I saw this movie last night with my bible study group. Son of God uses Saint John's gospel account of the life of Jesus Christ and his time on Earth.
The story begins with Saint John in exile on the island of Patmos. He proceeds to tell the story of Christ's life and ministry from his birth to his death and resurrection. We get a prologue, showing a short montage of the Old Testament up the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. This being based off of Saint John gospel, it is told from his point of view. We get a few of the miracles recorded in his account, not to mention some of Christ's most famous teaching moments (such as the lady busted in adultery). We also get the final week and death and resurrection, and the film ends with an abbreviated version of Saint John's vision of the Revelation.
That said, there are several really serious week spots in the film. Stylization aside, the first one that really grinds my gears is the presence of Mary Magdalene in the Apostles' boat on the sea of Galilee, not to mention the conspicuous absence of Susannah and Joanna, the other two women who accompanied Jesus during his ministry.
The other one that I couldn't stand was the violence. Granted we're talking about the Jews living under Roman rule, and the Romans were not very well know for being particularly gentle with other nations. But the violence very much excessive, particularly with the part leading up to the crucifixion. Yes, I know full well that crucifixion was an incredibly painful way to die, as the victims either died of asphyxiation, infection, exposure to the elements, animal predation, exsanguination, or whatever. And I am fully aware that the condemned victim would be flogged, beaten, and made to carry the cross to the execution site. But the makers of the film could have held back on the blood and guts. It was so intense that I ran out of the auditorium. When I came back in I had to cover my face with my fan until after the actual nailing sequence.
I also had a problem with the fact that they cast a sexy actor, Diogo Morgado by name, to play the role of Jesus. I do recall the prophet Isaiah saying that the coming Savior "had no beauty that we should be attracted to him". And Morgado plays Jesus a little too sweet. Christ roared the words "It is written that my House shall be house of prayer; and you have turned it into den of thieves!", with tremendous indignation. Morgado's performance was underwhelming in that scene, with the tables being turned over in slow motion, and Jesus denouncing the way the temple is being used in a quieter tone than the situation called for.
The movie does have a few good spots; most notably the scenery. The sets are very spectacular; all the locations are meant to look as they would have back in that era. The ordinary folks' homes are mud brick, the Roman officials have these splendid palaces with spacious interiors (the inside of Pilate's home being a case in point). They also expanded the role of Pilate's wife; she is named Claudia in this movie just as she is in the play The Three Temptations.
The twelve apostles and the Virgin Mary are also very well done. Mary was costumed as though she was a little more well off than she was (she was wearing the traditional blue clothes). The disciples get their various turns at commenting on the situation. Judas Iscariot was the best done villain in the whole piece from his initial doubts to his betrayal and then then to his remorse. I don't know if the movie showed his suicide because I was either out of the room or else hiding my face during the Road-To-The-Cross sequence.
It's not a bad movie, but it's not a good one either. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give it a 5. It has amazing sets and great performances by the characters playing the disciples, they could taken fewer liberties with the story. Also, since the actor playing Jesus makes him too attractive and gentle, the authority component is lost. And then, seriously, the folks who made this one should really have left the idea of having La Maddalena in almost every scene Jesus is in on the shelf. It's true she was one of the women who traveled with him, but she wasn't at every place they went to, and it makes me really annoyed that they left out the other two women.
If you want to see it, that's fine, but it's not going to be on my list of Bible-based movies that I'd go to see.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Pear Pie
I should have posted this two days ago. I first made this pie two years ago in my Culinary Baking Lab class.
Pie Crust
2 1/2 cups AP Flour
4 oz butter, cubed
1 t salt
6-8 T water
Pears
3 Basque pears
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
2 t vanilla
12-16 oz. almond paste
1. Peal the pears and cut them in half. Use a melon scoop to remove the cores.
2. In a small saucepan, dissolve the sugar and water on medium heat.
3. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low.
4. Add the pears and vanilla and simmer until just tender.
5. Let pears cool in the syrup.
6. Mix salt and water and set aside.
7. In a large mixing bowl, mix by hand the flour and cubed butter until mixture resembles small peas.
8. Add the salt water and mix until mixture comes together. Add a little more water if the mixture is too dry
9. Form the dough into a ball and chill for 30 minutes or until firm.
10. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
12. Roll the dough until about 1/4 in. thick.
13. Place the dough carefully in a 10 in. pie pan. Trim off the excess and press the dough so that it goes all up and down the sides of the pan.
