It is incredible how one man can keep an audience engaged for 2 hours. I love how Lepage uses so many interesting methods to trigger senses that an audience is not always used to in theater. Though in many ways watching this performance is like watching a movie, the live performance makes it so much more interesting. By changing the volume based on where the character is at each point, playing with the brains of the audience (many scenes seem like magic), and having one man transform into various characters, Lepage and Yves Jacques transform theater into a sort of collage of various art forms. Incredible!

This was a wonderful performance in many respects. The space was completely changed after the concert began, as the voices of the Tallis Scholars have this remarkable ability to transform any space they are in. I was delighted with the choice of Gesualdo, as his music is not something that is performed all that often. Challenging as I’m sure it was, it was a delight to hear so much Gesualdo on one program. I think that the Ann Arbor community is incredibly lucky to have been able to hear such an interesting and varied program, and I look forward to seeing what the Tallis Scholars bring to Ann Arbor next.

What I love about ‘Einstein’ is the fact that a snapshot of the stage doesn’t do it justice. The way Wilson uses lighting and space is remarkable, and seeing it in person is really the only way to go. That combined with 4.5 hours of Philip Glass really makes an impact on an audience, whether they are familiar with the music of Glass or not. Musically, there are so many brilliant aspects of this opera, in part because I feel like it represents so many aspects of Glass as a composer. What I look forward to is the impact this work has on me in the future, because there is something about it that takes a while to process and sink in. To me, that is what makes it good art. You have to think about it, not necessarily in terms of what it ‘means,’ but how it applies to you. That takes time, and I think the beautiful part of this is that we’ll all have our own individual experiences with this work long-term.