Jones) and Gertrude (the mezzo-soprano Tamara Mumford, velvety but pressed too low by the score) come together in lush exchanges, but their bond doesn’t tug at the heart. In a twist, Lyra is forced to remain mute for seven years if her brothers are to survive, but little is made of that intriguing turn, either in the music or the narrative. The scene of recognition between Lyra and her long-lost youngest sibling, Benjamin, a would-be emotional high point, passes in a flash. We know what the characters are feeling - they tend to tell us too plainly - but we don’t feel it, too. There are vocal effects - Hjarne, whose music lies sadistically low even for a bass, sometimes soars into falsetto to evoke his madness - but little vocal impact. Some melodies even have the soaring lyricism of a John Williams film score. Ruders, whose music has in the past tended toward brooding, dense dissonance, here revels in a Romantic warmth that’s embraced by the conductor, Paul Daniel. There are some artfully quiet choral passages - the Santa Fe ensemble, drawn from the company’s apprentice program, is, as ever, superb - and Mr.
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June 2023
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