Ardent Anglophiles must be grateful for excerpts from Donald Tovey's three-act opera The Bride of Dionysus, but they could also find themselves grateful that the CD includes only excerpts and not the entire work. The opera's melodies are banal, its harmonies insipid, its inspiration illusive, and its fabrication obvious. Composed inch by inch between 1907 and 1918, Tovey's opera is a carefully considered synthesis of Massenet's melodies, Mendelssohn's counterpoint, and Brahms' harmonies encased in Wagnerian-styled ...
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Ardent Anglophiles must be grateful for excerpts from Donald Tovey's three-act opera The Bride of Dionysus, but they could also find themselves grateful that the CD includes only excerpts and not the entire work. The opera's melodies are banal, its harmonies insipid, its inspiration illusive, and its fabrication obvious. Composed inch by inch between 1907 and 1918, Tovey's opera is a carefully considered synthesis of Massenet's melodies, Mendelssohn's counterpoint, and Brahms' harmonies encased in Wagnerian-styled orchestrations. In this way, it resembles sausage, and as such, a little goes a long way. The performers, led by George Vass, are doing their best with the material. If Vass' conducting seems vague, wavering, and indecisive, that is because those are qualities inherent in the work. The Ulster Orchestra's playing is less than satisfying, probably because of the score's complexity and its unfamiliarity. The soloists sound more than somewhat stilted, but the archaic text and demanding tessitura...
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Seller's Description:
Good. This item has very light surface scratches that do not affect the use of the disc/s. This is a USED item and case may have light wear. All items unless otherwise noted will include disc, case, and artwork. Codes have been used. Other contents such as booklets may vary, please inquire for details. All items ship Monday-Friday within 2-3 business days.
