tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77953991999701509652024-03-13T09:49:29.735+01:00The Operatic MusicologistA Blog with reviews of opera performances, interviews and articles about opera and classical music in general
by a group of musicologists and music professionalsDaniel Urlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367305986531605063noreply@blogger.comBlogger195125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795399199970150965.post-84240693953937531942017-08-14T17:25:00.001+02:002017-08-14T17:25:11.022+02:00<h2>
<i><u>A final farewell</u></i></h2>
Some of you might already know it, some may have expected it and for a few it might be a surprise, but the latest review of Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth in Salzburg was the final and last one of its kind. Due to a more or less sudden career change earlier this year I decided to shut down this blog and so (as some of you may have realised) there were less reviews over the last few months. This is because I only reviewed some final shows where I received press tickets and did not review any other shows anymore. I undertook some final trips to different places and the festival season in Munich and Salzburg is the finale of a project that lasted for more than 3 years and was definitely way more succesful than I thought.<br />
I want to thank everyone who spent time reading my reviews and interviews, all artists who were ready to give a young journalist a chance for some really interesting interviews and all the press offices who were so open to collaborate with me over the years including the big houses in Berlin, Vienna, Munich and the great festivals all over Austria and Germany.<br />
It was my pleasure to see so many great productions and performances over the last 3 years and get to know so many interesting people. However I realised that there are so many people now who are blogging about opera and it would take much more time to keep up the level of quality. It seems that nowadays everyone thinks that he can review an opera performance no matter if they actually have the necessary knowledge.<br />
Another reason, as mentioned, is my new job as an artist manager in an agency in Munich. I believe that it is not good to work as a reviewer at the same time and therefor the blog had to end. Nevertheless I am very happy about my new job because I have the chance to use my distinct knowledge about singing and the human voice to support talented singers and their careers.<br />
So this is the end, once again I want to thank all of you for your support.<br />
All the best to everyone of you,<br />
<br />
<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Daniel</span></i></b>Daniel Urlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367305986531605063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795399199970150965.post-31327879649004680762017-08-13T12:59:00.003+02:002017-08-13T12:59:22.940+02:00<h2>
<i><u>Dmitri Shostakovich, Lady Macbeth of the Mtensk District - Salzburger Festspiele, Großes Festspielhaus</u></i></h2>
<h4>
Performance 10th August</h4>
For my very last review on this blog I went to see a wonderful production of an opera that might not be known to everybody. Shostakovich wrote his Lady Macbeth when he was barely 25 and created an interesting highly explicit piece of musical porn. The music is a wild mix of different styles and very often I had the feeling that Puccini was a big influence, but on the other hand there are also wild and grotesque parts that show Shostakovich's crazy side. I was positively surprised by the piece and I have to say that is a very exciting opera that should be performed way more often.<br />
The production by <b>Andreas Kriegenburg</b> is really impressive and shows an almost veristic approach. All the relations between the different characters were worked out so clearly that it was almost like watching a movie. Kriegenburg was able to keep the level of excitement very high throughout the evening. Only the final death of Katerina seemed a bit over the top and predictable. I especially liked the stage by <b>Harald B. Thor</b> with that huge working class residential buildings that created a thoroughly depressing atmosphere. The smart idea to have rooms coming out from those buildings worked very well and helped to deliver the story. The costumes by <b>Tanja Hofmann</b> also helped to support the plot and the different characters. Especially the great difference between the working class and Katerina (and her old family).<br />
Musically there were no wishes to be left under the baton of <b>Mariss Jansons</b>. He knows the score perfectly well and conducted a more or less flawless performance with the <b>Wiener Philharmoniker</b>. That is why th several interludes were definitely some great musical highlight. Also the <b>Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor</b> gave a brilliant performance with great passion and lovely playfulness.<br />