14. Roll out the almond paste to about an 8 in. circle and place it in the pan.
15. Take the poached pears and slice them, leaving the stem end intact, and fan them out.
16. Arrange the pears in a circle in the pan.
17. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the edges of the pie are golden brown.
Note: This is my kludge of two recipes; one my dad found online, the other is courtesy of Professional Cooking by Wayne Gislen.
Pie Crust
2 1/2 cups AP Flour
4 oz butter, cubed
1 t salt
6-8 T water
Pears
3 Basque pears
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
2 t vanilla
12-16 oz. almond paste
1. Peal the pears and cut them in half. Use a melon scoop to remove the cores.
2. In a small saucepan, dissolve the sugar and water on medium heat.
3. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low.
4. Add the pears and vanilla and simmer until just tender.
5. Let pears cool in the syrup.
6. Mix salt and water and set aside.
7. In a large mixing bowl, mix by hand the flour and cubed butter until mixture resembles small peas.
8. Add the salt water and mix until mixture comes together. Add a little more water if the mixture is too dry
9. Form the dough into a ball and chill for 30 minutes or until firm.
10. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
12. Roll the dough until about 1/4 in. thick.
13. Place the dough carefully in a 10 in. pie pan. Trim off the excess and press the dough so that it goes all up and down the sides of the pan.
14. Roll out the almond paste to about an 8 in. circle and place it in the pan.
15. Take the poached pears and slice them, leaving the stem end intact, and fan them out.
16. Arrange the pears in a circle in the pan.
17. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the edges of the pie are golden brown.
Note: This is my kludge of two recipes; one my dad found online, the other is courtesy of Professional Cooking by Wayne Gislen.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
List Now Top 11
I have updated my list. It is now my Top 11 Favorite Male Opera Singers and that is where I'm keeping it from now on. Partly it's because I took some ideas from the Nostalgia Critic and partly because I started falling for two more male singers. As always, this list has nothing to with preferences; it is simply my way of keeping track of which singers I like the best.
Here we go.
Number 11: Ildar Abdrazakov
This handsome Russian bass has performed numerous times for the Met in recent years. I saw him live for the first time on Wednesday in the encore simulcast of Borodin's Prince Igor, even though I had seen him on YouTube and heard him over the radio before then (I forgot precisely when I first heard of him). His most recent Met performances that I can remember off the top of my head are Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Henry VIII in Anna Bolena (what possessed him to do a story that clearly kriffs up the history something awful?), and the title roles of Mozart's Don Giovanni and Prince Igor. He has also performed the role of the demon Mephistopheles in various versions of the Faust story.
Number 10: Rachid Ben Abdeslam
He's a rarity in more ways than one. First off he's a countertenor, and second off he's from Morocco which is in Africa, and there are very few African opera singers. He is a handsome and amazingly talented singer whom I have only heard of within the past year. The only role that I have seen him perform is Nirenus in the Met's newest production of Handel's Giulio Cesare which was simulcasted last season. Heck, that's the only role I know of that he has performed.
Number 9: Yonghoon Lee
He's a sexy Korean tenor who has taken the world by storm with his amazing voice. For some reason he always gets this tormented look on his face when he sings. He is most famous for performing the title role of Verdi's Don Carlo and Don Jose in Bizet's Carmen, both of which he's performed at the Met (Don Carlo was his debut role for the Met back 2010). He is also known for singer Cavaradossi in Tosca and Calaf in Turandot. He comes back to the Met next year in Don Carlo. I first heard of him while browsing YouTube.
Number 8: Hyung Yun
I have seen this hot Korean baritone live thrice. He has performed for Met in the role of Manon's cousin in Massenet's Manon at the Met. But he has performed for Madison Opera as well. He debuted in '09 in the role Valentin, Marguerite's brother in Gounod's Faust (which I saw on a school field trip), Escamillo the bullfighter in Carmen (that one I didn't see), the title role in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin (view the November 2011 post for more info), and as Renato Ankarstrom in Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera (see the Verdi Weekend post).
