Wolfe's Climate Crisis Oratorio Falls Flat in UK Premiere
When tackling the issue of climate breakdown through art, striking a balance between conveying urgency and avoiding clichés is crucial. Julia Wolfe's oratorio "unEarth" ultimately tipped towards the latter during its UK premiere with the BBC Symphony Orchestra (BSO) under conductor Martyn Brabbins, although it still managed to elicit some striking impressions.
The production, spearheaded by Bang on a Can, drew from local youth choirs and featured an impressive ensemble of singers, including the men of the BBC Singers and National Youth Voices. The performance was notable for its visual spectacle, courtesy of Lucy Mackinnon's projections onto a circular screen behind the stage. When paired with the music, this created an evocative and immersive experience.
The opening movement began with the men singing lines from the Book of Genesis about the Flood, accompanied by violent rain and waves projected onto the screen. The use of cross-rhythms in "tree" sung in dozens of languages added to the sense of life and vitality, drawing the audience into the performance. However, as the piece progressed, it became increasingly difficult to shake off the feeling that Wolfe's message was being conveyed through heavy-handed means.
The final movement, which featured teenagers staring from the screen, felt like a case of putting onus on children to fix an older generation's mess. The thudding syllables of climate-science buzzwords sung by the men also came across as preachy, potentially alienating audiences rather than engaging them with the issue at hand.
In contrast, the first half of the concert, which included Copland's Appalachian Spring, offered a welcome respite from the weight of "unEarth". The score's simple yet effective clarinet and flute solos, coupled with its punchy rhythms, served as a poignant reminder of nature's resilience. This felt like an effortless paean to the natural world, one that could have been a more fitting precursor to Wolfe's climate crisis oratorio.
Ultimately, "unEarth" left this reviewer wondering whether it had successfully navigated the delicate balance between conveying urgency and avoiding clichés. While it was clear that Wolfe's message needed to be communicated, the execution often felt heavy-handed, rather than thought-provoking.
When tackling the issue of climate breakdown through art, striking a balance between conveying urgency and avoiding clichés is crucial. Julia Wolfe's oratorio "unEarth" ultimately tipped towards the latter during its UK premiere with the BBC Symphony Orchestra (BSO) under conductor Martyn Brabbins, although it still managed to elicit some striking impressions.
The production, spearheaded by Bang on a Can, drew from local youth choirs and featured an impressive ensemble of singers, including the men of the BBC Singers and National Youth Voices. The performance was notable for its visual spectacle, courtesy of Lucy Mackinnon's projections onto a circular screen behind the stage. When paired with the music, this created an evocative and immersive experience.
The opening movement began with the men singing lines from the Book of Genesis about the Flood, accompanied by violent rain and waves projected onto the screen. The use of cross-rhythms in "tree" sung in dozens of languages added to the sense of life and vitality, drawing the audience into the performance. However, as the piece progressed, it became increasingly difficult to shake off the feeling that Wolfe's message was being conveyed through heavy-handed means.
The final movement, which featured teenagers staring from the screen, felt like a case of putting onus on children to fix an older generation's mess. The thudding syllables of climate-science buzzwords sung by the men also came across as preachy, potentially alienating audiences rather than engaging them with the issue at hand.
In contrast, the first half of the concert, which included Copland's Appalachian Spring, offered a welcome respite from the weight of "unEarth". The score's simple yet effective clarinet and flute solos, coupled with its punchy rhythms, served as a poignant reminder of nature's resilience. This felt like an effortless paean to the natural world, one that could have been a more fitting precursor to Wolfe's climate crisis oratorio.
Ultimately, "unEarth" left this reviewer wondering whether it had successfully navigated the delicate balance between conveying urgency and avoiding clichés. While it was clear that Wolfe's message needed to be communicated, the execution often felt heavy-handed, rather than thought-provoking.
I mean, can we really just throw a bunch of youth choirs and fancy visuals at an issue as big as climate change and expect people to be moved? 
It feels like "unEarth" is more about checking off a box on the 'artistic solution' list rather than actually sparking real conversation. And don't even get me started on that final movement - like, what's up with putting all the pressure on kids to fix it? 
We need more nuance and less heavy-handedness in our attempts to tackle this crisis.
. The way they used projections on stage was straight fire 
! But at the same time, it felt like Wolfe was hitting me over the head with the climate crisis vibe 
. Like, I get it, we need to act fast, but can't we just find a more subtle way to do it? 
. Maybe next time Wolfe can dial it back a notch and trust her audience to pick up on the message without hitting them over the head with it 
the music was pretty and all but like what's up with the whole preachy vibe on the thudding syllables of climate-science buzzwords 
coplans appalachian spring is a CLASSIC 
but like when you move on to unearth it's like "okay cool now let's talk about climate change" 
were something else lol but like did they really need to use so many languages in "tree"? 
. But at the same time, I felt like the message was getting lost in a sea of clichés 
. The opening movement was super powerful with all those people singing different languages about trees, but then it just felt like we're beating you over the head with climate change 
. And don't even get me started on the teenagers staring at us from the screen - feel like they were put there to guilt trip us into saving the planet 
. The good news is that Copland's Appalachian Spring was an amazing contrast and really showed us that nature can be beautiful and powerful 
. Can't they just vibe out some chill tunes about saving the planet instead of hitting us over the head with it 
, but honestly, I was kinda zoned out during that last movement... all those teenagers staring at the screen like they're the only ones who can fix climate change 
. The Copland half of the concert was fire tho 
, maybe she should've stuck to that vibe? 
. But that was like a breath of fresh air in an otherwise heavy-handed performance...
The production had some amazing visuals and a talented cast, but at times it came across as preachy and alienating. 
What I would've loved to see is more nuance and subtlety in conveying the urgency of climate crisis without falling into clichés. 
... and omg i love copland's appalachian spring tho 
that's like, the ultimate feel-good piece 
The visuals were fire tho 
. Still, I'm all for explorin' these kinda issues through art 
... maybe next time she'll find that balance 
. I mean, climate change is a super serious issue, but does we need another one of these "artistic" responses? It just feels like everyone's jumping on the bandwagon and trying to be all woke about it... 
? I guess that's one way to get people engaged, but it felt forced 
. Overall, I'd say "unEarth" was a bit of a miss 
#ClimateCrisis #MusicToMyEars #NotImpressed
i mean, using climate-science buzzwords and having kids stare up from the screen... it just didn't feel that impactful. and what's with the book of genesis opening movement? felt a bit on-the-nose for me 
. Maybe Wolfe just needs to work on her delivery and not be so heavy-handed with the climate messages 
. The oratorio did feel like it relied on a bit too much on visual spectacle to drive home its message, and that's where Wolfe might've missed the mark slightly 
anyw say, coplans appalachian spring is where it's at tho!!! 
but honestly i was kinda meh about it 
lucy mackinnon's projections were totes amazin tho 
but overall i think wolfe could've done w/ out the whole "save the planet" vibe 
The projections were pretty cool though, added a whole new level of depth to the performance. Maybe next time they'll tone down the 'save us' message and focus on the actual music 