Enlarge imageBy Arthur Spiegelman
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Grendel," one of the most ambitious new American operas mounted in years, received diametrically opposed reviews on Saturday after the $2.8 million (2 million pounds) production also sharply divided its opening night audience.
A retelling of the mediaeval "Beowulf" epic from the monster Grendel’s point of view, the widely anticipated work had some audience members at the Los Angeles Opera puzzled over what it was about while others hailed it as a work of genius and grand spectacle.
That was much the same reaction of the Los Angeles area’s two main papers, the Orange County Register and the Los Angeles Times, which reviewed the Thursday night production on Saturday with write-ups that had a reader wondering if they had gone to the same show.
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The Register’s review was ecstatic. Under the headline of "’Grendel’ is monster of a show," reviewer Timothy Mangan called the work "a brilliant night of theatre, a sophisticated, thought-provoking story with a compelling, sympathetic central character, music that was well up to the task of telling the story, and a visual style that served the narrative even as it made the eyes pop."
Times critic Mark Swed disagreed, saying, "The opera accomplishes little through words or music, but there is quite a bit to look at."
He added that composer Elliot Goldenthal’s "score passes time. His talent for theatre and film music is that of a hit-and-run artist, able to create mood and, when needed, mayhem in short bursts.
"’Grendel’ is not without such compelling short bursts, but the score is mostly glue. The musical styles are mostly borrowed, and Goldenthal’s ongoing problem is how to get from this John Adams bit to that Carl Orff bit."
But both critics hailed the spectacle of director Julie Taymor’s production which features giant Indonesian-style puppets, vivid light displays and dancers flying through the air. Taymor was also the director who turned "The Lion King" into an international stage hit.
The critics also hailed the work of bass Eric Owens who sings the role of Grendel ad is on stage for almost all of the 2-1/2 hour opera. Said Swed, "Eric Owens’ Grendel is round, frumpy and lovable. ... the role is hugely demanding, and for Owens it’s career-making."
Mangan noted, "In Grendel himself, these creators have produced what is quite possibly one of the greatest bass roles in the repertory, which Eric Owens ... sinks his teeth into."