Most of the many small roles were cast very well and showed the high level of the performance. I especially want to mention <b>Ksenia Dudnikova</b>'s dark soft mezzo / alto voice which suited her role very well. Also <b>Stanislav Trofimov</b> as Pope gave a wonderful performance with his drunk acting and a strong imperious voice.<br />
<b>Maxim Paster</b> also convinced as absolutely drunk and wimpy Sinowi. I do not know if he did it on purpose but his tenor voice also gave a very unstable impression which suited the role very well. If this was part of his interpretation it really worked out.<br />
As his father Boris we heard <b>Dmitry Ulyanov</b> who also gave a strong performance with a balanced powerful bass voice and an exciting interpretation. He made such a despicable impression that everyone would have killed him probably.<br />
Tenor <b>Brandon Jovanovich</b> was an incredible Sergei with passion, power, a balanced voice and great acting. I can barely imagine the role to be sung any better and he definitely earned his applause for his highly laddish acting.<br />
Due to the illness of Nina Stemme we had <b>Evgenia Muraveva</b> jumping in and singing the title role instead of the small role of Aksinya. I was really keen to hear Nina Stemme, but I have to say that Miss Muraveva probably did a better job with a beautiful strong soprano voice that is definitely more flexible than Stemme's voice. Muraveva gave a brilliant performance and really kept the excitement on a very high level throughout her performance. What a chance for this singer and maybe we will hear more of her in the future.<br />
Alltogether it really was an exciting performance and another great success for the new director of the Salzburg festival. I would give 9 stars to Lady Macbeth in Salzburg.<br />
<b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰<b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b></span></b></span></b></span></b></span></b></span></b></span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b></span></b></span></b></span></b></span></b></span></b></span></b>-</span></b></span></b><br />
Reviewed by Daniel Url<br />
<br />Daniel Urlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367305986531605063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795399199970150965.post-76150076107458803662017-08-01T10:39:00.000+02:002017-08-01T10:39:02.321+02:00<h2>
<i><u>Richard Wagner, Lohengrin - Tiroler Festspiele Erl</u></i></h2>
<h4>
Performance 29th July</h4>
Another final visit, another final review from the little village Erl with the famous Festival. Erl has also been a regular station on my several trips and so I visited the final performance of this festival. As usual the production was led by <b>Gustav Kuhn </b>himself and was rather simple, plain and focused more on the music than on intensive direction. The stage by <b>Jan Hax Halama </b>also only featured a few little details and mainly involved the staircase that goes down into the stage and several platforms for the choir. The costumes by <b>Lenka Radecky</b> also were some sort of historical and futuristic, but looked very elegant. Especially the two female protagonists looked stunning.<br />
Of course also the musical lead was in the hands of <b>Gustav Kuhn</b> who conducted with a lot of experience which sometimes seemed a bit unexciting. Nevertheless he and the <b>Orchester der Tiroler Festspiele Erl </b>did a good job supporting the singers and gave a solid pleasing performance. I also want to mention the<b> Chorakademie</b> which sounded lovely and really powerful.<br />
<b>Michael Kupfer-Radecky</b> was a luxurious Heerrufer with a strong and slender baritone of a very warm and heroic timbre. He gave a great performance and it would have been nice to hear more of him.<br />
<b>Pavel Kudinov </b>sang a very imperious and profound King Heinrich with a sonorous bass voice. Except of some top notes he gave a really wonderful performance and showed a very understanding portrayal. Especially during the first act he simply gave a lovely performance.<br />
As Telramund we heard <b>Michael Mrosek</b> who seemed a bit troubled by the role. Often he had to shorten notes and the top parts of the role definitely brought him to his limits. He seemed more like a parody than actually really intimidating which is not really helpful for that role.<br />
His wife Ortrud was sung by <b>Mona Somm</b> who seemed not to be in best shape too. I know Somm's powerful instrument quite well after her Brünnhilde and her Isolde, but this evening she did not absolutely convince me. Despite her roaring top notes she did not really show the same strenght in the lower register and simply seemed not totally comfortable with the role. I guess Ortrud simply needs a mezzo with good top and not a dramatic soprano.<br />
