The New York Times didn't like the music, but seems to have liked Daniel Okulitch, the bass-baritone who plays Ennis, and describes the final "Jack, I swear" aria as an extended passage of disarming lyrical elegance.
Interestingly, the review quotes Annie Proulx taking a swipe at the addition of the character Cassie, who appears in the movie version but is only hinted at in the short story, describing her as Ennis's "trial girlfriend."
The Guardian gives the opera three stars (out of five) and says Okulitch and Tom Randle "do manage to create real characters," but "the relationship between them is never quite as movingly believable as it ought to be." I will reserve judgment because clips like this one and this one seem to show a nice chemistry.
Spanish newspaper El Pais gives the opera a more positive review and refers to "stellar performances" by Okulitch and soprano Heather Buck, who plays his wife Alma in a role far expanded from the short story or the movie.
Modern opera is nothing like Carmen or Cosi Fan Tutti. As some reviewers point out, you won't walk out of the theater humming a tune. I've seen very little modern opera live -- Moby Dick and parts of Dead Man Walking -- and I've watched parts of The Fly on YouTube. I enjoy the voices, the acting and the spectacle even if I don't buy the CD or hum the unhummable tunes.
Save the Date: On Feb. 7 at 2 p.m. Eastern Time medici.tv will live stream the night's performance. I can't wait. I so want to love it.
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