Opera no 118
Soloists
Munich Radio Orchestra
Giuseppe Patane
Inevitably I had to follow Leoncavallo with Mascagni - their names are forever linked because of Cav and Pag. Iris is an example of the wave of all things Japanese that made such an impact on European art and music at the end of the 19th century.
The plot is brutal and, inevitably, ends with the death of the heroine as so many of these late romantic operas do. I found some if it rather hard to take - particularly when the histrionics - weeping etc - started. Mascagni attempts to use some local colour in places, but this ended up sounding rather too kitsch in places for me. Perhaps the best part of the opera is the beginning - where there is an impressive hymn celebrating the sun - the sun plays an important symbolic role in the opera and at the end the heroine is absorbed into the sun.
So while I am pleased to have head this once I've no great appetite to want to hear it again soon.