Number 7: Jonas Kaufmann
A versatile singer who has sung everything from the lyrical title role of Faust to the Wagnerian role of Siegmund in Die Walkure, there is little this dreamboat of a German tenor can't take on. I first heard of him while browsing YouTube. I have heard over the radio in the title role of Wagner's Parsifal. And I have seen live as Faust and as Siegmund. For some reason he is performing next week in the title role of Massenet's Werther, which has the most annoying romantic hero in all of nineteenth-century literature. At least he trying to do something with the character.
Number 6: Mariusz Kwiecien
This Polish barihunk is the opera world's bad boy. He is most famous for his portrayal of the notorious seducer in Don Giovanni, which he has performed at the Met several times. He (surprise, surprise), is also famous for doing productions that have him go shirtless. In addition to Don Juan, I have heard him in the role of Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor (the role in which I first heard of him), Belcore in L'Elisir d'Amore, and the title role in Eugene Onegin. In February of 2010, I had the privilege of seeing him live at Lyric Opera of Chicago as Count Almaviva in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro.
Number 5: Piotr Beczala
He's the operatic boyfriend type. This Polish tenor's boy-next-door good looks and lyrical voice make him one of opera's most sought-after artists. I have heard him over the radio in such roles as Rodolfo in Puccini's La Boheme. I saw him Live in HD as des Grieux in Massenet's Manon, the lascivious Duke of Mantua in Verdi's Rigoletto (I first heard him do that role over the radio back in '09), and most recently as the doomed poet Vladimir Lensky in Eugene Onegin. He has also performed the role of Faust.
Number 4: David Daniels
This American countertenor is the sexy Baroque specialist. I first heard him when I was sixteen. He was singing the role of Orfeo in Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice. This afternoon he sang the role of Prospero in the Met's Baroque pastiche The Enchanted Island. I saw him Live in HD in that role back 2012. I have since seen him as the title role in Handel's Giulio Cesare. Seriously, he should come to Madison and perform.
Number 3: Kyle Ketelsen
The local guy. Yes, this fantabulous bass-baritone lives in my own hometown of Sun Prairie Wisconsin. I first saw him back in '08 when performed the role of Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor at the Overture center. The following year (my senior year), he came to my high school to do a master class. Then the year after that, I saw him live at Lyric Opera as the title character in Le Nozze di Figaro. The icing on the cake? Because my mom had won the tickets as a prize, part of that included a backstage tour of the Lyric Opera, including getting to meet Mr. Ketelsen in person!
Number 2: Dmitri Hvorostovsky
A Russian baritone with huge female following, this guy is opera's silver fox. I first heard him over the radio when I was fifteen. It was my first exposure to not only Eugene Onegin, but also my first exposure to Russian opera period. I have since heard him in the roles of King don Carlo in Ernani, M. Germont in La Traviata, Renato Ankarstrom in Un Ballo in Maschera, Rodrigo de Posa in Don Carlo, and as the title role in Rigoletto. I would love to have him come and perform for Madison.
Number 1: Juan Diego Florez
The bel-canto specialist. This hot Peruvian tenor not only contributed to my love of opera, he also sparked my Peru obsession. Unlike the others on this list, I first heard of this singer while watching a biographical documentary on the life of Luciano Pavarotti. This guy was talking about singing the nine High C's in Donizetti's La Fille du Regiment, which I later saw simulcasted in '08 (he sang the male lead). I have since heard him as Nemorino in L'Elisir d"Amore, and I have a copy of his performance as Ernesto in Don Pasqaule. I have also had the immense pleasure of seeing him live in HD again as the lady-killing Count in Rossini's Le Comte Ory. He will be singing Don Ramiro in La Cenerentola at the end of this season. I have to go see it.
Here we go.
Number 11: Ildar Abdrazakov
This handsome Russian bass has performed numerous times for the Met in recent years. I saw him live for the first time on Wednesday in the encore simulcast of Borodin's Prince Igor, even though I had seen him on YouTube and heard him over the radio before then (I forgot precisely when I first heard of him). His most recent Met performances that I can remember off the top of my head are Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Henry VIII in Anna Bolena (what possessed him to do a story that clearly kriffs up the history something awful?), and the title roles of Mozart's Don Giovanni and Prince Igor. He has also performed the role of the demon Mephistopheles in various versions of the Faust story.
