Gatta-Dammerung

Baring his heart, the tenor sang, "Laga baba lagaga banuna." Moved, the soprano tenderly replied, "O gaga o gaga." Her expression of love reduced the tenor to turtledove coos: "Oc curru curru curru curru curru."

This exchange, accompanied by a long-winded, brassy orchestra with lots of percussion and no fiddles, was sung last week on a Berlin stage. Abstract Opera No. 1 was the work of two leading German composer-librettists, Boris Blacher. (Romeo and Juliet, Prussian Fairytale) and Werner Egk (Columbus, Irish Legend). The work was produced with deadpan literalness and conducted by Hermann Scherchen, one of Europe's famed conductors. Nobody in the audience shouted "Shoot the composer!" or "Hang the conductor!" In fact, to Composer Blacher's amazement, a capacity crowd received the work cordially, demanding many curtain calls.

This was not what happened four years ago when the "opera" had its first stage performance in Mannheim. Then the audience reacted wildly almost as soon as the curtain rose. Emitting open vowel sounds, the tenor sang: "AUAUAUAUAU a U A U." Outdoing him, the bass boomed, "U UE U UE," only to be interrupted by a chorus which periodically burst out with "Agatta--Gatta--Gatta." These sounds so unnerved the Mannheim audience that it responded with heartfelt "pfuis!", and an incensed reviewer described it as possibly "the worst opera ever written." By contrast, some Berlin spectators last week not only found the work "interesting" but even professed to find meaning (the difficulties nations have understanding each other) in the opera high spot, an exchange between an American-sounding tenor and a Russian-sounding bass.

Bass: Da otvechai pochemu Tenor: Weather is O.K. Bass: Akh da slushaite slushaite Tenor: Weather O.K. weather is fine O.K. O.K. O.K. O.

Opera critics wondered whether German tastes were turning to slushaite, or whether Berliners were merely tired. Of Abstract Opera No. 1, Composer Blacher modestly said it was "merely an experiment," then offered good news: "The No. 1 was added as a gag, and does not mean that more such works are to come."

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