Written on Skin at the ROH

[Mary Chambers]

I watched it. I'll write a bit more tomorrow (probably), but a quick summary of my reaction would be - very well sung by everyone, but I was rather bored, didn't find it moving or exciting at all, and rather agree with SA that some of it was very funny, unintentionally. I liked the glass harmonica!

[cheesehoven]

I agree with the above review. I watched about half and gave up. The script was poor with its various point being hammered into the audience. From the start we are told what to think by the author- good writing should be show not tell.
The music sounded pretty generic and inappropriate to me. From the beginning, odd dramatic chords undermined rather than advanced the text.
I really could not see (or hear) why it has gotten such rave reviews.

[Mary Chambers]

Critics and/or the opera-going public seem very quick to claim that new British operas are 'masterpieces' now. There have been at least three such claims in the last decade - The Tempest by Ades, The Minotaur by Birtwistle, and now this. It is really far too early to tell whether any of them will even survive, let alone be seen as masterpieces in the future. Of the three, I think The Tempest is the best opera, but whether it's 'great' is another matter.

I was a bit hampered when watching Written on Skin, because the titles were very small on the rather small television I watched it on, and it was a strain to see them at all. Word-setting didn't strike me as very good, and frankly I found the music monotonous much of the time, though not at all hard to listen to.

The shock-horror element reminded me a bit of Tosca, though more violent, and I think 'shabby little shocker' might be an appropriate description of this, too. I'm afraid I got the giggles. If I were younger and less cynical I suppose I would have been more involved.

Performance excellent, though.

[Serial_Apologist]

Critics and/or the opera-going public seem very quick to claim that new British operas are 'masterpieces' now. There have been at least three such claims in the last decade - The Tempest by Ades, The Minotaur by Birtwistle, and now this. It is really far too early to tell whether any of them will even survive, let alone be seen as masterpieces in the future. Of the three, I think The Tempest is the best opera, but whether it's 'great' is another matter.

I was a bit hampered when watching Written on Skin, because the titles were very small on the rather small television I watched it on, and it was a strain to see them at all. Word-setting didn't strike me as very good, and frankly I found the music monotonous much of the time, though not at all hard to listen to.

The shock-horror element reminded me a bit of Tosca, though more violent, and I think 'shabby little shocker' might be an appropriate description of this, too. I'm afraid I got the giggles. If I were younger and less cynical I suppose I would have been more involved.

Performance excellent, though.

Inasmuch as notwithstanding, one might say...

[bluestateprommer]

Review of the first American performance of Written on Skin from the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/14/arts/music/george-benjamins-written-on-skin-caps-tanglewood-festival.html?ref=music&_r=0&pagewanted=all

[Serial_Apologist]

Review of the first American performance of Written on Skin from the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/14/ar...pagewanted=all

"Glass harmonium", eh?? I didn't realise John Adams had a hand in it!

Anyway, they seemed to enjoy it...