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The Handmaid's Tale

posted by [personal profile] owlfish at 03:24pm on 20/09/2004
18-29 year old discount opera tickets went on sale on Saturday for the COC, so I stopped by today to get a single for Lucia di Lammermoor.

The other opera they're performing this month is an operatic version of The Handmaid's Tale, with music written by Poul Ruders. The plots sounds depressing and the costumes look silly. Is there any reason why I should go see this opera?

Yet again, the COC is running a depressing season. There's only one comedy.
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There are 11 comments on this entry. (Reply.)
 

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posted by [identity profile] pockawida.livejournal.com at 01:18pm on 20/09/2004
Is there any reason why I should go see this opera?

No. ::shudders::

That really IS a depressing season. The only thing I'd actually shell out for, personally, would be *Tancredi* ... tho, of course, you wouldn't find me at the Chicago Lyric much or anything. It's *too far*!! ;)
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posted by [personal profile] owlfish at 08:12pm on 20/09/2004
Bad personal experiences with the book or the composer?

I will probably see everything else they're doing this season, with the possible exception of La Bohème, since I've seen it a few times before - perhaps even with this company? I'm not sure yet. I have a reason to be at least somewhat interested in every other opera they're doing this year. Nothing at all (except for not having seen it before) draws me to The Handmaid's Tale right now.
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posted by [identity profile] pockawida.livejournal.com at 09:50pm on 20/09/2004
I'm still bearing the scars of doing my grade 10 history project on Canadian opera. I got an A minus and was miffed ;)

I'm probably too picky about operas. I don't know why. I get uptight when I watch them--think it's like when some people watch footballl ... still, I'm envious. There isn't much going on around here, not really, though they're hoping to change that.
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posted by [identity profile] momiji.livejournal.com at 02:05pm on 20/09/2004
Is it based on the Atwood novel? If so, run as far away from it. The book still gives me nightmares.
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posted by [personal profile] owlfish at 08:05pm on 20/09/2004
Yes, it is based on the novel. I'm not surprised they're performing it, since Atwood is a Toronto local.

Your response tells me that the book is powerful, but probably not in a way I would enjoy. I read a fairly thorough summary of the plot at one point, and there seemed to be absolutely nothing cheery about it.
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posted by [identity profile] pockawida.livejournal.com at 09:51pm on 20/09/2004
Toronto local national ;)
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posted by [identity profile] momiji.livejournal.com at 05:08am on 21/09/2004
This is very true. I read it in high school and it has been one of the few books ever to haunt me.

While the story ends on a somewhat positive note, the whole tone of the book is very bleak and depressing.

It actually made me hate all men and religion for a good month.
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posted by [identity profile] chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com at 02:36pm on 20/09/2004
and it's questionable whether Albert Herring can be considered funny. It's definitely one of Britten's weker efforts. Roll on Don Giovanni at pera Atelier.
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posted by [personal profile] owlfish at 08:08pm on 20/09/2004
I haven't seen Albert Herring before, but based on the few Britten operas I have seen, it's hard to imagine him doing comedy.
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posted by (anonymous) at 02:39pm on 21/09/2004
I don't know if I could recommend seeing the opera -- I'm very curious, but it would probably be too visceral for me; I don't even like watching Hollywood action movies, I don't think I should see something *good* and disturbing. But I would, paradoxically, recommend the book to anyone who asked -- I've read and re-read it, and though it is extremely disturbing, I also think it's brilliant and often quite funny, surprisingly (though that shouldn't be a surprise to Atwood fans, since she's actually a very funny writer, even when addressing less than humorous subjects). It is also frighteningly prescient about some things, like the increasing intertwining of church and state in the US, and the thin line between protection and oppression when it comes to issues of personal privacy and government surveillance. It is, of course, rather heavy-handedly feminist (in the sense that it's written in the 70's, when women were still fighting so hard against the past that they found it hard to see goodness in men at all) but I never felt that it made me hate men after reading it.

Anyway, sorry for the long comment -- but I do like that book!

Aven
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posted by [identity profile] pockawida.livejournal.com at 05:38pm on 21/09/2004
Hi, Aven ;)
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