<b>Joo Anne Bitter </b>as Elsa is best described as probably the best Elsa I ever heard. Her light but rich soprano voice sounds beautiful and controlled throughout her whole range and she perfectly sang the role without any problematic moments. From her first notes to the very last ones she just gave a marvelous performance and despite her singing also looked beautiful with her long flowing blonde hair. BRAVA!<br />
<b>Johannes Chum</b> on the other hand was a more than problematic Lohengrin. He has a very odd timbre and his diction makes me question the language he is singing in. Consonants were barely recognisable and also the vowels sounded pretty much the same most of the time. As if this was not enough he also had to fight for the whole last act and basically had to scream the last 20 minutes in order to get through the performance. I guess the role is just out of his league.<br />
Alltogether it was still a lovely performance and I did not regret the trip. The Lohengrin in Erl gets 7 stars.<br />
<b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰- - </span></b></span></b></span></b></span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">-</span></b></span></b><br />
Reviewed by Daniel UrlDaniel Urlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367305986531605063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795399199970150965.post-3981603677449922502017-07-28T11:12:00.003+02:002017-07-28T11:12:49.524+02:00<h2>
<i><u>Gaetano Donizetti, La Favorite - Bayerische Staatsoper, Nationaltheater</u></i></h2>
<h4>
Performance 26th July</h4>
Time flies and suddenly the day for my final review in Munich came. After three years of ravishing performances here I chose an opera that I have not seen live yet for my final review. Donizetti's La Favorite is one of those rare operas that features a mezzo as main protagonist. Most people only know the great scene "O mon Fernand", but the mezzo part also features high b-flats and an optional (but usually done) high c in the first duet.<br />
The production by <b>Amelie Niermeyer</b> is dark and cold as usual. If it had been a concert version there would not have been much of a difference. Despite the moving panels of the stage (<b>Alexander Müller-Elmau</b>) there was not much going on at any moment. Even the highly dramatic finali of act 2 and 3 were utterly boring and it seemed that Niermeyer had no idea what to make out of it. The costumes (<b>Kirsten Dephoff</b>) looked pretty, but did not really convey any meaning or support the plot in any way.<br />
At least the musical part of the evening was on a very high level.<b> Karel Mark Chichon</b> conducted the <b>Bayerisches Staatsorchester </b>with a great sense for Donizetti's melodies and with marvelous dramatic drive in the ensemble scenes. He brought the very french sound of the score to life and did not fail to deliver the drama that the production could not create. The orchestra played very well with brilliant elegance and fierce excitement. The <b>Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper </b>seemed a bit unbalanced that evening and especially during their entrance scene they seemed to have some timing issues.<br />
<b>Elsa Benoit </b>was a wonderful Inès with a magnificent bright soprano voice that showed great flexibility and a lovely clear upper register. <b>Joshua Owen Mills</b> also has a very clear bright voice with a piercing timbre. He gave a solid performance as slimy Don Gaspard.<br />
<b>Mika Kares</b> showed his strong profound bass voice in the role of Balthazar and sang the role passionately and with raw venerability. His interpretation could have been a bit more differentiated, but alltogether he gave a fine performance.<br />
As Alphonse XI we heard <b>Mariusz Kwiecień</b> who did a great job in that role. His imperious flexible baritone voice suited the character very well and also acting-wise he showed great enthusiasm for the role.<br />
<b>Matthew Polenzani</b> sang the role of Fernand with great passion with his rather light, but sustainable tenor voice. He gave us some beautiful high notes and a wonderful balance of soft intimate moments and dramatic outbursts. I thought that he could have been a bit more elegant, but anyway he did a good job.<br />
Last but not least, the role of Léonor was sung by star mezzo <b>Elīna Garanča </b>who definitely was the star of the evening. Her lush dark voice combines beauty of tone, power and a marvelous sense for phrasing.Without any problems she tackled the many high parts of the role and convinced with a very emotional passionate portrayal.<br />