Number 10: Rachid Ben Abdeslam
He's a rarity in more ways than one. First off he's a countertenor, and second off he's from Morocco which is in Africa, and there are very few African opera singers. He is a handsome and amazingly talented singer whom I have only heard of within the past year. The only role that I have seen him perform is Nirenus in the Met's newest production of Handel's Giulio Cesare which was simulcasted last season. Heck, that's the only role I know of that he has performed.
Number 9: Yonghoon Lee
He's a sexy Korean tenor who has taken the world by storm with his amazing voice. For some reason he always gets this tormented look on his face when he sings. He is most famous for performing the title role of Verdi's Don Carlo and Don Jose in Bizet's Carmen, both of which he's performed at the Met (Don Carlo was his debut role for the Met back 2010). He is also known for singer Cavaradossi in Tosca and Calaf in Turandot. He comes back to the Met next year in Don Carlo. I first heard of him while browsing YouTube.
Number 8: Hyung Yun
I have seen this hot Korean baritone live thrice. He has performed for Met in the role of Manon's cousin in Massenet's Manon at the Met. But he has performed for Madison Opera as well. He debuted in '09 in the role Valentin, Marguerite's brother in Gounod's Faust (which I saw on a school field trip), Escamillo the bullfighter in Carmen (that one I didn't see), the title role in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin (view the November 2011 post for more info), and as Renato Ankarstrom in Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera (see the Verdi Weekend post).
Number 7: Jonas Kaufmann
A versatile singer who has sung everything from the lyrical title role of Faust to the Wagnerian role of Siegmund in Die Walkure, there is little this dreamboat of a German tenor can't take on. I first heard of him while browsing YouTube. I have heard over the radio in the title role of Wagner's Parsifal. And I have seen live as Faust and as Siegmund. For some reason he is performing next week in the title role of Massenet's Werther, which has the most annoying romantic hero in all of nineteenth-century literature. At least he trying to do something with the character.
Number 6: Mariusz Kwiecien
This Polish barihunk is the opera world's bad boy. He is most famous for his portrayal of the notorious seducer in Don Giovanni, which he has performed at the Met several times. He (surprise, surprise), is also famous for doing productions that have him go shirtless. In addition to Don Juan, I have heard him in the role of Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor (the role in which I first heard of him), Belcore in L'Elisir d'Amore, and the title role in Eugene Onegin. In February of 2010, I had the privilege of seeing him live at Lyric Opera of Chicago as Count Almaviva in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro.
Number 5: Piotr Beczala
He's the operatic boyfriend type. This Polish tenor's boy-next-door good looks and lyrical voice make him one of opera's most sought-after artists. I have heard him over the radio in such roles as Rodolfo in Puccini's La Boheme. I saw him Live in HD as des Grieux in Massenet's Manon, the lascivious Duke of Mantua in Verdi's Rigoletto (I first heard him do that role over the radio back in '09), and most recently as the doomed poet Vladimir Lensky in Eugene Onegin. He has also performed the role of Faust.
Number 4: David Daniels
This American countertenor is the sexy Baroque specialist. I first heard him when I was sixteen. He was singing the role of Orfeo in Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice. This afternoon he sang the role of Prospero in the Met's Baroque pastiche The Enchanted Island. I saw him Live in HD in that role back 2012. I have since seen him as the title role in Handel's Giulio Cesare. Seriously, he should come to Madison and perform.
Number 3: Kyle Ketelsen
The local guy. Yes, this fantabulous bass-baritone lives in my own hometown of Sun Prairie Wisconsin. I first saw him back in '08 when performed the role of Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor at the Overture center. The following year (my senior year), he came to my high school to do a master class. Then the year after that, I saw him live at Lyric Opera as the title character in Le Nozze di Figaro. The icing on the cake? Because my mom had won the tickets as a prize, part of that included a backstage tour of the Lyric Opera, including getting to meet Mr. Ketelsen in person!
Number 2: Dmitri Hvorostovsky
A Russian baritone with huge female following, this guy is opera's silver fox. I first heard him over the radio when I was fifteen. It was my first exposure to not only Eugene Onegin, but also my first exposure to Russian opera period. I have since heard him in the roles of King don Carlo in Ernani, M. Germont in La Traviata, Renato Ankarstrom in Un Ballo in Maschera, Rodrigo de Posa in Don Carlo, and as the title role in Rigoletto. I would love to have him come and perform for Madison.
