The score also does not lack any kind of personality, as the musical locations all had their own distinct flavor of music that was easily identifiable - a rarity for an extremely modernist score such as this.

However, as the opera treads on to its tragic finale, the score’s outright denial of maudlin sentiment becomes its greatest strength: this became apparent in the handling of the dramatic beats in the second act, and even despite the dissonance in the rest of the score Ennis’ discovery of Jack’s death felt like a punch to the gut in just the right way.ĭaniel Okulitch and Glenn Seven Allen in Brokeback Mountain, New York City Opera, 2018. At first, the strident, incessant dissonance featured throughout seems cold and distant the opera also moves at a breakneck pace, to the point that some of the first act’s dramatic beats barely had enough time to land. This paradox thrives in the center of Wuorinen’s score, which is Boulezian in a way that might initially seem out of place to depict a romance. This oddly gives the short story much of its emotional weight the effect the concentration on the landscape has is that it prevents the story from indulging in the kind of schmaltz that might otherwise tarnish a story such as this, which thus amplifies the palpable sense of regret that Ennis Del Mar feels by the story’s conclusion. And yet, those who are familiar with the original short story know that this is exactly the same impressionistic effect Proulx employed: her prose contains many descriptions of the Wyoming countryside, and gives merely impressions of moments. With this thought in mind, the production notes of New York City Opera’s production of Charles Wuorinen’s opera based on the same source seem to indicate misplaced priorities on the part of the creative staff: much is made of how the music emulates the landscapes the story takes place in, to the point that one might be forgiven if they felt the emotional core of this tale is lost. Distant, Emotional Brokeback Mountain A Paradoxical Success Review Arturo Fernandez Jun 1, 2018Įver since Ang Lee’s seminal film version of Annie Proulx’s short story Brokeback Mountain, many have called the tale of two gay cowboys an important story in the world of LGBTQ representation.

Brokeback mountain original short story