Going in, I was skeptical about this one. It claimed to be the first “African opera,” which just seemed hubristic. After seeing the “circus-opera” that is Monkey: Journey to the West, I was worried that this would be some sort of similarly scattered spectacle.

Bintou-Wéré turns out to be the most genuinely “opera” opera of the three I’ve seen recently. It has no spoken dialog, no vocal amplication (the instruments are amped, since you can’t really do a kora orchestra in the same way you can do 20 first violins…), and uses the operatic form remarkably traditionally. It has a linear, if at-times-difficult-to-follow plot (nothing new about hard-to-follow operatic plots).

I was particularly impressed with the writing for Diallo, the “passeur” - he’d be called a coyote along the US-Mexican border. (more…)

In the last month-and-a-half, I’ve gone to see three “non-traditional” “operas.” Since I desperately need to post somoething, something, anything, I may as well take up this subject.

I just got back from Steve Reich’s The Cave (that’s the closest thing I can find to a plot summary for ya). I braved a transit strike to see it. (last month, I saw Monkey: Journey to the West and Bintou Were at the Theatre du Chatelet - the Reich was at the Cite de la Musique)

The structure of The Cave is interesting - the first act is frustrating. (more…)