Odyssey Opera receives acclaim for Tobias Picker's "Awakenings" in Opera News
"Picker maintains a chamber-music sensibility in the through-composed score. Simple string, horn and wind accompaniment flowed effortlessly below vocal lines. An early trio—Miriam, Rose andLeonard singing for the first time in decades, underpinned by a touching, discreet violin solo—was emblematic of Picker’s aesthetic. There were moments when the tutti instruments overwhelmed the voices. High drama—there was plenty—was sometimes colored with asynchronous, shrill blasts. Nearly every scene was poignant, but some scenes were poignant too long, often with extraneous characters cluttering the stage, distracting from the action. ButPicker’s tuneful and accessible score generally supported the onstage drama gracefully, rather than emphasizing it." – Keith Powers, Opera News