Doctor Atomic

American composer John Adams continues his string of operas based on recent real-life events (which began with Nixon in China in 1987 and continued with The Death of Klinghoffer in 1991), working again with librettist-director Peter Sellars for Doctor Atomic, which focuses on the WWII-era Manhattan Project responsible for the creation of the atomic bomb. At the center is the tragic figure of Robert Oppenheimer, who brought the project to fruition over the qualms of many scientists working under him, while also dealing with a demanding government officer, and coping with his own troubled wife and child. Adams' music retains traces of his early minimalist style, but boasts greater complexity and power than in previous scores, while Sellars' libretto—which mixes poetic arias with matter-of-fact recitative passages—skillfully blends the personal, historic, and didactic. This 2007 production from De Nederlandse Opera, which followed the 2005 San Francisco premiere and a staging at Chicago's Lyric Opera, is superb in every respect, with magnificent singing from both the principals (especially Gerald Finley as Oppenheimer) and chorus, expert orchestral work under the incisive baton of Lawrence Renes, and excellent background choreography by Lucinda Childs. Presented with crystal clear audio (in DTS 5.1 and LCPM stereo), DVD extras on this double-disc set include featurettes on the opera, cast, Adams, and Sellars, as well as an extended interview with the director. HighlyUrgently recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)