Number 1: Juan Diego Florez
The bel-canto specialist. This hot Peruvian tenor not only contributed to my love of opera, he also sparked my Peru obsession. Unlike the others on this list, I first heard of this singer while watching a biographical documentary on the life of Luciano Pavarotti. This guy was talking about singing the nine High C's in Donizetti's La Fille du Regiment, which I later saw simulcasted in '08 (he sang the male lead). I have since heard him as Nemorino in L'Elisir d"Amore, and I have a copy of his performance as Ernesto in Don Pasqaule. I have also had the immense pleasure of seeing him live in HD again as the lady-killing Count in Rossini's Le Comte Ory. He will be singing Don Ramiro in La Cenerentola at the end of this season. I have to go see it.
Friday, March 7, 2014
PRINCE IGOR: Borodin's Stand-Alone Piece Of Awesomeness
Last Wednesday was the rebroadcast of Prince Igor. Alexander Borodin, the man who composed the opera, worked on the piece for eighteen years until his sudden death before was even halfway done. Two of his contemporaries, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexandar Glazunov, took on the challenge of assembling the opera together from Borodin's sketches and even composing some music of their own for it. As a result, there is no definitive way of sequencing the scenes as there are in most other operas.
Prince Igor is based off of a Russian epic that was itself based off of a real life Russian monarch. The opera tells the story of how Prince Igor led an unsuccessful campaign against the barbarian Povlotsian tribes. He was captured and later escaped. Due to Borodin's death halfway through the project, the opera suffers from a lack of plot.
This new production by Dmitri Tcherniakov uses music specifically written by Borodin and focuses on the psychological aspect character of the title character. Tcherniakov reset the story from the 12th-Century to more of a World War One setting. The course of the production shows Igor suffering from PTSD after losing his men.
In the Prologue, Prince Igor and his men are preparing to go off to war. A sudden solar eclipse terrifies the populace who take it as a bad omen. Igor remains undaunted and marches against the enemy anyhow.
In between the Prologue and Act one there was a video in the mode of a silent movie. Igor and his soldiers are in the trenches looking nervously around as shells go off the distance. A series of several shells hits their trench, decimating the army. Igor himself is badly wounded and suffers a concussion. As a young maiden sings of how the flower fades and is reborn, Igor is carried off the battlefield to a military hospital.
Act One, also known as the Povlotsian Act, shows Igor mourning the loss of his army and the regret he feels over having dishonored his country. In this production instead of the Povlotsian camp, the act is a concussion-induced dream sequence that takes place in a vast field of poppy flowers. Igor wanders about the field of poppies and sees a beautiful young woman. This is Konchakovna, daughter of a Povlotsian kahn. She is in love with Igor's son Vladimir. Vladimir enters and he and Konchakovna have a rendezvous. In this production, Vladimir was killed in action during the battle; Igor is seen holding the young man's body. So Igor's witnessing the love between Konchakovna and Vladimir could be interpreted as Igor regreting having not found a wife for his son. He is treated with surprising respect from Kahn Konchak who tells him that he will release Igor if he promises not to attack the Povlotsians again. Igor refuses and of course Konchak gives a long spiel the basically translates as "You're aggressive; I like that," and talks about how together they can conquer the world. He then orders his slaves to dance for him and Igor. This sequence is the famous Povlotsian Dances and this closes the act.
I am sad to say that the Povlotsian Dances, the highlight and of the opera and perhaps Borodin's greatest musical achievement, was the low point of the production. Not only did the choreography not communicate the fact that the slaves are praising the kahn to the skies, it also made the dancers look like they were undead. The women looked okay but the men needed more clothing and the choreography needed to match the words. Heck, a Renegade Dalek playing ping pong with an alcoholic elephant makes more sense than the dance choreography did.
Act Two takes place in the Great Hall of Igor's palace in Putivl. His young wife, Princess Yaroslavna, rules in his stead. She has been anxiously awaiting any news of her husband. Meanwhile her cunning and lecherous brother Prince Vladimir of Galitsky has been pressuring her to give up the throne seeing that Igor has not returned. A group of women approach the princess and beg her to help them. The carousing Galitsky has carried off a young girl against her will. The women plead with the Yaroslavna to act on their behalf. Galitsky enters trying again to convince Yaroslavna to give up her throne to him. She refuses and calls him out on his behavior, demanding that he return the maiden he kidnapped back to her parents.
