Customer Reviews

Bolcom - A View from the Bridge / Josephson, Malfitano, Turay, Lyric Opera of Chicago, D. Russell Davies

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Generally hailed as one of the best recent American operas, Bolcolm's take on Arthur Miller's play has all the ingredients of a traditional opera -- tragically flawed characters, soaring melodies, even a revenge aria -- and yet strikes a thoroughly modern chord, its dynamic score underlining themes of family dysfunction and incest. Drawing from a eclectic palette that serves to support the characters rather than bury them, Bolcolm's music moves deftly through an emotional and stylistic landscape, from jazz to lyricism to dissonance. Although the beginning of the opera is a bit talky, the arrival of Rodolpho brings a wonderful Italian tenor into the mix, his spirited voice soaring above the Brooklyn dockworkers and pulling the opera along to its tragic conclusion.

I would like to put in a few good words for this opera, which has received some negative and lukewarm reviews on here on Amazon.com. This is a tense psychological drama set to brilliantly crafted music. Bolcom's music is a cornucopia of American styles and also takes into account the Italian operatic tradition. It is edgy and modern, but very accessible. Some might complain that the opera is more like continuous arioso than lyrical writing. So are most of the operas of Wagner, and I'm sure, many 20th-century operas! As a matter of fact, there is a great deal of lyricism in BRIDGE, and there are instances when the endless melody (or endless recitative, depending on your view) flowers into a genuine aria - such as in Rodolpho's show-stopper, "I love the beauty of the view at home" (also known as "New York Lights"). As for the performers, suffice to say that they are all superb, but that baritone Kim Josephson stands out in the role of the tormented Eddie Carbone. His voice-type is perfect for the role, and he sings with expressive warmth, beauty of tone, and dramatic power. I would urge any opera lover to check BRIDGE out. It is a valuable contribution to the operatic repertoire.

I had the pleasure of attending the world premier performance of this opera. The recording doesn't quite capture the intensity of the performers, but does a more than adequate job of communicating the power of the story and the score. Buy this opera. It is among the best 20th century American opera recordings ever made, IMO.

I suspect that this opera works better in the theater than on disc. The Arthur Miller play works like Greek tragedy, even in it's original version. The problem is that the Bolcom music just doesn't seem to add all that much to the procedings. There is little that is memorable in the musical moments. Much of the vocal writing resembles extended arioso rather than true melodic writing. This is certainly a popular way for modern opera to be written, but in the hands of all but the greatest masters (Debussy, Berg, Janacek, Britten) it never really works as opera. A play is better as a play. Unless the music really elucidates something that can't be found in the words, it renders itself superfluous.

No fault can be found with the performances. They are definitive. This is probably an opera that composers and fans of modern opera should hear at least once. Bolcom is an important composer and derserves exposure. But most will probably not find themselves drawn to a re-hearing.

Good singing nice orchestral playing. Great CD to Learn about this opera from.

I'm sure this is a fine CD. It's the opera that is a real disappointment to me, and I just don't want to spend any more time with it.

I've loved the play for years. When I heard that an opera was being created, it seemed like a perfect idea. But I sure don't like the result.

I've heard the opera twice: broadcast from Lyric Opera and broadcast from the Met. The libretto is fine. It's the music that's a problem for me. Nothing flows smoothly. Nothing soars. The phrasing is so painfully artificial that I get the feeling that Bolcom was composing for a different language, which has been awkwardly translated into English.

Reading the praises heaped on Bolcom and his score I wonder what people are hearing that I miss. I wonder what interests the artists involved enough to spend time with this project. I wonder why, after comissioning the project, anybody bothered to produce it.

Bring back THE VOYAGE. Bring back THE GHOSTS OF VERSAILLES. Stage L'MORE DEI TRE RE. But let this BRIDGE collapse, sink, and be forgotten.