Album

British composer Edward Rushton's chamber opera The Shops deals broadly and philosophically with the obsessive behavior of collectors, specifically with a collector who steals rare postage stamps from museum exhibitions. The libretto, by Dagny Gioulami, is smart and clever in its details, but it's narratively confusing and doesn't add up to much of an engaging drama. Rushton's atonal, scattered score doesn't give the material the kind of oomph needed to overcome the deficiencies of an undramatic libretto. His vocal writing shows off the voices nicely (an attribute all too often missing in new operas), but the text setting is randomly meandering and largely undifferentiated from scene to scene and from character to character. An exception is the perky, dance-like number in which the cast steps out of character and addresses the audience directly, raising philosophical questions about the ethics of personal ownership. Rushton's scoring for a very odd but effective chamber ensemble is inventive and colorful and more interesting than the vocal writing. The opera receives a first-rate production by the Opera Group, which is based in London. Patrick Bailey leads a crisp and lively performance. Singers Darren Abrahams, Anna Dennis, Phyllis Cannan, Richard Burkhard, Louise Mott, and Paul Reeves, are consistently fine and do their best to bring life to the score. NMC's sound is clean and intimate.

© Stephen Eddins, Rovi

CD 1
Edward Rushton Composer The Shops, opera Work 1:10:54 The Opera Group Ensemble, Richard Burkhard Baritone, Phyllis Cannan Contralto, Patrick Bailey Conductor, Anna Dennis Soprano, Louise Mott Mezzo-Soprano, Paul Reeves Bass, Darren Abrahams Tenor
1	Part I Scene 1: He's behaving very strangely (Roger, Curator, Oliver)	4:17			$0.99
2	Part I Scene 2: Hundred Years of Electricity in Finland, forty, unused with hinge trace (Oliver, Christoph, Judge)	2:07			$0.99
3	Part I Scene 3: Charity Issue in Support of the Red Cross (Roger, Curator)	0:35			$0.99
4	Part I Scene 4: Buy yourself something nice (Christoph, Francesca, Saleswoman)	5:08			$0.99
5	Part I Scene 5: My name is Anna (All)	1:55			$0.99
6	Part I Scene 6: This jacket is beautiful (Francesca)	2:10			$0.99
7	Part I Scene 7: Jackets must be left in the cloakroom (Curator, Francesca, Roger, Christoph)	2:02			$0.99
8	Part I Scene 8: So first you got the Blue Honolulu? (Oliver, Christoph, Roger)	3:34			$0.99
9	Part I Scene 9: It's incredible! How did he do it? (Curator, Roger, Oliver, Adele)	1:05			$0.99
10	Part I Scene 10: It's not permitted to take photographs here (Curator, Francesca, Roger, Christoph)	1:36			$0.99
11	Part I Scene 11: Stealing as a cry for help (Cordula)	2:17			$0.99
12	Part I Scene 12: Tell me about the Blue Honolulu (Cordula, Christoph)	4:22			$0.99
13	Part I Scene 13: Buy yourself something nice (Christoph, Francesca, Saleswoman, Cordula)	1:10			$0.99
14	Part I Scene 14: I had a little breakthrough last weekend … (All)	3:30			$0.99
15	Part II Scene 15: Isn't it fantastic? Christoph! Look! (Christoph, Francesca, Adele)	3:22			$0.99
16	Part II Scene 16: I've got this friend, she'd always buy dresses (Curator, Francesca, Roger, Christoph)	2:23			$0.99
17	Part II Scene 17: I'm looking for a rare item for around six thousand to eight thousand (Oliver, Saleswoman)	2:22			$0.99
18	Part II Scene 18: No question, you paid far too much (Christoph, Oliver, Cordula)	9:07			$1.49
19	Part II Scene 19: He's been caught (Francesca, Adele)	2:21			$0.99
20	Part II Scene 20: Could you imagine paying half a year's salary for a single object? (All)	3:14			$0.99
21	Part II Scene 21: Right. And these I'll flush away (Adele)	1:18			$0.99
22	Part II Scenes 22-23: Why did you do it? (Cordula, Adele, Oliver, Christoph)	2:42			$0.99
23	Part II Scene 24: Just go to your whore … (Adele, Christoph)	3:41			$0.99
24	Part II Scene 25: No! No! Wait! Oliver, help! (Cordula, Oliver)	1:54			$0.99
25	Part II Scene 26: Roger, it's me, Ollie (Oliver, Christoph)	2:42			$0.99