https://www.facebook.com/theaterbremen2.0/videos/1373212836956972
An impressive evening after for me, a slow start. But more of that later.
The evening started with the curtain up, the stage showing a desert landscape with native inhabitants moving, very slowly, across it. The backdrop screen consisted of an image of the ‘’creation of Adam’ but with a jagged white line, like an electrical charge connecting God’s hand with Adam’s. The desert land was grey and had a volcanic appearance, perhaps suggesting, subtly, the type of landscape that is left after an atomic explosion.
The work started after the Michelangelo image was massively magnified with the human hands shown in hyper-realistic detail, with a fascinating abstract soundscape, which I think, was probably part of the production rather than a creation of Adams. This was accompanied by a series of images flashing up on the backdrop screen (now in three sections) which gave a history of the world with an emphasis on technological and scientific landmarks. As this started the front part of the stage moved forward, extending the performing area over the orchestra pit and the (enormous) orchestra was revealed at the back of the stage – an unusual arrangement. But the reason?
On the stage then appeared a large transparent box and for the duration of this first act, the performers were inside this and with their movements very slow (slow scientific progress?), as were the natives before the opera proper started. The performers (the scientists) remained in this for the whole of the first act with Oppenheimer’s wife, in her brief appearance, being outside. I suppose this was, perhaps a little clumsily, suggesting that the scientists were fixed (by choice?) in their own world, and separated from the natural environment.
In this first act, the performers were dressed in very bright primary-coloured suits (strongly contrasted for Oppenheimer in Act 2 with his characteristic black trench coat). Their facial makeup had an exaggerated quality to it – initially, from a distance it almost looked as if they were wearing masks but this was not the case. As suggested earlier, I found this first act rather heavy going. Although sung in English it was not always possible to follow which put me at a disadvantage I think and the degree of engaging dramatic action was limited. But the end of the Act, with the famous Donne aria was grippingly superb – and the second act really took off dramatically and was far more engaging. And the climax of the whole work – the detonation – was astoundingly powerful and truly had a Gotterdammerung-like emotional impact – not least the brilliant use of silence.
Finally then, wonderful music-theatre.