Moses und Aron at the Met

[IKochinska <IKochinska...>]

A very delayed response to Eliott's comments on Moses und Aron - I also saw it
& found it very powerful - didn't feel let down dramatically by the absence of
Act 3, but I agree with your indignation at the fact that one of our great &
most important composers couldn't even get support to finish a major work..
(Maybe things aren't getting that much worse after all, but have always been
so... )
As much of a genius as Schoenberg was, I'm not sure I can really go so far as
to agree that the Golden Calf scenes were a warning to German Jewry in
particular -- that is, that Schoenberg was a historical as well as a musical
prophet -- but certainly Germany and other parts of Western Europe, as well as
the US, could have provided him with inspiring examples of debauchery in the
'20s & '30s.  Hmm.
He was certainly a man of astonishing depth in both music and philosophy.
While I think it's undeniable that he, as a beleaguered prophet of his art,
identified with the character of Moses, I don't think that by itself is an
interpretation of the opera, so much as it gives one insight into Schoenberg's
passionate and intuitive grasp of the character of Moses & the people around
him.
Also, I thought we saw a fine performance (even British opera singers act
well, if those two are any example).
Any other thoughts on this -- or on other 'Jewish' operas?  For anyone
interested in this -- a concert performance of La Juive is coming up, courtesy
of the Opera Orchestra of NY.
Ilana

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