Tod Machover: Death And The Powers
BMOP/Sound, 2021
9/10
Listen to Death And The Powers
Tod Machover’s well known body of work, Death And The Powers, sees a very exciting interpretation by the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, which is led by Gil Rose, and the MIT Media Lab is on hand to provide electronics, while James Maddalena (among others) lends his incredible pipes for the occasion.
“Prologue” starts the listen with plenty of electronic tinkering as talking and singing enter from both male and female voices, and “Memory Download” follows with playful strings, many vocalists and a mysterious ambience as the orchestra weave in and out of precise, fascinating interplay.
Deeper into the listen, “Scene III: Getting To Know You” showcases Joelle Harvey’s stunning soprano alongside Hal Cazalet’s animated tenor and Maddalena’s striking baritone, while “Scene VI: The World Reacts” welcomes Patricia Risley’s wise mezzo-soprano, David Kravitz’s baritone, Tom McNichol’s bass and Doug Dodson’s countertenor to the 22 minutes of flowing chamber and orchestral sounds.
Making our way to the end, “Scene VII: Into The System” blends Cazalet, Risley and Harvey’s voices amid the skittering electronics and strong attention to mood, and “Scene VIII: One Last Time” pairs Maddalena’s majestic pipes with Harvey’s eloquent singing for an unpredictable and radiant late album highlight.
Machover’s work is over a decade old now, but the themes of human connection and technology are certainly still relevant today, especially during these pandemic times, and BMOP’s inestimable contributions combined with the many voices present and meticulous electronics make for a robotic opera that you can’t help but be enamored with.
Travels well with: Boston Modern Orchestra Project- Walter Piston: Concerto For Orchestra; Boston Modern Orchestra Project- Samuel Barber: Medea