this production is supposed to entertain children. I was a child once, and in some ways, still am, but this wouldn't have done it for me then or now. Sadly, the libretto by Alastair Reid is quite good, and as noted, the orchestration gives meaning to the words, superbly done. There are some who may like this modernistic approach to music, where the emphasis seems to be on impressing other composers and technicians, but the fun of opera, is supposed to be in its enjoyment, or at least I thought it was. Sorry, Chandos, this one's a clunker, not because of anything you did, but because of the horrible score you were working with. If the devil did come to earth in the form of a ten year old boy named, Griffelkin, he could do no worse banging a piano in our ears for 105 minutes and probably produce the same result. In that respect, Chandos did the devil's work, and succeeded in a sort of disappointing way."