Friday, October 19
Seattle Opera Iphigénie en Tauride Reviews
The reviews for the new Seattle–Metropolitan Opera co-production are in. I was glad to find a critic—unknown to me before—who it seems is not blind and deaf.
Team Wedow?
- Seattle Opera rediscovers the noble simplicity of Gluck, by Fred Hauptman. Crosscut Seattle, October 17, 2007.
- Iffy Iphigenia, by Nicholas Scholl. The Stranger, October 17, 2007.
Team Focile?
- 'Iphigenia' a rare treasure in hands of Seattle Opera, by R.M. Campbell. Seattle Post-Intelligencer, October 15, 2007.
- Seattle Opera’s mythic interpretation is a knockout, by Gavin Borchert. Seattle Weekly, October 17, 2007.
- Brilliant singing, emotional staging bring "Iphigenia" to life, by Melinda Bargreen. Seattle Times, October 15, 2007.
© Bill Mohn photo
Comments
Have you seen it too? Do you have a report? I have yet to see it until closing night.
On closing night, the peformance seemed to me most like Team Wedow. As stated by others, the first portion of Act One seemed hyperkenetic and confused. When Pylades and Orestes got together and semi-slowed down, it improved and there was greater clarity of why someone would want to attend this opera. My impression was that Focile was slightly better than she must have been earlier, but not outstanding. The Thoas guy, who must have been dreadful before, was forgetable, but not horrible. At the end of it all, even as the crowd went on cheering Focile, they bravoed Pylades far beyond the other principals.
On an peculiar note, the person who accompanied me not expecting to like the opera, or opera itself, left the place wanting tickets to future Seattle Opera productions.