Steve Reich has been reaching and conquering Madrid in this season: on past September, the Neopercusión ensemble premiered Music for 18 Musicians. And now, the Teatro Real is performing his masterpiece Three Tales, which is the Spanish premiere of this work.
I was about to miss this work but at the end I decided to go and I don't regret it: I didn't remember the last time I was moved with a work being new to me. The first time I listened a music by Reich was during a performance of the Nederlands Dans Theater, using the amazing Section IV from his Four Sections for orchestra.
Three Tales is an opera in three parts narrating three special events in recent history, in which Reich and his wife, the video-artist Beryl Korot reflect on the impact of the use of technology by the man. Man was created after God's image, but finally is emulating his maker by using those technologies for create and destroy. Created by the fusion of historical images and video-art, it is divided in three parts:
Hindenburg, in which it narrates the fatal 1937 disaster in which it was destroyed, devoured by the fire. In this part, Reich uses the leitmotiv of the Nibelung's anvils from Richard Wagner's Das Rheingold while workers were show, at the end behind the Nazi Germany flag.
Bikini, is the most powerful and moving part of the piece. Here is told the story of the atomic program on the Bikini Atoll by the U.S. Government, which forced the natives to leave. This part shows the contrast between the intimist music of the natives, his costumes and exile portrayed by the strings, and the powerful, overwhelming music by the full orchestra portraying the American Army and its power. At the end, the island burning and a picture telling how inhabitable is still Bikini today, with the irony of the Genesis verses from the Bible closes a second part who really left the audience touched.
Dolly is the last part and maybe the best known, in which it focuses on clonation, and Dolly the sheep being the first living creature, "created" by the man by cloning. It mixes the opinions of scientific and other personalities on cloning as an aethical and as an progress for the humanity, with the music. Are we playing to be God?
Beside the images, an musical ensemble and a chorus make the music to take form. The Teatro Real Orchestra conducted by Nacho de Paz was comissioned the musical task, sounded minimalistic, like an American ensemble. The prestigious choir Sinergy Vocals, accomplished in performing Reich's works, gave a great performance, displaying their experience in this work, reaching a powerful, moving moment in Bikini.
Such an historical event had, fortunately, all it requires to shine: a modern, avant-garde venue and an enthusiastic, mostly young audience. Madrid has embraced and celebrated Reich's masterpiece.
My reviews are not professional and express only my opinions. As a non English native speaker I apologise for any mistake.
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