Galitksy's men toast to his health and celebrate his lechery. The women come in and demand that the men return the girl Galitsky kidnapped. The men of course refuse.
The boyars remain loyal to Princess Yaroslavna as they have sworn fidelity to Igor. They tell Yaroslavna of her husband's defeat and captivity. What's worse is that a Polvotsian army led by Kahn Gzak is drawing closer to the Putivl. They assure the princess that the city is strong and God will protect it. Galitsky comes in with is men and demand again that Yaroslavna relenquish the throne. She refuses and the boyars tell Galitsky of their loyalty to Igor. Kahn Gzak attacks the city and ion the ensuing panic, Galitsky is trampled to death.
Yaroslavna is the highlight of this act. She is one of the strongest characters in the opera due to her undying faithfulness to her husband and her staunch refusal to yield to Galitsky's demands. Oksana brings out the passion and faithfulness of Yaroslavna with her interpretation.
Act Three sees Igor return home still dealing with survivor's guilt. Putivl lies in ruins; the people, including the princess, struggle to keep warm during the cold nights. Yaroslavna curses the elements, blaming them for Igor's defeat. The populace say that is was Kahn Gzak, and not the elements, which brought about their ruin. In this production, while the chorus sings backstage, Igor enters. He is despondent, blaming himself for Russia's troubles. He is also not quite fully recovered from his wounds (he walks with a limp). He has another dream about his son and Konchakovna. Meanwhile two servants spot him and ring the bell proclaiming that the prince has returned home. At first the people don't believe them (natch), until they see him right in front. Yaroslavna is overjoyed to be reunited with her husband at last. Igor laments that he has not died in battle and has had to suffer captivity. He refuses to let people glove his hands or put a blanket around his shoulders, but when someone offers a pitcher of water, he pours it over his head in order to revive himself. Then with his own hands he picks up rubble and starts putting it back into place. The people follow his example in an effort to rebuild the shattered kingdom and start again.
This was my first time seeing Ildar Abdrazakov live. I had heard him over the radio and on YouTube, but never live. Seriously, this guy is worth looking up. He is also the first and only bass to make my Top Favorites List.
This opera is a must see.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*The Repuclic of Georgia in Eastern Europe, not the state that Sherman went through.
Russian bass Ildar Abdrazakov, a long-standing favorite at the Met, made a splash this season as the prince (more on him later). Ukrainian soprano Oksana Dyka made her Met debut in the role of Igor's wife Yaroslavna. The young Georgian* mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvilli was the Povlotsian princess Konchakovna, and tenor Sergey Semishkur sang her lover; Igor's son Vladimir. Mikhail Petrenko was Yaroslavna's treacherous brother Prince Galitsky. And bass Štefan
Kocán, whom I last saw as the dastardly criminal Sparafucile in Verdi's Rigoletto, appeared as the Povlotsian Kahn Konchak. In short we had an all-Slavic cast.
Prince Igor is based off of a Russian epic that was itself based off of a real life Russian monarch. The opera tells the story of how Prince Igor led an unsuccessful campaign against the barbarian Povlotsian tribes. He was captured and later escaped. Due to Borodin's death halfway through the project, the opera suffers from a lack of plot.
This new production by Dmitri Tcherniakov uses music specifically written by Borodin and focuses on the psychological aspect character of the title character. Tcherniakov reset the story from the 12th-Century to more of a World War One setting. The course of the production shows Igor suffering from PTSD after losing his men.
In the Prologue, Prince Igor and his men are preparing to go off to war. A sudden solar eclipse terrifies the populace who take it as a bad omen. Igor remains undaunted and marches against the enemy anyhow.
In between the Prologue and Act one there was a video in the mode of a silent movie. Igor and his soldiers are in the trenches looking nervously around as shells go off the distance. A series of several shells hits their trench, decimating the army. Igor himself is badly wounded and suffers a concussion. As a young maiden sings of how the flower fades and is reborn, Igor is carried off the battlefield to a military hospital.
