Radio a "character" in a modern opera

[lglavin@lycosmail.com]

Some musically savvy people out there may know that
the Metropolitan Opera decided to celebrate the 
calendar change (if not the Millennium for you 
purists) by commissioning a new opera based on 
F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby", music 
by John Harbison.  I listened to it Saturday
New Year's day on WBOQ-FM, and made cassette tapes
for my girlfriend who can't get either Met Opera 
station.  I enjoyed it quite a bit and have made it
my automobile listening companion until I turn it
over soon.  But one wonderful touch Harbison 
introduced into the piece was to make RADIO almost 
a character in the piece.  A separate little dance 
band plays 1920's style pop tunes he wrote for the
opera through a radio on-stage.  Myrtle, Tom 
Buchanan's mistress, dreams of becoming a "radio singer"
and getting away from her dreary mechanic husband.
Modern operas have trouble developing staying-power,
but if "The Great Gatsby" goes on to subsequent
performances, an old-fasioned Atwater-Kent radio may
become as standard a prop as Pagliacci's bass drum.

Laurence from Methuen

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