TOD MACHOVER: “VALIS.” Patrick Mason, baritone; various...

TOD MACHOVER: “VALIS.” Patrick Mason, baritone; various other singers, instrumentalists; electronics; Machover, conductor. Bridge BCD 9007 (compact disc). Machover’s idea looks good on paper--an opera with computerized music based on an autobiographical novel by science fiction writer Philip Dick. But the 22 innocuous sections, running just under 80 minutes, fall short of the intended, bold Post-modern statement and wilt into blandness and pretension. Mason ponderously portrays a prophetic Dick teetering on the verge of insanity after a possibly drug-related experience that divides him into two characters, “Phil Dick” and his mystic alter ego, “Horselover Fat.” The ill effect of drab narratives, lethargic arias and MTV-inspired video-songs can almost be forgiven next to Machover’s sophisticated electronic setup, but the end result remains a disappointment.