THE HANGOVER REPORT – David Lang’s adventurously staged THE LOSER opens BAM’s essential Next Wave Festival

Baritone Rod Gilfry and pianist Conrad Tao in David Lang's "The Loser"

Baritone Rod Gilfry and pianist Conrad Tao in David Lang’s “The Loser”

You don’t get a lot of art that explores what it means to be mediocre. The notion is counterintuitive. Dave Malloy’s little-seen Black Wizard/Blue Wizard comes to mind, but little else does. Now, we have David Lang’s world premiere opera the loser, adapted from the novel by Thomas Bernhard, which does just that. The opera, which opened BAM’s essential Next Wave Festival, chronicles the experiences of a man whose goal in life is to be a noted concert pianist. However, he is faced with his own mediocrity when Glenn Gould, a genuine musical genius, comes into his life.

Mr. Lang’s score is somber, conversational, and hypnotic, if somewhat unvaried. Except for a lone piano in the distance, the piece is sensitively played by an unseen chamber ensemble (conducted by Karina Canellakis). The notable baritone Rod Gilfry comes up with a vocally assured performance that’s haunting and haunted. His portrayal of a man caught (quite literally) in limbo – not only in terms of his career, but also spiritually – impressed me with its dramatic nuance and subtle command as his character recounts his experiences with calm contempt.

I’ve always been fascinated by how space is used relative to performance. I knew I was in for something fascinating when Mr. Gilfry ascended a platform in front of the mezzanine (the only section of the vast BAM Opera House that was ticketed), as if an apparition. I applaud Mr. Lang, who also directed the production, for directing the piece in a manner that’s out-of-the-box and informed by the underlying work, and vice versa. The image of Mr. Gilfry stuck between the audience and an unattainable musical greatness (excellent pianist Conrad Tao, as a stand-in for Glenn Gould, can be seen at distance playing on the stage of the auditorium) is one that I won’t soon forget.

RECOMMENDED

 

THE LOSER
Opera
2016 Next Wave Festival at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House
1 hour (without an intermission)
Through September 11

Categories: Music, Opera

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