Mark-Anthony Turnage's opera 'Festen' captures the intense essence of its bleak narrative, supported by a talented cast that excels throughout its 90-minute performance. However, while the opera's length aligns well with its heavy subject matter, the music itself fails to resonate deeply, often overshadowed by its dramatic narrative. Turnage's established style blends jazz with classic elements, marking an evolution from his previous operas. Although he aimed to create a unique musical experience, the choice to diverge from the original film's aesthetic ultimately diluted the opera's impact.
Turnage's sour, spiky style is established enough to have its own stock language of gestures. His way of setting swearing - short and exclaimed - becomes almost meta in Festen.
Festen was too big to fail, and in many ways it didn't. A luxury cast with considerable strength in depth excelled through 90 minutes of relentlessly bleak action.
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