Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-03-03
BY IRVING LOWENS
star Music Critic

week takes place at 2 pm.
today and you don't have to
buy q ticket or even leave
your home to hear it.
All you have to do is to
turn on your television set,
bear down on Channel,
and witness the world pre-
miere Of the long-awaited
new opera by Clan Carlo
Menotti. Labyrinth" in a
production by the NBC Opera
Company. If you are prop
er1y equipped. you can see it
in color.
Mr.. Menotti is unques-
tionably one Of the big men
Of the contemporary musical
stage, and it looks as if the
next year is going to be an
exceptionally busy one for
him. The world premiere of
his Death Of the Bishop Of
Brindisi" has been announced
for May Is in Cincinnati. Yet
another musico dramatic
work. the full-length Last
Savage" opens in Paris in
the spring at the Opera
Comique before the Met puts
1t on next season.
Some months back, when
Labyrinth" was still grow
ing. Mr.. Menotti described it
as "a surrealistic opera"
More recently he has changed
his mind.
Actually it is the very OPP
posite Of surrealism." he now
says, because beneath its
apparent nonsense there is
a logical meaning for every
thing that happens"
Anyhow, the action is clear
even If its exact implications
aren't.
A bride and q bridegroom
wander through a great hotel,
lost. They are searching for
the desk to get their key.
During their search, they
meet all kinds Of characters
among others an old man
(the past). a lady executive
director (the present., and
an astronaut (the future).
The hotel. Of course. is the
world. At long last. they
reach the desk; the manager
death gives them the key.
What does this signify? To
the composer ibrettist, the
plot sis a complicated puzzle.
with several levels Of mean
ing. It can be enjoyed on one
or more levels on first view
ing. but viii yield further
explanations on reflection
later"
IN its hazy but dramatical-
ly effective symbolism, the
libfetto Is in some ways remi-
niscent Of The Unicorn, the
Oorgon, and the Manticore."
considered by many Mr..
Menotti's finest piece.
The music. however, Is con-
sentative, somewhat SIMPLER
and more melodic than much
OF his previous work, the
composer feels. He says, ut
Is like a ballard. ! wanted TO
give 1t q ballad feeling. I still
feel that the human heart
has not changed through the
ages. Melody Is a primary
factor in my opera because 1t
is the strongest weapon Of
the composer TO reach the
heart"
Labyrinth" the fourth
Menotti opera commissioned
and presented by MIC. runs
about the same time as
"Amahl"-some so minutes.
The composer Is frank to
confess that his most sue
cessful operas have been his
short ones. II feel very much
At home In the shorter FORM"
he says. II like the concise
ness OF the one-act opera"
Mr.. Menoth points out
that Labyrinth" Is the first
opera he has written exclu-
sively for TV or film. Unlike
his other operas (even those
Wflttln AoA AaaAo oAAa ANff
this one will be virtually i'm
possible TO stage. Special eff
fects and trick photography
are an integral part Of the
work, and anybody who tries
10 put on a live performance
will have TO cope with such
problems as the representa-
ton Of weightlessness on the
stage. TO cite merely one ex-
ample.
The cast is first-rate. and
Il includes many singers well
known for appearances in
Washington-John Reardon.
Judith Raskin, Elaine Boz
nagzi. Robert White, Beverly
Wolff. Frank Porretta, Leon
Lishner, among others.
Zone warning-don't tune
s.ssNaaa NIfINN