aeblog

moms and dads

I went to the production of Oedipus at the A.R.T. last night. Overall, I found the show to be OK with some good stuff and some not so good. Thankfully for me, the main positive aspect was the music.
This was a modern adaptation of Sophocles' play and Evan Ziporyn was commissioned to write original music for it. As it turns out, Mr. Ziporyn was one of the five composers whose pieces were played by the BMOP at the show I went to several weeks ago. This music was better and in many ways saved the production from being not much more than an over-dramatized obtusely-referenced festival of self-loathing(!).
The music was written for a small group consisting of a drummer, upright bassist, guitarist/keyboardist and, blessedly, a beautiful cellist (with whom I fell instantly in love). All sounds were amplified - in some ways moreso than the sound reinforcement system could handle accurately - so that they filled out the performance space fully. Mr. Ziporyn turned parts of the play into minimalist operatic explorations with a group of eight or so singers onstage supplementing the instrumentalists.
The approach was bold and interesting, and though not entirely successful, it got me thinking that maybe theater is a place where modern 'classical' music has a particularly relevant and exciting outlet. Is it the combination of the visuals and sounds that create an experience that could attract audiences of all ages and interests?
I'm not trying to say that music needs to be be more of a supplement than a focus, but rather that this sort of expanded and extended musical experience can be much more satisfying and plain old cool than the traditional mode of classical performances.