Boston Lyric Opera: Greek

[jwg]

Last night we went to see the Boston Lyric Opera production of Greek, an opera by Mark Anthony Turnage. It was just about the weirdest show I have ever been to. It is modern interpretation of Oedipus. It was certainly entertaining.

While waiting for the performance to start they projected videos of several other performances - one was Oedipus. When the curtain opened it revealed the orchestra - not in a pit but on a platform about 15 feet above the stage. In additon to a usual complement of instruments listed were brake drum, police whistle, vibraslap, metal dustbin lid, multi guira, crotales.

Boston Lyric always does one offbeat performance in their season of four operas. This year the regulars are Bizet's Carmen (which was wonderful), Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress and Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro are in the spring.

In comparison, last Friday we went to see the Berliner Philharmoniker in a concert of Boulez Éclat and Mahler's 7th symphony. The Boulez was quite out-of-the-ordinary and the Maher is quite over-the-top. Last night's opera made these two pieces seem quite normal.