Oratorio

[altivo]

Went to Gary's performance today. Another of those musical premieres here in Marengo, a new composition by Tom Reed. Musically it was quite nice. But...

Oratorios are long. His previous works have been cantatas. This was three hours long. And it's called Holy Week so it starts with the moneylenders in the Temple and goes up to the crucifixion. That's where it ends. Talk about a three hour downer. The music was nice, but my butt's still asleep from sitting for so long. There was a string quartet as well as the organ to accompany the choir and soloists. The instrumental parts for the strings were lovely. I think Mr. Reed should write some string quartets and give up on the depressing religious stuff. ;p

Comments

[hrrunka]

Was that three hours un-broken, or were there intervals? Either way, long pieces like that are much less likely to get full performances.

I think the longest single live performance of any kind I've attended was of Die Walküre, and that had two long intervals.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

There were two brief intermissions. Mon-Wed were in one "act", Thu was another, and Fri was the finale.

Tom Reed is a talented composer, but his focus is apparently in a direction that has limited appeal for me. This year's turnout was smaller than in the past, too. The other three pieces I've heard premiered were "The Creation" (quite a good cantata on the Adam, Eve, and Serpent theme,) "Moses" (a life in about an hour,) and "The Waters" (a series of musical vignettes on water in the Bible.)

[hrrunka]

At the BBC Proms a few years back there was a premiere of a long piece by John Taverner. I'd not managed to get a ticket, so watched the performance on a live TV broadcast. It was interesting stuff, but I'm glad I was experiencing it at one remove. A friend who was in the promenader's area reported that, because the performers were arranged all round the hall, for one section all he'd been able to hear clearly was a single sustained low D which went on for about 20 minutes...

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yes. You never know what you're in for with these things. Years ago I went with a friend to Chicago's Lyric Opera for Penderecki's "Paradise Lost". I guess it continues to be performed occasionally, but the Lyric premiered it to some pretty negative reviews. Now I enjoy ballet, and I enjoy opera, though I'm not an expert or a devoted fan of either. But "Paradise Lost" couldn't decide what it was, other than too long, too complicated, and pretty bizarre.

[typographer.livejournal.com]

Happy St. Patrick's Day (and have some fairy dust)!

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I think. I'm actually wearing both orange and green because I'm stubborn that way. ;p

[saythename.livejournal.com]

Tell him to start with the Ressurection next time. ^.~

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Well, he hasn't taken any advice from me in the past, so I doubt he'll start now.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Cripes 3 hours of a downer? Hmmm that is a bit much to take even with nice music. 3 hours of anything is a bit much for me.