Act One, also known as the Povlotsian Act, shows Igor mourning the loss of his army and the regret he feels over having dishonored his country. In this production instead of the Povlotsian camp, the act is a concussion-induced dream sequence that takes place in a vast field of poppy flowers. Igor wanders about the field of poppies and sees a beautiful young woman. This is Konchakovna, daughter of a Povlotsian kahn. She is in love with Igor's son Vladimir. Vladimir enters and he and Konchakovna have a rendezvous. In this production, Vladimir was killed in action during the battle; Igor is seen holding the young man's body. So Igor's witnessing the love between Konchakovna and Vladimir could be interpreted as Igor regreting having not found a wife for his son. He is treated with surprising respect from Kahn Konchak who tells him that he will release Igor if he promises not to attack the Povlotsians again. Igor refuses and of course Konchak gives a long spiel the basically translates as "You're aggressive; I like that," and talks about how together they can conquer the world. He then orders his slaves to dance for him and Igor. This sequence is the famous Povlotsian Dances and this closes the act.
I am sad to say that the Povlotsian Dances, the highlight and of the opera and perhaps Borodin's greatest musical achievement, was the low point of the production. Not only did the choreography not communicate the fact that the slaves are praising the kahn to the skies, it also made the dancers look like they were undead. The women looked okay but the men needed more clothing and the choreography needed to match the words. Heck, a Renegade Dalek playing ping pong with an alcoholic elephant makes more sense than the dance choreography did.
Act Two takes place in the Great Hall of Igor's palace in Putivl. His young wife, Princess Yaroslavna, rules in his stead. She has been anxiously awaiting any news of her husband. Meanwhile her cunning and lecherous brother Prince Vladimir of Galitsky has been pressuring her to give up the throne seeing that Igor has not returned. A group of women approach the princess and beg her to help them. The carousing Galitsky has carried off a young girl against her will. The women plead with the Yaroslavna to act on their behalf. Galitsky enters trying again to convince Yaroslavna to give up her throne to him. She refuses and calls him out on his behavior, demanding that he return the maiden he kidnapped back to her parents.
Galitksy's men toast to his health and celebrate his lechery. The women come in and demand that the men return the girl Galitsky kidnapped. The men of course refuse.
The boyars remain loyal to Princess Yaroslavna as they have sworn fidelity to Igor. They tell Yaroslavna of her husband's defeat and captivity. What's worse is that a Polvotsian army led by Kahn Gzak is drawing closer to the Putivl. They assure the princess that the city is strong and God will protect it. Galitsky comes in with is men and demand again that Yaroslavna relenquish the throne. She refuses and the boyars tell Galitsky of their loyalty to Igor. Kahn Gzak attacks the city and ion the ensuing panic, Galitsky is trampled to death.
Yaroslavna is the highlight of this act. She is one of the strongest characters in the opera due to her undying faithfulness to her husband and her staunch refusal to yield to Galitsky's demands. Oksana brings out the passion and faithfulness of Yaroslavna with her interpretation.
Act Three sees Igor return home still dealing with survivor's guilt. Putivl lies in ruins; the people, including the princess, struggle to keep warm during the cold nights. Yaroslavna curses the elements, blaming them for Igor's defeat. The populace say that is was Kahn Gzak, and not the elements, which brought about their ruin. In this production, while the chorus sings backstage, Igor enters. He is despondent, blaming himself for Russia's troubles. He is also not quite fully recovered from his wounds (he walks with a limp). He has another dream about his son and Konchakovna. Meanwhile two servants spot him and ring the bell proclaiming that the prince has returned home. At first the people don't believe them (natch), until they see him right in front. Yaroslavna is overjoyed to be reunited with her husband at last. Igor laments that he has not died in battle and has had to suffer captivity. He refuses to let people glove his hands or put a blanket around his shoulders, but when someone offers a pitcher of water, he pours it over his head in order to revive himself. Then with his own hands he picks up rubble and starts putting it back into place. The people follow his example in an effort to rebuild the shattered kingdom and start again.
This was my first time seeing Ildar Abdrazakov live. I had heard him over the radio and on YouTube, but never live. Seriously, this guy is worth looking up. He is also the first and only bass to make my Top Favorites List.
This opera is a must see.
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*The Repuclic of Georgia in Eastern Europe, not the state that Sherman went through.
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