A moving story of sexuality shift
This hauntingly beautiful work, heard only in a reduced concert version, tells the story of a young girl coming to terms with her father's shift of sexuality.
Although only a few scenes were performed, those that were heard were moving. The father dies with a letter from his daughter proclaiming her love for him. It was this aria in particular that captivated the audience. An earlier aria in which the father cements his relationship with a much younger man was less successful but, out of context, it is hard to judge exactly how this fits in.
Pizer's musical language is heavily influenced by traditional Jewish music. The vocal lines, instead of soaring into dizzy heights, rely on introverted poetic statements that have a stronger dramatic effect. One outstanding feature of the work is the way the composer understands how to write for the voice, resulting not only in clear diction but emphasising the important words and thus ensuring the point of each character's feelings are expressed with crystalline clarity. This was a Midsumma project and proves how important this festival is in nurturing emerging artists.