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Author
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Topic: New Opera: 'A Man on the Moon'
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Steve Procter
Member Posts: 1031
From: Leeds, Yorkshire, UK
Registered: Oct 2000
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posted 12-17-2006 03:36 PM
   
Just purchased the Christmas double edition of the Radio Times (other listings magazines are available)and came acrossChannel 4 Boxing Day (3.20pm) 'A Man on the Moon' 'British composer Jonathan Dove and lyricist Nicholas Wright team up to present a new opera focusing on the story of Buzz Aldrin and the 1969 moon landing' Unmissable!  Steve |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3161
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 12-26-2006 06:05 PM
A UK relative watched it and told me:"well there is no way to describe that !! Seems to be about his first wife/alcoholism/depression ....at the end we know he divorced and is now happy and married to another lady and lives in Ca. All singing astronauts . interiors of the late 60s and interspersed with real time images which I remember watching on TV ..... well no answer to that - goodness knows what Buzz and people would make of it ....best I can come up with is underwater basket making." After that review, I'd be interested to hear what others made of it!
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David Stephenson
Member Posts: 294
From: England
Registered: Mar 2003
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posted 12-27-2006 06:28 AM
Hi,
i didnt like it at all and only watched a small amount.It was a good idea wasted.
David. |
paulushumungus
Member Posts: 466
From: Burton, Derbyshire, England
Registered: Oct 2005
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posted 12-27-2006 09:40 AM
It was useless.I couldnt stand to watch more than 10 minutes even with my huge interest in the subject.God knows what the casual watcher would have made of it.I agree with the previous comment,it was a good idea wasted.The sets and costumes were all well done and authentic.It would have made a very good drama type programme... good for a laugh after a few pints ! |
Cameron Stark
Member Posts: 45
From: United Kingdom
Registered: May 2005
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posted 12-28-2006 03:05 AM
I thought it was a decent effort. Buzz Aldrin makes a good operatic subject - enormous strengths, highly driven, great success, but well documented personal difficulties in the aftermath of the landing.The main performers, Gunn and Racette, did well, and many of the ideas were interesting. Some of the problems (assuming people like opera at all) were in the pacing and time available. The core idea, that space travel has its greatest effects on people by showing them the contrast with 'the good earth', isn't new of course. Wright played around with the 'magnificent desolation' phrase, and the resonance between Buzz's reported personal desolation in the next few years, and the desolation of the lunar surface was probably the part that worked best for me. I found it worth watching. It begs the question of why there's not more art associated with the space programme. There's lots of visual art for enthusiasts, of course, but little music, drama or dance that's made it in to the standard repertoire - and while interesting, I don't think this one is likely to buck the trend, unless it's expanded and perhaps restructured a little. |
Prospero
Member Posts: 94
From: Manchester, UK
Registered: Mar 2006
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posted 01-01-2007 10:24 AM
I liked it, and I don't follow opera at all (unless you count going to the occasional Gilbert & Sullivan operetta).One thing I really respect about Buzz Aldrin is that he's been very honest about his character flaws - a classic hero with feet of clay. The emotions experienced by the Aldrins as their marriage disintegrated came across really well in operatic form, I thought. The main problem was the programme was only an hour long, making the production feel a bit rushed. If it was expanded a bit I'd probably be happy to go and see it on stage. It's nice to see one of the TV stations do something a bit experimental for a change, anway.
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