Morgen und Abend at the ROH and R3

[Belgrove]

The world premier of Morgen und Abend by Georg Friedrich Haas takes place this Friday at Covent Garden and will be broadcast on R3 on 5th December. I know nothing of this composer's work, but thought it would be interesting to attend. Anyone else going?

[underthecountertenor]

I'm going later in the run. A world premiere at the ROH of an opera in German, by a composer who is very little known here, is a bold move. I hope it pays off.

I have no idea what to expect, although some clues can be found in this article, just published in the Indie. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-en...-a6729071.html

[Howdenite]

I'm going on the 17th. The trailers on the ROH website are very tempting. I also have a copy of the book, as the whole concept sounds intriguing, but possibly confusing. Once upon a time, I always read in before going to an opera. With the advent of supertitles, I don't put as much effort in as I used to - probably my loss!

[oddoneout]

Suzy Klein was talking to the director(name mis-spelt in RT) on yesterday's In Tune.

[underthecountertenor]

Mixed reviews in the press (Rupert Christiansen hated it, which is usually a good sign, but I was, for the same reason, dismayed to see that Richard Morrison liked it), but the on-line only/blog reviews have been positive. What did you think, Belgrove?

[french frank]

Christiansen's 3-star review - he liked the music.

Morrison's 4-star (paywalled) is here.

[underthecountertenor]

True re Christiansen - but he is so damning in his opening paras about the work as a whole that I found it difficult to square it with his professed admiration for the music.

[Belgrove]

... What did you think, Belgrove?

I'm going on Saturday and will report back. I agree, Christiansen is a useful critic insofar as his tastes consistently differ from mine.

[underthecountertenor]

I'm going on Saturday and will report back. I agree, Christiansen is a useful critic insofar as his tastes consistently differ from mine.

I misinterpreted your initial post and thought you were going on first night. You are going before I do though, so I look forward to your report. Ploughing my way through Fosse's novel at the moment - it's short but pretty dense and the idiom takes some getting used to. I have a feeling it will be worthwhile preparation however.

[gurnemanz]

Also going on Saturday. It caught our attention mainly because of Brandauer, famous on the stage in Germany in Goethe's Faust and riveting in the film Mephisto. Slightly offputting to read that at times his words cannot even be heard. Not sure quite what to expect. We have ambitiously taken on a double header involving a walk across Waterloo Bridge and a grabbed bite to eat after a matinee at the National in the afternoon - the widely praised "Waste" by Harley Granville Barker, which is pretty much a sellout, unlike the Haas, I gather.

[Howdenite]

I went last night. I had read the book, which I certainly think helps put everything in perspective. Re the comment about hearing Brandauer, I heard every word (standing centre back of balcony). It appears that the ROH have used their new speaker system as it seemed to me that he was (very well) amplified. The music I found fabulous with an incredible range of sounds from the orchestra. The vocal parts I found less interesting. The sets and lighting are fantastic and evocative, as well. The titles screened on the set (only needed during the singing as Brandauer spoke in English) were also executed wonderfully (though there were still normal supertitles above the stage). I would love to hear more of Haas's music. However, the I think overall that it was a better book than opera. Though I enjoyed many aspects of it, I probably wouldn't go again considering the expense for me of a room and train tickets to London.

[underthecountertenor]

Thanks, howdenite: a very helpful steer. I will now make sure I finish the book before I see the opera.

[Belgrove]

Being panto time, I'm reminded that Peter Pan thinks that to die will be an awfully big adventure, whereas G F Haas' take on the subject is neither big nor adventurous (and in truth it's not awful either). Rather it's banal. The principals are a father, who spends the first section speaking in gnomic aphorisms, which seem to indicate he's not very self-aware or, sadly, very bright. This intellectual capacity is inherited by his son, who spends the remainder of the work in a similarly perplexed state at the end of his life. I guess we should blame the librettist Jon Fosse for trying to pass off these vapid utterances as a pretence for profundity. Those familiar with the film The Sixth Sense will have seen this scenario explored in a more entertaining, shocking and thorough fashion. The music sounds like Ligeti, and the adiabatically slow microtonal shifting of the score was magnificently realised by the orchestra. I quite liked it, but it is unmemorable. Watching the busy twin percussionists positioned either side of the proscenium arch was ultimately of greater interest than any of the drama occurring beneath it. A missed opportunity.

Do share your thoughts about Waste on the theatre thread Gurnemanz, I'll be seeing this in the New Year.

[gurnemanz]

Being panto time, I'm reminded that Peter Pan thinks that to die will be an awfully big adventure, whereas G F Haas' take on the subject is neither big nor adventurous (and in truth it's not awful either). Rather it's banal. The principals are a father, who spends the first section speaking in gnomic aphorisms, which seem to indicate he's not very self-aware or, sadly, very bright. This intellectual capacity is inherited by his son, who spends the remainder of the work in a similarly perplexed state at the end of his life. I guess we should blame the librettist Jon Fosse for trying to pass off these vapid utterances as a pretence for profundity. Those familiar with the film The Sixth Sense will have seen this scenario explored in a more entertaining, shocking and thorough fashion. The music sounds like Ligeti, and the adiabatically slow microtonal shifting of the score was magnificently realised by the orchestra. I quite liked it, but it is unmemorable. Watching the busy twin percussionists positioned either side of the proscenium arch was ultimately of greater interest than any of the drama occurring beneath it. A missed opportunity.

Do share your thoughts about Waste on the theatre thread Gurnemanz, I'll be seeing this in the New Year.

A few thoughts on Waste here

I generally echo your comments on Morgen und Abend and did start to wonder why the father kept repeating the same banal comments for about half an hour - so "quiet" (apart from the orchestra playing). However, the whole thing was visually and audibly strangely compelling. We could only see one of the percussionists and I found myself keeping an eye on the accordionist, not often glimpsed in the ROH pit.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I have heard quite a few excellent and encouraging comments on the Music - less enthusiasm for the staging ("a square white box, a painted Tesco trolley, and Compo" was the essence!) The broadcast might, therefore, be the better way of experiencing the event - but I still wish I could have got to see it.