Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Klinghoffer Opera


KlinghofferAct 1:Frought with attempts to liven up a crowd to rally via historical timeline for those who are otherwise two-dimensional. I'm not impressed with the pace nor the angst. Possibly opera, though dramatic and elongated, may not be the form to portray a political bend of factual realm. It executes well only for the passing of time on a cruise ship waiting to live or die
 
Act 2:
If Act II was a diptych, one side Francis Bacon and the other side Velasquez, these two acts juxtaposed would be each other's exact opposite. Act 2  led to a harsh understanding of the realities of life on a cruise ship and how the mind copes.  Passengers focus on what they'll do when they're home and safe, how they'll laugh about this with their children.   One describes the sandwiches the cruise ship served and their lack of meat, laughing about cigarettes and her misconstrued belief that a hijacker had any balls. The question at hand, does arrogance or the way you are brought up lead to judgement calls that may have otherwise been ironic if only time played a factor. Does education and one whos politically fervent, need to shut the fuck up, or does he think hes going to pull a Bill o'reilly with irrational people and somehow get away with it?  It's not that I feel anyone deserves anything that happens in tragedies, and in this case the dialogue leaves you virtually slapping the sense into the cruisers for such blasé coping. When listening to the dialogue of the actors, I don't doubt that the ones speaking out with confidence were brought up to be so adamant. Some men and women like to throw their religion's supremacy around. Klinghoffer was not afraid to speak up and let men with guns know how he feels about them.  This may happen when you're afraid and helpless. Why not try reasoning, especially if you think you're dead already? The problem is, hindsight is 20/20 for an audience.   

The two best parts about the opera were its focus on how ones mind gets polluted from the motherland and a collective religious chorus which drives a modern dancer to soundtrack without music. And second, is to put one in the shoes of a wife who learns the worst unexpected news and to dare recreation of ones feelings when actually in true life this must've been devastating. Where would u be if the girl you loved for 40 years was killed and u didn't get to say goodbye. How would she feel if u were gone and her heart had long since beat in unison with yours. In the end, u want to trade places for the hurt of one's spouses death isn't worth living. 

I am yet to understand if the strategy of the captain was non-fiction in that he believed he would fare better with negotiating power by lying to Egypt stating that all passengers were safe. When in real life we do know the plane with those PLF members was re-routed and they were arrested after the US heard the truth, then again they got off on parole anyway.  Was it deplorable, or was it genius to save the rest of those lives? Your opinion. 
 Why though are people picketing outside about this interpretation by John Adams?   I grabbed a pamphlet from a Rabbi to understand it. What I didn't quite grasp was how this is any different than a lawyer trying to understand the mindset of a criminal they are beset to protect and defend.  Are the lawyers pieces of shit for representing the side of a derelict loser criminal? No, he/she is doing their job and representing the other side with somewhat of a sideways argument. I don't think the exploration of the opposite side by a composer is exactly like a lawyer playing devils advocate.   I don't believe entertaining that analyses is anything but human nature or intelligent to assess. The pamphlet from the rabbi said if it were a black person, the public would be up in arms. I think this type of thing, although not terrorist related, happens to blacks like parking maids give tickets for blown meters. The ultimate question of this nights performance is, why is the recitation of Klinghoffers demise considered exploitation?  If in this case, you absolutely had no control that this man died, then why not teach people like me about this horrible tragedy. Why hide this man's death instead of hanging it out there as a red badge of courage?  I now know of Klinghoffer. I did not before. I know he was brutally murdered, and i know that was specific to his religion's persecution by another. Why is that considered to be whoring out this man's life?  In fact, i think its a more present analogy for what has been dragged out until today which is the jews persecution during the holocaust. At least here is a more present example for millenials to consider. Thank god for John Adams and for teaching us about this man. What idiots would block thousands from understanding his brutal death. METLive in HD offers just that type of exposure. Klinghoffer's story had all to gain in these performances. The pamphlet I had slid to me at the steps of Lincoln Center was the propaganda. 

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