When one thinks of rock opera, they usually think of a concept album like The Who’s Tommy or even some might argue more recently My Chemical Romance’s The Black Parade. None of these so called rock operas even come close to East Village Opera Company’s interpretation on their latest release. EVOC is giving you opera olde school style. Olde School is a collection of popular operatic pieces. The classics are there with George Handel, Johann Sebastian Bach and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and even the more modern romantics with Richard Wagner, Giuseppe Verdi and Giacomo Puccini. EVOC offers these and more with an electronic kick. 
“The Ride” originally from Richard Wagner’s Die Walkure starts this album. A wise choice considering this is probably the most recognizable tune to non-opera buffs because I think many can still hear Elmer Fudd singing, “Kill the Wabbit, Kill the Wabbit,” while hunting the clever Bugs Bunny. Wagner’s style is over the top bombastic and he relies heavily on the brass section to carry his main theme. EVOC passes the melody into the electric guitar, keeping Wagner’s edge.
On past albums, EVOC relied more heavily on a string quartet, which is still present on this album. But even more noticeable are the brass and woodwinds. When vocalist Anna Marie Milazzo sings, “the clarinet plays the tune” in “Help Me (Jove, In Pity)”, a clarinet rises with the melody. A muted trumpet shines in the jazzy rendition of “Brindisi Libera (Pop the Cork)”. Although with all these instrumental flourishes, my favorite song on the album are the instrumentally simple ones like the folksy “As You Were Then” that mostly uses guitar slides.
“Soldiers” is a song you cannot miss: a children’s choir sings of ”glorious heroes” and asks them to “give us the courage to do the same.” A radio announcer style voice gives a social commentary condemning the greediness and gluttony of the people. As the militant snare drum roll builds with the full choir singing “eye for an eye, only the blind will survive” a child’s solo voice eventually emerges to repeat the line a final time. This song is fitting not just for the era in which Faust was written, but also in today’s modern society.
The problem with a novelty album like this, is that while it is amusing to listen once through, I really only see musical theater buffs and music teachers getting into this enough to listen repeatedly. If you do find yourself in the one time only listener category, hopefully EVOC will at least inspire you to check out these operas in their full glory. These composers are worthy of imitation for reason, so I suggest experiencing another genre of music.
Tracklisting:
01. “The Ride” from Die Walkure – Richard Wagner
02. “King of the Night” from Die Zauberflote – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
03. “Help Me (Jove, In Pity)” from Semele – George Fredric Handel
04. “Brindisi Libera (Pop the Cork)” from La Traviata – Giuseppe Verdi
05. ”Gloria” from Griselda- Giovanni Bonocini
06. “Walk” from Semele – George Fredric Handel
07. “As You Were Then” from Norma- Vincenzo Bellini
08. “Soldiers” from Faust – Charles Gounod
09. “You’re Not Alone” from Cantata BWV 208 Was Mir Behagt, Ist Nur Die Muntre Jaged – Johann Sebastian Bach
10. “Va Tosca” from Tosca – Giacomo Puccini
11. “Butterfly Duet” from Madama Butterfly – Giacomo Puccini
East Village Opera Company: website | myspace
Written by: Bethany
