The Death of Klinghoffer

Published Friday 26 August 2005 at 11:20 by David Blewitt

A defiant Scottish Opera has just given the British premiere of John Adams’ controversial second opera, which is again the target of undeserved pre-opening charges of encouraging terrorism.

Alice Goodman’s fair-minded libretto resonantly balances Israeli and Palestinian stances. And Anthony Neilson’s staging, if anything, comes down quite harshly on the terrorists. D’Arcy Bleiker’s Rambo is a sadistic thug, Oriol Roses’ Omar a scary fanatic, despite his countertenor - it is a mezzo role - sounding wrong.

Set aboard Miriam Buether’s allusively designed ship (portholes, gangplank), Neilson goes for visceral effects - taped sea and seagull sounds in the foyers, explosions, bullying terrorists grimacing, shouting and waving guns - jettisoning the reflective anguish and concern of the Bach Passions which inspired Adams’ masterpiece.

Neilson also misconceives the Captain and the Austrian Woman, he recklessly slugging back Martinis while Claire Booth’s nubile, brightly-sung British Dancing Girl sashays around distracting from his words, she characterised as an aged, chocolate-guzzling grotesque. Such visual jokes jar offensively.

Thank god for Kamel Boutros’ restive, grippingly sung Mamoud, who delivers Those Birds Flying with heart-stopping intensity. Jonathan Summers and Catherine Wyn-Rogers bring a moving dignity to the luckless Klinghoffers. Darren Abrahams catches Molqi’s excitability in clarion, centred tenor tones. Elizabeth Sikora’s Swiss Grandmother is a cameo gem.

Edward Gardner conducts an electrifying reading, the orchestra at fever pitch, though amplification muddies and distorts the score’s transparent textures, especially above forte. Ditto for the chorus interventions. A pity John Adams’ brave, inspiriting score suffers so crude a staging on this important occasion.