By GT105316
04-Oct-2010

A chilling piece from start to finish  

I purchased this album as part of my character research for the role of Toby (a mute boy in The Medium); and was quite pleased with the recording. Rapchak has managed to make the characters almost jump out at you from your speakers. It is quite short (just over an hour), so it is ideal for listening to on your way home from work or when home alone. The story and dramatic scoring take you on the roller coaster ride of Baba's (sung by Joyce Castle) sanity slowly slipping from her as she struggles to discern the lines between reality and fiction.

As one can discern from the title the story revolves around a Medium called Madame Flora (or Baba), who holds phony-séances to con people out of their money. On the evening of one of these séances, Baba manages (or so it seems) to actually contact spirits from beyond who clutch at her throat. The opera then chronicles how she unravels and in an act of utter desperation "kills the ghost".

It is chilling and still gives me goosebumps, I recommended earlier listening to it when you are home alone, but this is only if you have the nerve.

Truly an exciting Opera and worth every cent.
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By Andrew Quint
Fanfare
01-Nov-1998