Alltogether it was a solid performance with some very nice moments (at least musically) and therefor I give 8 stars to Munich's La Favorite.<br />
<b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰<b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b></span></b></span></b> - </span></b></span></b></span></b></span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">-</span></b></span></b><br />
Reviewed by Daniel Url<br />
<br />Daniel Urlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367305986531605063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795399199970150965.post-87316756503107206482017-07-27T10:58:00.000+02:002017-07-27T10:58:02.445+02:00<h2>
<i><u>Carl Maria von Weber, Oberon - Bayerische Staatsoper, Prinzregententheater</u></i></h2>
<h4>
Performance 24th July</h4>
The finale premiere of this season in Munich is a real rarity that rarely finds its way into the repertoire. Weber's Oberon is not as popular as his Freischütz which might be because of its rather dull story and the unelegant libretto. The plot seems like a strange mix of Mozart's Entführung, his Zauberflöte and other influences. Operas like this can barely be approached in a serious way without becoming unbareably cheesy. However, the team around <b>Nikolaus Habjahn</b> created a wonderful production with an impressive level of entertainment. The point of the production was to create a frame story and to simply not take the story serious at all. By exaggerations the plot became highly ironic and fit perfectly into the created frame story of an experiment. I have to admit that I do not know when I had so much fun at an opera the last time. There were so many funny moments and the audience was genuinely entertained by the several interesting ideas. I also thought the the costumes (<b>Denise Heschl</b>) and the stage (<b>Jakob Brossmann</b>) looked very elegant and gave a lovely fairytale-like impression. Especially the many little panels that came from all around the stage to support the plot. Another highly interesting detail was the use of those puppets that were played by the three Pucks. It was really impressive how well the actors were able to deliver different characters with those puppets.<br />
The musical part of the evening was under the control of <b>Ivor Bolton</b> who gave a solid performance. I thought that the balance in the score could have been better most of the time and the light classiness of Weber's music was missing too. However, the <b>Bayerisches Staatsorchester</b> played well with a few little inaccuracies. Especially the natural horns were rather problematic, but alltogether the performance was fine on a good level. I especially want to mention the <b>Extrachor der Bayerischen Staatsoper </b>which sang wonderfully during the choir scenes.<br />
Of the soloists I want to mention the three Pucks (<b>Manuela Linshalm</b>,<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Daniel Frantisek Kamen</b>, <b>Sebastian Mock</b>) because they were responsible for many funny moments and helped to keep the ecxitement on a high level throughout the performance.<br />
<b>Anna El-Kashem</b> had a very short but beautiful scene as Meermädchen. She sang the beautiful scene with a lovely and genuinely beautiful soprano voice that is definitely worth more than such a small appearance. <b>Alyona Abramowa</b> showed her dark warm mezzo voice, but definitely needs to work on her diction which tended to be rather problematic (especially during the few dialogues she had to deliver).<br />
<b>Julian Prégardien</b> was a wonderful Oberon with a lovely youthful and elegant tenor voice. His noble timbre suited the role perfectly well and only his acting could have been a bit more convincing alltogether.<br />
As Fatime we heard <b>Rachael Wilson </b>with her slender focused mezzo soprano. She gave a beautiful portrayal of the role with passion and lighthearted acting skills. I especially liked her aria in the final act, the following duet with Scherasmin and the Terzett with both guys where Wilson showed her vocal skills exceptionally well.<br />
<b>Johannes Kammler</b> as Scherasmin also was a performance to remember. His light baritone voice suited the character very well and he sang the role with elegance and charm. But not only musically he knew how to catch the audience, also his acting skills were very good and he gave a wonderful performance.<br />
<b>Brenden Gunnell </b>as Hüon von Bordeaux also did a good job even though he sometimes seemed a bit uncomfortable with the highly demanding part. The many runs and the rather high tessitura pushed him to his limits, but alltogether he gave a good performance.<br />
