Opera Scotland

Moses und Aron 1976Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Düsseldorf & Duisburg

Read more about the opera Moses and Aaron

The Scottish premiere of this large scale and difficult work was another example of the positive, indeed indefatigable attitude of the Deutsche Oper am Rhein. It was a thrilling evening, with chorus and ballet sections fully involved along with the large orchestra, and made light of the generally acknowledged challenge presented by performing in the small theatre.

The only error, at least on opening night, was a slip-up in the planning - Schoenberg allowed for his unfinished third act to be declaimed by the singers immediately after the end of the second act. Unfortunately, the programme note led audiences to expect a final curtain after Act Two, so some of the spectators were already heading for the exits when the curtain rose again, and the rest started to applaud the two leads who appeared to be taking a curtain call, thus making it difficult for them to continue the performance - not very satisfactory.