He doesn't give it a bear hug, either, but what distinguishes 'Summer' from some of its modern brethren is its startlingly lyrical arias. When a handsome architect passes through, Charity's 'hard as cinders' world begins to soften. That the fairytale is bound to crash and burn is clear from Paulus' ironic, contrapuntal scoring, which juxtaposes occasional bright-hued love songs against the orchestra's nervous mutterings. The result is a rich cross-talk of music and emotion, most of which should appeal to listeners. Ominous rumblings in the orchestra announce stress or confrontation.
Tremulous violins signal passion.
At a time when much new music, including opera, seems to actively repel any but hip or cognoscenti audiences, that's no small achievement. Berkshire Opera has taken a sizable step into the future. Paulus' mastery of orchestral color, including some elegant harp writing, helped strengthen character and dramatic force. There's much of genuine beauty here, not least composer Stephen Paulus' shimmering, Ravellian orchestration. In Lenox, the book is on a shelf to which only mature persons have access.