The three works presented by the Seattle Chamber Players – “Music for Children”, “The Princess has pricked her finger – and all the Kingdom fell asleep…” and “The Tyrant” introduced me to contemporary chamber music. Being fairly new to chamber music, I noted that the contemporary elements seem to play out when the percussionist whips a stool or a flutist twists his body to face the curtain or when the music starts and stops unpredictably. And what a delight all of this is – this ripping apart of sounds, of performative expectations, this loose arrangement with the audience. Having seen several chamber ensembles performing classical music, it was pleasurable to see musicians doing what they usually do not do –  bending a knee mid-note, ripping apart what appears to be scaffolding, and snaking around the stage in near-slumber. I enjoy the commitment of these performers to bringing new music to Seattle audiences, and I would definitely attend future performances.

While I appreciate the premise of the opera, the figure of the tyrant is a staid and uninteresting subject. If the hope is to provide dramatic tension (through self-exploration, transformation and even transfiguration) and a starring role for a tenor, I wonder if the Seattle Chamber Players might not look to Philip Glass’ In the Penal Colony as inspiration for future collaborative works.  With the addition of a more powerful story, and other voices to round out the tenor’s, a more complex and satisfactory musical experience may be had.  

The two opening works of the program tonight were well chosen. Both playful in very different ways, they gave the Seattle Chamber Players a good opportunity to exhibit their sense of humor and ensemble. This group is not lacking in either. I send extra applause out to the percussionist of superhuman ability. It’s got to be fun having such a wide array of tools at one’s disposal, and whipping a cushy leather stool is highly underrated.

What is overrated, in my view, is the need to understand what’s going on in an opera. The premiere of Paul Dresher’s opera The Tyrant gave me ample opportunity to stew over my mixed feelings about this musical and dramatic medium. Paul Dresher’s music was very interesting. I couldn’t help wishing the libretto was in some language I didn’t understand so that I might not be distracted from appreciating the music. Weak and paranoid rulers are slippery subjects. I found myself thinking of MacBeth and Claudius and feeling a sense of relief that there are other characters weaving through their stories. Stand them up all alone… it’s difficult for me to feel much pity towards their plights. I don’t know if it was the story, the character, or the silly sound the English language in opera, but something about this piece made me want the one and only character to hop off stage.