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OPERA REVIEW
Gomorra Fails to Light Up
June 23, 2001
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By Jules Langert
Gomorra, "an operatic spectacle in one act" by Austrian composer H. K. Gruber (1992), is really a satiric musical about a prosperous little town that, according to the slyly adapted translation by Margaret and Polly Coote, could be situated somewhere in Marin County. This 90-minute show, performed without intermission in the Fine Arts Theater of the College of Marin by its Contemporary Opera Marin and heard on Saturday, will be repeated on June 28 and 29.
The thin, sketchy plot revolves around a young reporter for the Daily Opinion, Augustin, and his romance with the show's blonde ingénue, Gwendolyn. There are also some anarchists who resent the town's smug, self-satisfied air and are bent on its destruction. They succeed in setting Gomorra on fire, but the town and its inhabitants are ultimately done in by a rising flood that engulfs everything in a Götterdämmerung-like final solution.
The music resembles that of Kurt Weill a little, but it's brassier and more dissonant and complex, yet without Weill's originality or melodic invention. The vocal numbers lack distinction or genuine lyricism, and the orchestra's part is insufficiently dramatic or varied to create a real mood supporting the action. For the show really to work at all, a well-drilled ensemble is needed, moving through its stylish paces with confidence and in high spirits. The amount of rehearsal this group has been given was simply not enough to bring off the kind of production that Gomorra needs. A few performances stood out. Baritone Steven Patterson created a believable Augustin, projecting his appealing voice well and delivering his lines with clarity and conviction. Kenneth Rowland, in the spoken role of the mayor of Gomorra, was also effective. Vivian Poole, as Valentina, the fire chief's daughter, was strong vocally, but conveyed only a limited dramatic presence. Linda Noble, who has often sung comic roles with great verve, was too subdued as the innocuous, innocent Gwendolyn. The cast of 10 soloists, backed by three choruses and accompanied by a pit orchestra of 15 musicians, filled most of the available performing space in the auditorium and provided a formidable challenge for conductor Paul Smith and stage director John Sowle. Fanciful sets painted in the style of Viennese colorist Friedrich Hundertwasser, along with frequently changing slide projections, added to the clutter onstage. (Jules Langert is a composer and teacher who resides in the East Bay.) ©2001 Jules Langert, all rights reserved |