<b>Anette Dasch</b> as Rezia seemed to have the same problem. While having a very beautiful strong and dark soprano voice, her top always gave a rather pushed impression. Surely the part calls for a more flexible kind of voice, but Dasch used her striking stage presence to make up for vocal deficits. In the end she probably gave the best overall impression with her marvelous diva-like behaviour (which was part of the production, obviously).<br />
As mentioned before, I really had a great time and much fun during the performance. Certainly the piece and the production are not perfect, but it is a wonderful example of good entertainment. Therefor I give 9 stars to the absolutely hilarious Oberon in Munich.<br />
<b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b>✰</span></b></span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b>-</span></b></span></b><br />
Reviewed by Daniel UrlDaniel Urlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367305986531605063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795399199970150965.post-1197989428660937682017-07-07T16:19:00.002+02:002017-07-07T16:19:44.857+02:00<h2>
<i><u>Richard Strauss, Die Frau ohne Schatten - Bayerische Staatsoper, Nationaltheater</u></i></h2>
<h4>
Performance 5th July</h4>
After years of intensive occupation with this marvelous work it seems obvious that I had to revisit the production in Munich this summer. Being my 4th production of FroSch this year I have a lot to compare. However, I already saw this production in Munich twice and there definitely are better ones. Compared to Die Gezeichneten <b>Krysztof Warlikowski</b> at least tells the story in a straight and more or less clear way, but the many connotations and odd pictures stay. While there is a lot going on all the time during this production it still fails very often to get to the core of the story. One could say that Warlikowski operates with some sort of diffuse conventionalism which creates some interesting pictures, but finally ends up rather random.<br />
<b>Kirill Petrenko</b> led the musical part of the evening and was celebrated like a god. He certainly shows the greatest musical rendition of that piece I ever heard, but compared to earlier performances (2013 and 2014) some parts seemed a bit sloppy everynow and then. No really great issues, but several smaller moments when the accuracy could have been better. Nevertheless the <b>Bayerisches Staatsorchester</b> certainly gave a brilliant performance under the baton of its celebrated marvelous music director.<br />
Most of the small parts were cast really well like the luxurious presence of <b>Okka von der Damerau</b> as voice from above or the guard trio (<b>Johannes Kammler</b>, <b>Sean Michael Plumb</b> and <b>Milan Siljanov</b>). <b>Elsa Benoit</b> was a great falcon and guard of the treshold with a beautiful and flexible soprano voice. <b>Dean Power</b> convinced not only as one of the three brothers, but also as fresh youngling with his youthful sonorous tenor voice.<br />
<b>Michaela Schuster</b> once again (after Berlin) as the Nurse gave a solid performance again. Her voice tends to have a rather edgy sound and it is definitely not one of the most balanced voices, but she performs the part very smartly and gave a thrilling performance with her acting skills.<br />
<b>Burkhard Fritz </b>(after Berlin AND Leipzig) once again showed that the role of the Emperor suits him well. He is absolutely reliable with power, delicacy and a good understanding of the role with all its difficulties. He seemed in better shape than in Leipzig lately and gave a flawless performance that evening.<br />
<b>Wolfgang Koch</b> was also singing Barak in Berlin too and is one of the leading singers for that role as well. Except of some minor dangerous moments he did a great job with his flexible warm baritone voice and he seemed very playful during this performance.<br />
As Färberin we heard <b>Elena Pankratova </b>(who lately jumped in at Oper Leipzig with that role) and she gave a marvelous performance even though she seemed not as fierce as usual. I had the feeling that she was a bit more careful that night, but still threw out one thrilling high note after another. Her warm and soft voice is also powerful and she definitely has a deep understanding of the character of the Dyer's Wife.<br />
The title role of the Empress was sung by <b>Riccarda Merbeth</b> who sang the role for over a decade now. However she still sings it with intensity and a beautiful ringing upper register. I am not really a fan of her voice, but she undoubtedly sings the role with great security and no fear of any high notes.<br />
Alltogether it was a lovely night and therefor I can give 9 stars to the revival of Die Frau ohne Schatten in Munich.<br />
<b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b>✰</span></b></span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b>-</span></b></span></b><br />
