Ron Chaplin asks for opinions about Thomas Ades' opera, 'Powder Her Face.'

I saw the American premiere of the opera at the Aspen Music Festival
a couple of seasons ago.  The production was marvelous.  In spite of a
groundswell of support for the opera in the press then and subsequently,
and in spite of its being produced a number of times since then, I thought
the piece itself was meretricious, shallow, facile, and empty.  Obviously
others disagree.

Ades has talent, no doubt about it.  But his eclectic style struggles a
bit too hard to be au courant.  Others have done it better, in my opinion.

Scott Morrison