Massenet's Hérodiade is as sprawling as Strauss' Salome is compact, with a plot that bears so little resemblance to the story in Mark's gospel (no dance before Herod, no request for John's head on a platter -- only Herodias' desire for revenge against John the Baptist remains) that it makes Oscar Wilde's version seem like the work of a Biblical literalist. The scattered plot elements, lack of dramatic focus, and the characters' lack of credibility make Hérodiade an opera that is unlikely to appeal to modern sensibilities. ...
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Massenet's Hérodiade is as sprawling as Strauss' Salome is compact, with a plot that bears so little resemblance to the story in Mark's gospel (no dance before Herod, no request for John's head on a platter -- only Herodias' desire for revenge against John the Baptist remains) that it makes Oscar Wilde's version seem like the work of a Biblical literalist. The scattered plot elements, lack of dramatic focus, and the characters' lack of credibility make Hérodiade an opera that is unlikely to appeal to modern sensibilities. Massenet's music is not at a consistently high level; it has moments of lyrical loveliness, but relies on clichéd gestures more than on a genuinely inspired illumination of the story or musical inventiveness.The primary issue with Gala's release is the sound quality. The live recording sounds like it was made on a hand-held tape recorder smuggled into the theater under an overcoat. Based on the sound quality, it's possible to make the following inferences: 1. It was a cold, rainy...
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