While the production overall showed a high level of proficiency from the performers and the technical staff, as a work of art it didn’t go much beyond the realm of historical propaganda. One couldn’t help feeling sad at how much effort had been lavished on the presentation of a chapter from a junior high school history text. Even the exact amount of money that Mackay raised in Canada for the creation of the Tamsui Oxford College (牛津學堂) is laboriously brought up.
Looked at in the context of the many experimental operas that have been produced in recent years, one can see that the money and the high level support for Mackay — The Black Bearded Bible Man has certainly paid off in the quality of the presentation. What is still missing is a creative sensibility to direct these resources to make something more satisfying than a bald narrative of a worthy life.
Meanwhile, at the German Cultural Center on Tuesday, three times as many people showed up for jazz saxophonist Tony Lakatos as there were seats. He was in concert with three Taipei residents, Chris Stiles (piano), Martijin Vanbuel (bass) and Ed Schaefer (drums). Not sure what to make of the large turnout, or indeed of the show, I consulted some Taiwanese jazz musicians in the audience. Pianist Nathan Tu (杜迺迪) said that Lakatos’s style was essentially bebop, and that the auditorium and its acoustics were ideal for this kind of lineup.
“His technique is intuitive and unhesitating,” said trumpeter Rita Chao (趙彥婷). “His flow of musical ideas is remarkable, and his articulation superb.”
Fellow saxophonist Mark Chen (陳侯杰) found his playing smooth, and appreciated the way he spelled out his chords clearly and exactly. His tonal color was admirable, he said.
Lakatos told me he was on his way to Japan where he’d played more times than he could remember, but that this was his first visit here. His reception, though, suggests he’ll be back again soon.
I left marveling at what the center achieves. Today it was jazz, and last time it was 19th-century German lieder. I’ve heard a cappella and Bavarian zither, and everything attracts a sizeable audience, though rarely as big as Tuesday’s. There are art exhibitions too. No other foreign representative office in Taiwan appears to do anything remotely comparable.
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