Princeton reviews: ‘Scalia/Ginsburg’ is ‘glorious’, ‘riveting’, ‘lusciously funny’
Glowing reviews are in for Derrick Wang’s opera Scalia/Ginsburg, performed by the Princeton Symphony Orchestra’s Princeton Festival on June 11, 12, and 18, 2022.
[Get tickets to the closing performance on June 18, 2022 at 7pm ET here.]
Town Topics [Princeton, NJ’s weekly community newspaper since 1946] writes, “[Derrick] Wang’s opera proved to be riveting in its cleverness and ability to keep the audience on its toes,” also praising “composer Wang’s inventive orchestration.”
U.S. 1 [Princeton, NJ’s entertainment and business newspaper] writes, “Composer Derrick Wang is far fairer than the heavenly emissary he depicts in his lusciously funny, divinely witty, and refreshingly impartial 2015 opera, “Scalia/Ginsburg,” being presented by the Princeton Festival at its Morven performance site on Saturday, June 18.…Scalia/Ginsburg is the showpiece on this double bill, and it glitters dazzlingly.”
On the creative structure of Scalia/Ginsburg:
Wang’s…open-minded evenhandedness is just one admirable element of his smart, cannily constructed piece that incorporates multiple layers of wit, from the teasing and winkingly facetious to the trenchant and incisive; waggishly includes various styles of music, some of which set up hilarious instances of dance, moue, and parody…and creates a fabulous evening of entertainment that appeals to the brain, sense of justice, and funny bone while eventually touching the heart.
On the score:
Wang has great fun with his characters, their librettos, and his musical line. In general, Wang supplies strong, passionate, demonstrative lines to his score, emphasizing the argumentative, explanatory, and heartfelt content of his libretto.
Ever the master of comic touches, Wang veers from his demagogic path for ticklingly amusing bits that borrow snatches from “The First Noel,” “The Star-Spangled Banner,” Carmen, La Bohème, and other operas or insinuate unexpected music. For example, there’s a soul beat that sets The Commentator and Scalia moving like Tina Turner’s backup dancers and moments that allow Scalia and Ginsburg to eye The Commentator with ironic, sarcastic expressions.
Overall:
Wang accounts for so much in this opera. He lets you see the deep friendship, affection, and respect Scalia and Ginsburg have for each other….
It’s wonderful to find so much to see, hear, savor, and ponder from one opera. Wang’s work is full of glorious and polished achievement…
The full U.S. 1 review can be found here.
Pictured: Justices Antonin Scalia (Nicholas Nestorak) and Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Kelly Guerra) defend themselves before The Commentator (Cody Muller) in Derrick Wang’s opera Scalia/Ginsburg. Photo credit: Jessi Franko Oliano / Carolo Pascale / Princeton Symphony Orchestra.
