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Dec. 25th, 2012 08:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
seekingferretI have received two lovely Moses und Aron fics for Yuletide.
The first one is the 'traditional' one, not that any story that bases itself on Moses und Aron can really be called traditional. Especially not one that embeds a quiet but most emphatic feminist critique of the Schoenberg opera in its narrative.
"From the Wilderness Shall Break Forth Waters
It's traditional in the sense that it bases itself in the language of the Bible and the language of Schoenberg, uses the plot of the opera and the characters of Exodus as its rough jumping off point, and it's in dialogue with all of the theological history of Exodus. Otherwise the story is wildly experimental in form, subject, and theme. And it pretty much nails everything.
If you have any interest in the Exodus story, in questions about the place of women in the Exodus story, in questions about faith and doubt and the core idea of monotheism, in the deep questions of what it means to serve god, run to read this story. It is so brilliant, and no, you probably don't need to have seen Moses und Aron to appreciate that brilliance, but knowing it does sharpen some of the clever moments.
The other story I got is a modern day AU set at a large software company where Moses is the chief scientist and Aaron the chief salesman. And God is the CEO. It's probably even more accessible without knowing the opera, but it is unquestionably still Moses und Aron fanfic, as its central focus is in asking the same questions Schoenberg does about image and idea and how they conflict. It's a beautiful mirror on our society and the continued relevance of both the Exodus story and the opera Moses und Aron to that society.
"Interactive Complexity as Indigenous to Human Systems
It is a work that I still find vaguely perplexing. I haven't fully assimilated myself to its existence. But you should check it out and form your own opinion. I promise you'll find it worthwhile. In some way.
The first one is the 'traditional' one, not that any story that bases itself on Moses und Aron can really be called traditional. Especially not one that embeds a quiet but most emphatic feminist critique of the Schoenberg opera in its narrative.
"From the Wilderness Shall Break Forth Waters
It's traditional in the sense that it bases itself in the language of the Bible and the language of Schoenberg, uses the plot of the opera and the characters of Exodus as its rough jumping off point, and it's in dialogue with all of the theological history of Exodus. Otherwise the story is wildly experimental in form, subject, and theme. And it pretty much nails everything.
If you have any interest in the Exodus story, in questions about the place of women in the Exodus story, in questions about faith and doubt and the core idea of monotheism, in the deep questions of what it means to serve god, run to read this story. It is so brilliant, and no, you probably don't need to have seen Moses und Aron to appreciate that brilliance, but knowing it does sharpen some of the clever moments.
The other story I got is a modern day AU set at a large software company where Moses is the chief scientist and Aaron the chief salesman. And God is the CEO. It's probably even more accessible without knowing the opera, but it is unquestionably still Moses und Aron fanfic, as its central focus is in asking the same questions Schoenberg does about image and idea and how they conflict. It's a beautiful mirror on our society and the continued relevance of both the Exodus story and the opera Moses und Aron to that society.
"Interactive Complexity as Indigenous to Human Systems
It is a work that I still find vaguely perplexing. I haven't fully assimilated myself to its existence. But you should check it out and form your own opinion. I promise you'll find it worthwhile. In some way.