Good Evening!
I went to see "A Quiet Place" at City Opera tonight. I have very vague memories of seeing the revised-original production at The Kennedy Center back in 1984, as I sat in the StateKoch Theater tonight, those memories became even more vague - at least in regards to the physical production. Musically speaking, I remembered quite a bit, and with "Trouble in Tahiti" interpolated into the second act, I was on very familiar ground for a while.
26 years later, Bernstein's score still awes and puzzles me at the same time. This was Bernstein's only full-length opera, and it had quite a rocky gestational period. Is it perfect? No. But at the same time, it does feel complete, even with the purposely indeterminate ending.
I thought the physical production was a bit too sparse, and that the lighting was a bit too harsh, but it all worked with the director's concept. -And I'd have to say that the somewhat "psychological" staging just muddled the already cerebral plot. But I give credit to New York City Opera for finally bringing "A Quiet Place" to New York City, and for taking the risk to present it. -Especially since it's coupled this fall with Strauss' "Intermezzo".*
