Craig Biesecker (Aeneas) and Amber Darragh (Dido), Mark Morris Dance Group, photo by Stephanie Berger |
Morris is responsible for the direction and choreography of this production and also conducted the instrumental ensemble, officially under the leadership of cellist Wolfram Koessel. The disadvantage is that Morris has no musical training, although he undoubtedly knows the score very well, but the advantage is that a pair of eyes that knows the choreography inside out is setting the musical pace. Musically, this was not a superlative evening, at least by the standards of the best historically informed performance ensembles (see my review of recordings). The singers, while generally good, were amplified, and the strings had a few clumsy moments, especially early in the evening. The strongest voice was Jamie Van Eyck, a promising young mezzo-soprano last reviewed here in the Tanglewood performance of Elliott Carter's What Next?. Her Dido and Sorceress were sinewy and vital, more muscular than burnished. The George Mason University Singers, taking advantage of a remarkable performing opportunity, sang with unity and accuracy, bunched together at one end of the orchestra pit. One of their own, Adam Rothschild, was even selected to sing a brief solo as a sailor.
Available at Amazon: Purcell, Dido and Aeneas, Tafelmusik, Mark Morris Dance Group |
Morris's choreography is stitched closely to the music, with runs in the vocal line, for example, paired with frantic hand movements, or an evenly running basso continuo (as in the Second Woman's Oft she visits this lone mountain) set to the corps's rapidly shuffling feet. The vocabulary could be described as one part vaguely traditional, another part show choir kitsch, and another strikingly unconventional. The sorceress's first appearance, with Darragh writhing on a small bed, was one of the most memorable moments, and that image finds its echo when Darragh's Dido collapses, dead, at the end. The sense of the visual activation of the music's rhythmic vitality, even if it is not authentic Baroque dance, is one of the things that makes this version so captivating. So much of Baroque music is made for dancing and without that component of organized movement, it loses a part of its meaning.
Sarah Kaufman, Mark Morris's 'Dido': Invigorated Virgil (Washington Post< February 18) |
The remaining performance of Mark Morris Dance Group's Dido and Aeneas is tonight (February 16, 8 pm), with a male lead dancer, Bradon McDonald, as Dido and the Sorceress.
Dear Mr. Downey -
ReplyDeleteAs one of the singers in the Mark Morris production of Dido which you have reviewed here, I would like to point out that while we had microphones in front of us, we were not miked for the house, but only for the stage monitors (for the dancers). I hope that it did not sound amplified in the house, as that would be unfortunate.
All my best -
Yulia Van Doren
Great review, Charles!
ReplyDeleteas for the DVD... the company sells it on their web site for $25.
Thanks for that tip, anonymous, which I have noted in the review.
ReplyDeleteMs. Van Doren, thank you for the comment. I should have noted that the amplification may have been for the dancers on the stage. Thanks for pointing it out. Yes, unfortunately, the amplified sound was present in the house. I am glad to know that was not what was intended.