Two Boys

About a month ago I was in London and went to see the English National Opera's world premiere of Nico Muhly's first opera, Two Boys. During the performance I was bubbling over with mixed sentiments, shifting from admiration to disappointment while my mind rambled with associations to various musical genres and terms.  I didn't have a chance to write about the opera during my visit but now that a month has passed I find myself still thinking about the opera and also about the various new costumes classical music is trying on in an attempt to find it's place in an overstimulated and media-soaked society.

As most of the critics pointed out, Craig Lucas's libretto was tedious, seemingly dated and generally unpalatable. Musically, Nico Muhly's approach at times made me shiver with awe and at others accompanied the plot in it's trite and repetitive character. The aleatoric layered choral textures that represent the cyber-chat when first heard were breathtaking, probably my favorite part of the whole production, but it was overused to the point of seeming trite. The minimalist influence so clearly featured in the music offered a soothing backdrop for the production which, along with the use of lighting and visual effects, was the only thing that kept me from getting up and leaving halfway through the opera. What I found very interesting though aurally was that while I kept associating Muhly's music to compositions of John Adams, Philip Glass and even Michael Nyman, I also heard a connection with post-rock groups like Godspeed, Mogwai, Mono, Siguros, etc.

For a few moments as I was listening to Muhly's calm but eerie music I had this strange revelation where I felt myself projected into the future and was able to see the coming shapes of classical music. I know it sounds silly, and because I have recently been plagued by the question of how to make a younger audience appreciate the wonders of classical music maybe my mind was seeing things that weren't there, but now, a month later, I still feel there is a small window, a slight gap that could signify genre-crossover between contemporary classical music and popular music via the postrock genre. I think that is what Muhly's music is exploring and although it saddens me to admit that I would call his first operatic production a complete disaster, I am thoroughly excited and itching with anticipation to see which directions he will explore. Muhly's music definitely has a characteristic of it's own that has made him stand out in the music world, but I hope he uses the potential to expand upon it and shine different lights on the genre. As far as the opera goes, I would still recommend seeing it if only to hear and think and experience, maybe to serve as fuel to the continual debate of where things are headed.
Two Boys Trailer