Choreography by Liam Scarlett. Martin West, San Francisco Ballet Orchestra. Reference Recordings RR-148 (2-disc set).
By John J. Puccio
Admittedly, the idea of using ballet--which most of us think of as among most refined and delicate of musical genres--to tell the story of the Frankenstein monster--surely, one of the least refined and most brutal of literary creations--may at first blush seem like an April Fool’s joke. However, that’s exactly what composer Lowell Libermann did in 2018 when he wrote the music for choreographer Liam Scarlett’s adaptation of Mary Shelley’s 1818 gothic horror novel Frankenstein.
Now, whether you think Liebermann’s music does justice to the novel is another story, and it’s a little hard to judge just listening to this live recording of the San Francisco ballet’s performance of it. Unless any ballet score contains an abundance of memorable tunes, it tends to be a rather listless affair if you’re just listening to it. One misses the glamor and excitement of seeing the sets, the costumes, and the actual dancing. In the case of Frankenstein, I would rather have had a single highlights disc than the complete ballet on two discs. But that’s just me. Still, you might consider programming your CD player on subsequent listenings.
The ballet’s story pretty much follows the plot (within the framework and much abridged) of Ms. Shelley’s book: It begins at Frankenstein Manor, where Victor Frankenstein and his fiancé Elizabeth announce their engagement. Then we have scenes in the anatomy theatre where Dr. Frankenstein explains his theories on regeneration, and for the end of Act I we’re back to the professor’s laboratory where he brings his creature to life. Act II is where the real fun begins, with the creature getting loose and killing anyone in his way. Act III is mainly about Victor and Elizabeth and their relationship now that all hell is breaking loose. As in the novel, things do not end well for any of them, although here the story closes in a more-efficient, truncated form.
As I say, it probably all works better on stage--where we can actually see the macabre staging, the murder, and the mayhem--than it does as a purely listening experience where we have to imagine much of it. That said, the music itself is not at all hard to listen to. It has a traditional cinema feel to it, as though it might accompany an old Universal Studios B&W monster movie. Whether that is enough to propel a modern-day ballet is another story. Insofar as the music helping us to visualize the action of the story, it probably does as good a job as we could want. It seems colorful enough, if a little static for much repeat listening (at least for me. Your mileage may vary).
Then there is the matter of continuity. There are forty-two separate segments within the ballet’s three acts, making the narrative more than a bit episodic. Worse, many of the sections sound suspiciously alike. The author and composer use much of the First Act as introduction and exposition, and long stretches can be dull without the visuals to accompany them. Things pick up in the final segment of Act I when Dr. Frankenstein declares “The Creature lives!”
Act II starts off with a flurry of activity, signaling early on (in the Prologue) that things are about to get ever more frightful. Still, there is more of Victor and Elizabeth, providing long interludes of calm, romantic melodies: Maybe a few interludes too many and too long. Frankly, it gets fairly repetitious fairly quickly and, again, without anything visually to hold one’s attention, well, it doesn’t entirely hold up. Fortunately, the more dramatic moments shake out the cobwebs and at times keep us riveted to the music. For this reason, I enjoyed Act III best of all. The score is just active enough, and just old-fashioned enough, to maintain interest. It seems more creative, more inventive, yet never ventures into chaotic atonality. The Third Act “Waltz” is actually quite delightful, swirling all around in a Lisztian sort of manner. Apparently the composer thought so, too, since he reprises it a few tracks later. All in all, a good effort from composer Liebermann in a rather eccentric work. That it maybe doesn’t completely hang together is more the fault of Ms. Shelley’s book than Mr. Liebermann’s score, and I can’t imagine anyone pulling it off any better than Martin West and the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra.
Producers Marina A. Ledin and Victor Ledin and engineer Keith O. Johnson recorded the ballet live at the War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, CA in March 2018. Despite my general tendency to dismiss any live recording from having good sound, this one from “Professor” Johnson is as good as any I’ve heard. There is no close-up feeling, no bright harshness, and very few or no extraneous sounds from the audience or orchestra except the inevitable applause at the end of each act. It sounds, most of the time, like a good studio recording. There is a wide stereo spread; a good, if slightly soft, tonal balance; a mild hall ambience; plenty of dynamic range and impact; and even a bit of orchestral depth.
JJP
To listen to a brief excerpt from this album, click below:
By John J. Puccio
Now, whether you think Liebermann’s music does justice to the novel is another story, and it’s a little hard to judge just listening to this live recording of the San Francisco ballet’s performance of it. Unless any ballet score contains an abundance of memorable tunes, it tends to be a rather listless affair if you’re just listening to it. One misses the glamor and excitement of seeing the sets, the costumes, and the actual dancing. In the case of Frankenstein, I would rather have had a single highlights disc than the complete ballet on two discs. But that’s just me. Still, you might consider programming your CD player on subsequent listenings.
The ballet’s story pretty much follows the plot (within the framework and much abridged) of Ms. Shelley’s book: It begins at Frankenstein Manor, where Victor Frankenstein and his fiancé Elizabeth announce their engagement. Then we have scenes in the anatomy theatre where Dr. Frankenstein explains his theories on regeneration, and for the end of Act I we’re back to the professor’s laboratory where he brings his creature to life. Act II is where the real fun begins, with the creature getting loose and killing anyone in his way. Act III is mainly about Victor and Elizabeth and their relationship now that all hell is breaking loose. As in the novel, things do not end well for any of them, although here the story closes in a more-efficient, truncated form.
Then there is the matter of continuity. There are forty-two separate segments within the ballet’s three acts, making the narrative more than a bit episodic. Worse, many of the sections sound suspiciously alike. The author and composer use much of the First Act as introduction and exposition, and long stretches can be dull without the visuals to accompany them. Things pick up in the final segment of Act I when Dr. Frankenstein declares “The Creature lives!”
Act II starts off with a flurry of activity, signaling early on (in the Prologue) that things are about to get ever more frightful. Still, there is more of Victor and Elizabeth, providing long interludes of calm, romantic melodies: Maybe a few interludes too many and too long. Frankly, it gets fairly repetitious fairly quickly and, again, without anything visually to hold one’s attention, well, it doesn’t entirely hold up. Fortunately, the more dramatic moments shake out the cobwebs and at times keep us riveted to the music. For this reason, I enjoyed Act III best of all. The score is just active enough, and just old-fashioned enough, to maintain interest. It seems more creative, more inventive, yet never ventures into chaotic atonality. The Third Act “Waltz” is actually quite delightful, swirling all around in a Lisztian sort of manner. Apparently the composer thought so, too, since he reprises it a few tracks later. All in all, a good effort from composer Liebermann in a rather eccentric work. That it maybe doesn’t completely hang together is more the fault of Ms. Shelley’s book than Mr. Liebermann’s score, and I can’t imagine anyone pulling it off any better than Martin West and the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra.
Producers Marina A. Ledin and Victor Ledin and engineer Keith O. Johnson recorded the ballet live at the War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, CA in March 2018. Despite my general tendency to dismiss any live recording from having good sound, this one from “Professor” Johnson is as good as any I’ve heard. There is no close-up feeling, no bright harshness, and very few or no extraneous sounds from the audience or orchestra except the inevitable applause at the end of each act. It sounds, most of the time, like a good studio recording. There is a wide stereo spread; a good, if slightly soft, tonal balance; a mild hall ambience; plenty of dynamic range and impact; and even a bit of orchestral depth.
JJP
To listen to a brief excerpt from this album, click below:
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