The Four Note Opera, by Tom Johnson

Magdalen College Auditorium, 22nd-23rd May 2000

Anyone who has ever been put off by the term "post-modern" would have benefited from this splendid production of a highly amusing and original work. For Tom Johnson's Four Note Opera is post-modern. It is also a minimalist "meta-opera", something which would be expected to scare off all but the most ardent 20th century music enthusiasts. But the humour and lack of pretension which are its main characteristics make it fun, accessible, and also highly informative about several traditionally difficult concepts in modern art.

In a sense it is like taking a step back from an opera. There does seem to be some ort of plot, but it never becomes clear what it is, and the performers never sing about it. Instead, they sing about themselves as musicians, about the music they are singing, and about the difficulties they experience in its performance. But far from making the work eclectic, this meta-operatic device allows Johnson to explain his thinking behind his piece, through his characters, whom he names simply after their voice categorisation.

Johnson is, for example, a pioneering minimalist composer; the now more famous Steve Reich and Philip Glass owe a lot to his work. The Four Note Opera is almost a crash course in minimalism: in a long aria, the Baritone explains subtly altering repetition; a trio shows how diminished forms of the same figure can be worked together; and the quasi-religious ceremony which heralds the wood-block's only entry shows how very effective can be the sparse use of an instrumental effect. Furthermore, the fact that only four notes are used throughout is, surprisingly, not at all tedious, and allows musical points to be illustrated with greater clarity by removing one layer of harmonic complexity.

Johnson's choice of format also allows him to explore the personalities and motivations of singers, and the inevitable clashes between them, something which he does with hilarious perspicacity. We see here the prima donna Soprano (Sari Savunen); the carping contralto (Daphne Harvey) eager to take her down a peg or two; and the arrogant tenor (Nick Ashley) , disgruntled at having less music than the baritone. Anyone who has been involved in singing could not fail to be amused by the author's insights, and for others he provides a fascinating glimpse of life behind the stage of an operatic production.

All four turned in fine, characterful performances - Miss Savunen particularly exhibited considerable vocal prowess in a demanding role. The men were, perhaps, less vocally strong than the ladies, but in the intimate setting of Magdalen's Auditorium this mattered little. The venue also helped to produce a pleasant sense of audience involvement. Neil Fisher directed with flair and imagination, and his cast was clearly well-drilled. All in all, an extremely enjoyable production of a thoroughly rewarding work.

Matthew Rogers, 22.05.00