We were about three dozen adults and children at St Catherine's for the Harvest Festival Eucharist this morning. With another opera matinee this afternoon, we didn't stay around to socialise but went home and had n early lunch. Chris joined us again at the Millennium Centre for the Young WNO's performance of 'Cherrytown Moscow' written by Dimiri Shostakovitz in 1959. I've never heard of it before.It's more of a musical theatre work. The mid twentieth century 'musical' ethos, structure and composition style reminded of a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, funny satirical, with dancing and choruses, as well as solos and spoken dialogue.
The story line was about life and love in post war Soviet Moscow at a time when housing redevelopment was under way in the face of accommodation shortage, making fun of administrative incompetence and corruption at the Cheryomushki high rise low cost housing estate. The cast consisted of about thirty young performers all dancing as well as singing in brilliantly choreographed, energetic routines involving the whole ensemble on stage at the same time. The libretto was written by two Russian satirists, performed in an English translation. The pace of the music made it difficult on times to take in the surtitles needed on times when the singing wasn't clear and distinctive. A most enjoyable experience. The three act show was condensed into one, lasting two hours, uncomfortably long without an interval. Afterwards, we went for a walk around the Bay and had a coffee together before taking Chris to the train station on our way home.
We sat together after supper and watched the 'BBC Young Musician of the Year' final, with five astounding performers, all under twenty. It was so inspiring and uplifting, especially following Cherrytown Moscow.
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