Harry Somers (1925-1999) was one of the leading Canadian composers of the second half of the twentieth century. Opera was an important part of his work, and this set includes two of his short operas, The Fool, from 1953, and The Death of Enkidu, from 1977. The Fool, with a libretto by Michael Fram, has a slim plot, with characters who have more metaphoric meaning than flesh-and-blood humanity, and Somers fails to bring them to life in a way that engages our sympathy or interest. He relies heavily on individualized kind of ...
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Harry Somers (1925-1999) was one of the leading Canadian composers of the second half of the twentieth century. Opera was an important part of his work, and this set includes two of his short operas, The Fool, from 1953, and The Death of Enkidu, from 1977. The Fool, with a libretto by Michael Fram, has a slim plot, with characters who have more metaphoric meaning than flesh-and-blood humanity, and Somers fails to bring them to life in a way that engages our sympathy or interest. He relies heavily on individualized kind of Sprechstimme, which he mixes with sung passages, so that one character may be using heightened speech at the same time another is singing conventionally, to unconvincing effect. The music has moments of lyrical blossoming, but overall it fails to draw the listener into the drama. The opera receives a splendid performance by soprano Tamara Hummel, mezzo Sandra Graham, tenor Daryl Edwards, and bass-baritone Gary Relyea, and a chamber ensemble led by David Currie. The Death of Enkidu,...
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