From the Press:
“Riveting and poignant…forceful, resonant” – The Boston Globe, Jeremy Eichler, 6/21/22
“Rose conducted with unflagging energy.” – The Boston Globe
“BMOP and Odyssey Opera begin their efforts to engage with the country’s racial reckoning through the prism of opera. But what, in this context, can opera really do? In ‘X,’ the title character begins to answer when he sings, ‘I come to tell the history.’ That may sound straightforward, but it isn’t. Unlike your standard history textbook, an opera such as ‘X’ asks us not to memorize the past but to re-encounter it, to relive these moments as if in real time — only in this case, the meanings of that history can be expanded and deepened by all the intensifications, shadings, and perspective that an inspired score can bring, churning beneath the surface of the words. The result, in its best moments, can be a new dimensionality for both past and present.” – The Boston Globe
“That X can summon a diverse full house of over 1000 to a neighborhood theater in Dorchester testifies to the secure niche the 16-year-old show already occupies in the opera canon as well as to BMOP’s marketing skill and commitment to outreach.” – Boston Musical Intelligencer, Lee Eiseman, 6/18/22
“BMOP fielded a chorus that filled an essential role of amplifying the words and thoughts of the stage characters with limitless energy and clarity. And some nice solos issued from the group, especial during the Hajj scene where a call and response groove evoked ancient temple practice.” – Boston Musical Intelligencer, Lee Eiseman, 6/18/22
“Gil Rose, an early supporter of composer Davis, conducted to both display the singing artists
and to reveal the many facets of the score.” – Berkshire Fine Arts, Susan Hall, 6/19/22