Reviewed by Daniel UrlDaniel Urlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367305986531605063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795399199970150965.post-18636512908801619102017-07-06T10:41:00.000+02:002017-07-06T10:41:17.604+02:00<h2>
<i><u>Franz Schreker, Die Gezeichneten - Bayerische Staatsoper, Nationaltheater</u></i></h2>
<h4>
Performance 4th July</h4>
Marking my last summer as reviewer and my last reviews in Munich I started this year's Munich Opera Festival with a marvelous rarity, a work so captivating that I do not understand why it is not part of the normal repertoire. Franz Schreker's Die Gezeichneten is an opera that clearly marks some competition for Strauss and in fact Schreker was more often performed than Strauss during his lifetime. Unfortunately the horrors of the Nazi regime ended his success and his works were forgotten.<br />
The Bayerische Staatsoper now revives this great opera in a production by <b>Krysztof Warlikowski </b>who is know for his collage style and his highly psychological productions. As usual it ended up as a diarrhoea of connotations, odd film scenes and a lot of stuff that keeps the audience from actually thinking about the philosophical questions of the piece. The opera, being quite complicated already, ended up being even less understandable and many people probably had no clue what was going on. The stage was designed by <b>Małgorzata Szczęśniak</b> who is usually working with Warlikowski. The staging reminded me of any other production they made (Die Frau ohne Schatten in Munich, Parsifal in Paris...) and stroke me as nothing new at all. The costumes also could have been from any other of their productions. Knowing the great production of Nikolaus Lehnhoff (Salzburg 2005) the one in Munich was rather disappointing.<br />
Musically it was not as striking as one would expect at the Bayerische Staatsoper as well. <b>Ingo Metzmacher</b>, making his house debut, seems like a smart choice, but I expected more. His tempi sometimes seemed rather odd and unfortunately he was not able to make the music flow appropriately. Most of the time he and the<b> Bayerisches Staatsorchester</b> seemed so busy to simply perform the score that the soul of the music was lost. The lack of elegance and the sheer fluidity of Schreker's themes led to raw brutality and almost chaotic moments. The oddest moment of the evening was the finale when the opera simply ended on a random chord instead of the actual climatic flare of the final bars. These final few bars were simply cut away which is a thing that I seriously do not understand at all.<br />
Most small roles (and there are many of those in this opera) were cast appropriately and were performed nicely. Of the smaller roles I definitely want to mention three people: <b>Alastair Miles</b> as Lodovico Nardi, <b>Dean Power </b>as Pietro and <b>Heike Grötzinger</b> as Martuccia. Miles has a great bass voice that sometimes reminded me of the great Kurt Moll. Dean Power, as usual, gave a lovely performance with his youthful beautiful tenor voice and Heike Grötzinger, another treasure of the ensemble, sang a very dramatic and thrilling maid.<br />
<b>Tomasz Konieczny </b>sang the role of the Count Adorno and was definitely one of the leading performers of the evening. His baritone combines a virile sonorous timbre with great flexibility and intensive power.<br />
<b>Christopher Maltman</b>'s baritone voice was a lovely contrast to the rather bright tone of Konieczny with his warm and elegant timbre. Maltman did not only sing his part really wonderfully, he also acted in a nice convincing way and simply gave a wonderful performance.<br />
As Carlotta we heard <b>Catherine Naglestad</b> who gave a solid performance with her meanwhile rather dramatic voice. She sang the role very passionately, but she is definitely not the right choice for this role. While her lower register has a really odd and weak timbre she lacks the bright tone and the crucial lightness which is really important for this role.<br />
The creator of the mysterious island "Elysium", <b>Alviano Salvago</b>, was sung by John Daszak who clearly reached his limits with this role. However I thought that this suits the role very well and I really liked his performance very much. His tenor voice still has a very pleasing timbre and his interpretation was not as caricatural as in many other performances. I especially liked the intensity of his reading scene before act 3.<br />
Alltogether it was absolutely magnificent to hear this wonderful piece of music even though the performance was not really on the level I originally expected it to be. At least many other theatres are staging their productions of the opera now as well and finally people have the chance to see this great opera. The performance in Munich gets 7 stars.<br />
