You Were Supposed To Be Watching
You were supposed to be watching
As I draped the black robe onto my shoulders
And placed the square cap onto my head.
But instead
You draped yourself into a bar chair
And placed your hand around a cup
You were supposed to be watching
As I walked across a green field
And sat down on a hard chair.
But instead
You walked across the black parking lot
And sat down on a soft car seat.
THE CRY OF THE BEAST
A review by Christopher Bernard
Opera Parallèle presents a new production of Peter Maxwell Davies “The Lighthouse.” From left to right: Thomas Glenn, David Cushing and Robert Orth. At Z Space on Thursday night, April 28, 2016.
The Lighthouse
An opera written and composed by Peter Maxwell Davies
Produced by Opera Parallèle
Z Space
San Francisco
April 29 – May 1, 2016
The Grim Reaper’s over-exercised blade this year – which has seen the loss of so many figures from popular culture, from David Bowie to Merle Haggard, from Patty Duke to Alan Rickman – has not spared high culture. The Hungarian writer and Nobel laureate (and Holocaust witness and survivor) Imre Kertesz died this spring, and also Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, arguably – or rather, inarguably – Great Britain’s most significant composer since the death of Benjamin Britten.
By coincidence, serendipity or synchronicity, Opera Parallèle (San Francisco’s production company of modern opera), was preparing a new production of Davies’ most popular dramatic work. And the fine results, a triumph of talent over budget, were on view this spring over a handful of performances in San Francisco’s Z Space at Theater Artaud. These were dedicated to his memory, and it’s a great shame he didn’t live to see them: I think it’s fair to say he would have been more than happy, not only from the point of view of musical integrity and skill, but also of inventive and satisfying staging.
FAMILIES
We wonder, sometimes, about families we see,
Are they happy and content as they should be.
Behind their closed doors there may be strife
Affecting their home and always their life.
What makes a family so sad and despaired
There may not be enough love shared
That makes a person whole and happy and content
But that love has to be shown and really meant.
People yearn for a life that will bring the love they need
And, without knowing, we have planted the seed.