Civilization and Its Discontents, the
1977 genre bending musical stage production written and composed by Michael
Sahl and Eric Salzman, not to be confused with Sigmund Freud's more famous tome
of the same title which may bend some ideas but has no music, originally
recorded in 1978 has been reissued earlier this year by Labor Records. Whether
the appropriation of Freud's title is meant suggest that the collaborators have something
more in mind that satirizing elements of modern civilization, I leave to more
analytic minds. As far as I'm concerned
farcical socio-cultural satire is enough for me.
What form a work of art is takes is always an important
consideration; you don't want to criticize a novel as though it were a sonnet,
a string quartet as though it were a symphony. In the liner notes to the
original Nonesuch release, the composers take a lot of time discussing operatic
traditions, operetta and musical theater by way of explaining what they see
themselves as doing as far as form is concerned. They see their work in the
context of those operatic traditions where comic elements often turn up as
serious critiques. Musical comedy may do the same thing, but it caters to a
more popular sensibility, or at least it often does. In essence, it would seem
that as far as Sahl and Salzman are concerned their work looks to take what
they need from both traditions.
The music itself is either all over the place or, as
New York Times critic Peter Davis called it back in the day,
"a brilliant amalgam of jazz, pop, blues and classical forms." The
trouble with amalgams is that not everyone that is happy with an evening of
jazz is equally happy with pop intrusions; blues lovers aren't necessarily
going to love what they might hear as operatic caterwauling. But when it comes
right down to it, operatic forms and musical ideas dominate. This is clear from the show's very opening
notes. It may not be the opera of
Puccini or Verdi, but opera it is. That is not to say that there aren't these
other formal elements scattered through the show, it is simply to say that pop
elements are not emphasized.
This is not a highlights album. It includes the whole of the
show which is divided into two scenes following an ABA structure. The first
scene opens in Club Bide-A-Wee where the heroine Jill Goodheart and her
boyfriend Derek have an argument and he leaves. Jeremy Jive arrives and tries
to pick her up with a line something
like: "Can you explain what Patty Smith means to you." There is a lot
of internal monologue, against the background of the club's mantra: "If it
feels good, do it." The scene ends with a show stopping jazz number.
The second scene is a farcical description of Jeremy's
attempts to seduce Jill in her apartment in the face of constant interruptions
including the return of Derek. Jeremy and Derek discover a business connection
involving a singing chicken. The third scene takes the trio back to the club
for an absurdist finale.
Jill is played by Candice Earley, Derek, by William Parry
and Jeremy by Paul Binnotto. Karl
Patrick Krause plays Carlos Arachnid who seems to be something of a combination
of club owner and master of ceremonies as he invites the audience into the
club. This, with the exception of Parry,
was the original cast of the off-Broadway production. That production was to win an award as the
best off Broadway show of the year. It
was recorded for broadcast on National Public Radio in 1980. I would assume
with some of the language cleaned up.
Civilization and its Discontents has some
very engaging music and dynamic performances.
The show's album manages to capture much of that dynamic appeal. In the end though, I suspect that this is a
musical that needs to be seen for best effect.
The album is fine; a new production would be better.
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