The flowering tree

Or how to write an pseudo-opera with three singers, three dancers, and orchestra plus two recorders.

Tonight I saw John Adams' "The Flowering Tree" based on some Indian folktale (so it seemed) about a girl who could transform into a...you guessed it, flowering tree. It was definately John Adams through and through. That's not a bad thing. But I saw the premire of Dr. Atomic last year, and I was a whole lot more impressed by it. Maybe because it was the only Adams opera I'd sat through the entirety of (I know parts of Nixon in China, but I don't think I've ever made it through the end, certainly not in a single sitting). Maybe because it was a premire and had a pretty heavy subject matter (haha...matter...matter cannot be made or destroyed, only altered in it's form...or something like that, the opening chorus...yes, I am a nerd).

There were definate Stravinsky quotes (I swear, he straight up took a trumpet line from one of the ballets and plugged it in), and the "Four parts of the day " song by the prince had the same melodic contour (and rhythm, come to think of it) as "Strangers in the night." Lots of whole tone stuff. And therefore, tritones (tritones are my happy place. which is just wierd and mixed up, but whatever).

I've not been getting excited about music lately. I find this disconcerting.