<b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰- - </span></b></span></b></span></b></span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">-</span></b></span></b><br />
Reviewed by Daniel UrlDaniel Urlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367305986531605063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795399199970150965.post-9516609434181006282017-06-21T22:33:00.001+02:002017-06-21T22:33:14.734+02:00<h2>
<i><u>Richard Strauss, Die Frau ohne Schatten - Oper Leipzig</u></i></h2>
<h4>
Performance 18th June</h4>
As final part of my marathon (day 5 and opera 6) I revisited a production of my all time favorite opera and probably the most glorious pieve ever written: Strauss' Die Frau ohne Schatten. Being the subject of my Master thesis I simply could not resist to get back to see the Leipzig production which I already saw quite exactly three years ago when it premiered. So it is quite a matter of destiny that after more than 3 1/2 years of regular visits and reviews from Leipzig I would end my final trip as a reviewer here with my favorite opera.<br />
The production by <b>Balasz Kovalik</b> is quite interesting even though it tends to be irrepressibly cheesy with its Sissi aesthetics. The idea itself seems to be not to bad if you know the piece well enough, but sometimes Kovalik's direction simply ends up being too theatrical. On the other hand I have to give him credit for some moments that really created some intense atmosphere and filled the story with life. Especially because of the flamboyant stage and costumes by <b>Heike Scheele</b> which were really impressive and absolutely marvelous to watch.<br />
Musically it was definitely the most pleasing one of the three evenings. Maestro <b>Ulf Schirmer </b>and the <b>Gewandhausorchester</b> played wonderfully with intense passion and captivating power. Thanks to the fact that this score is already so thick that loudness is definitely not a problem most of the time Schirmer's tendency for loud performances was not a problem this time. Also the powerful voices of most of the protagonists prevented the covering by the orchestra. Due to the difficulty of the score I can imagine that Schirmer and the orchestra saved their energy for this performance to make it a really exciting treat.<br />
The many different smaller roles were solidly cast and supported the story very well. I definitely want to mention <b>Patrick Vogel</b> as the voice of the younling with a beautiful youthful tenor voice and <b>Magdalena Hinterdobler</b> as ravishing guard of the treshold. <b>Tuomas Pursio</b> seemed more comfortable with the role of the spirit messenger than as Jochanaan the night before. I still am not really a fan of his raw top register, but he gave a solid performance.<br />
<b>Karin Lovelius</b> really surprised me in the role of the Nurse, Her voice might not be perfect for the role, but she managed it rather well. She smartly avoided difficulties with a very intelligent and highly expressive interpretation. The range of the role definitely took her to her limits, but she did a good job delivering the character.<br />
<b>Franz Grundheber </b>as Barak also was a positive surprise. It is really incredible in what good shape his voice still is (being almost 80). He managed the part without any issues and also showed a very smart interpretation. I really have to say that he can still sing the role better than most other baritones who are much younger. Grundheber was able to convince with his singing which reflected great experience in this repertoire.<br />
<b>Burkhard Fritz</b>, as usual, was a very reliable Emperor with easy high notes and a tenor voice that carries easily through the auditorium. He is probably the leading singer for this role at the moment and probably also the only one who can convince in it as a whole. Especially his scene during act is simply exciting and impressive.<br />
Due to the fact that Jennifer Wilson was sick we had the pleasure to witness a jump-in of a very interesting sort. While someone from the production was acting on stage we had <b>Elena Pankratova</b> singing the role of the Dyer's Wife from the side of the stage. She also is one of the leading performers in that role and convinces with the sheer power and evenness of her timbre. She can through out the demanding top notes of that nagging role without any problems and definitely impressed the audience with her performance.<br />
