Israeli review
“The Dreaming Child” – A Badge of Honor to the Opera
Tzvi Goren | Habama | Jan. 19, 2010
In many ways, Shohat turned in to a ‘dreaming child’ going out on a long journey to create his greatest masterpiece to date.
It must be said that the outcome of this challenging task was extremely successful, and what was shown on stage yesterday at the Israeli Opera is a badge of honor to all the many people who contributed to making this dream come true. We received a spectacular masterpiece of a complex and demanding piece of music, text, and presentation in the operatic genre.
Levin’s unique text presents the Opera creators a challenge… I’ll only say that this is a roaring river of musical ideas.
I was delighted with the lyrical orchestra and feminine vocals in the show, beginning with Shohat’s decision to create a “Greek Chorus” of nine women who accompany us through the journey and become part of it. Levin’s text was served well by this nonet in shaping the characters of the Mother and the Child, the helpless refugees, and finally the Dead Children who occupied the final exciting and incredibly moving act (also in its amazing visual effects) of this masterpiece.
“The Dreaming Child”, the Gil Shohat version, directed by Omri Nizan, is a brave work of art worthy of praise, and an important stop on the Israeli Opera’s journey to realizing its great and true mission of becoming a originator of original Israeli art.