Seen and Heard International. In her first presentation as the newly minted artist-in-residence for Cal Performances, she headlined the thoughtful staging that she conceived with the American Modern Opera Company AMOC and had premiered at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in July Adding two dancers, who interact with the singer and pianist, expands on the Tristan und Isolde- inspired imagery embedded in the hour-long cycle of twelve songs.
This was the United States premiere, after performances last year in Antwerp, Leverkusen and Hamburg to be followed by further performances in Beverly Hills and Santa Barbara. Bullock deployed her flexible, soft-edged soprano and sure-footed musicality to deliver, in a clear light, melodies that embodied the exotic nature of these sources. The words were projected on an oversized screen above the back of the stage in French or Quechuan above an English translation except for some nonsense words intend for their sound.
Much of the score gets its flavor and spice from the piano. It all came through and found welcome balances with Bullock. Messiaen started writing this piece in , shortly after being released from a war prison.
Tragically, the mind and body of his wife, Claire Delbos, a fellow musician and a source of inspiration, had begun to deteriorate, eventually ending in total amnesia. Before long a new love partner was entering his life. No wonder Tristan und Isolde caught his attention, with its besotted and extramarital lovers.
The dance, directed by Zack Winokur and choreographed by Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber, amplified the songs by expressing emotions and memories rather than a specific narrative, although it did pair both dancers with Bullock at different times.