Nevertheless, the most impressive part of the evening was <b>Simone Schneider</b> as Empress. I have to say that I have never heard anyone sing this role on such a high level. Schneider's voice is absolutely unique and combines unbelievably even transitions with power and sheer beauty of tone. From almost mezzo-like registers to gleaming top notes (including the feared high d) that convince with that silvery Straussian tone she knows how to deliver the drama of the character through her singing. Her performance was undoubtedly the most amazin Strauss singing I have heard for a long time and I cannot imagine this role being sung better by anyone at the moment. BRAVA!!!!<br />
Alltogether it was a glorious end of the Strauss weekend and I can definitely give 9 stars to this amazing Frau ohne Schatten performance.<br />
<b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b>✰</span></b></span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b>-</span></b></span></b><br />
Reviewed by Daniel UrlDaniel Urlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367305986531605063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795399199970150965.post-64822162456774414372017-06-18T21:53:00.001+02:002017-06-18T21:53:27.275+02:00<h2>
<i><u>Richard Strauss, Salome - Oper Leipzig</u></i></h2>
<h4>
Premiere Performance 17th June</h4>
Day 4 of my marathon featured the premiere of Strauss' Salome in Leipzig, a work that I have supervised myself once. Knowing the piece quite well I might be very picky as well, but the performance in Leipzig was definitely no disappointment.<br />
The production by <b>Aron Stiehl </b>is featuring the usual ideas that come with that piece, but does not really bring something new to the piece. Many things have already been done by other houses and there are definitely more differentiated productions. The stage and costumes by the artist <b>rosalie</b> (who sadly passed away recently) helped Stiehl's interpretation very much with the impressive setting and the extravagant costumes. The futuristic palace and its surrounding had some great details that supported the plot very well. I especially liked the extensive use of the staircases which created an interesting atmosphere.<br />
Musically I was a bit disappointed by <b>Ulf Schirmer</b> that evening, because apart of the usual loudness of the orchestra I missed the diversity of colours and themes that are featured in this masterful score. Some parts of it seemed too unbalanced and the lack of clarity sometimes clouded the overall impression of the <b>Gewandhausorchester</b>. Once again the loudness also interfered with the musical lines so that the dramatic flow was disturbed by the sheer power of the orchestra. Sometimes less is more...<br />
Most of the small roles were cast solidly with appropriate voices. The quintet of the jews could have been a bit more balanced, but everything worked out quite well anyway. <b>Sandra Maxheimer</b> gave a good performance as Page with a very youthful and soft mezzo voice. <b>Sergei Pisarev</b> as Narraboth was definitely one of the highlights of the evening. His beautiful bright and youthful tenor voice suited the role perfectly and he sang it with lovely passion and devotion. Quite a pity that he dies so early in the plot.<br />
<b>Karin Lovelius</b> as Herodias also sang her role without any issues, but did not really seem to be absolutely comfortable with the role. Her outbreaks sometimes gave the impression that she was too busy doing everything the right way.<br />
As her husband Herodes we heard <b>Michael Weinius </b>who was a bit disappointing in my opinion. Probably just because I was expecting more of him. His heroic tenor voice seemed not flexible enough at certain moments and like Lovelius he just gave the impression that this is not really his type of role.<br />
<b>Tuomas Pursio </b>as Jochanaan also turned out to be rather problematic. While his baritone voice is easily heard through the orchestra, it tends to sound rather shaky at the top which leads to unreliable intonation. The pushed upper register also prevents proper phrasing and therefor I was not really pleased with his performance unfortunately.<br />
The most awaited part of the performance was <b>Elisabet Strid</b>'s debut in the title role. After her Siegfried Brünnhilde Salome seems to be a rather smart choice for a role, but ultimately she had to fight quite hard against Schirmer and his wall of sound. She managed the role without any problems, but I personally think that her voice is not flexible and agile enough for this role which calls for a very certain kind of voice. Surely, she did have all of the notes, but it simply did not go as easy as it should and so I was not as enchanted as I expected. Nevertheless she did a good job and definitely celebrated a great success.<br />
After the pretty loud Arabella the night before I think that Salome could have been a bit more sophisticated. In the end it was a pleasing night that had no great issues, but also no real surprises or exceptional performances. Therefor 8 stars seem to be appropriate for a high level performance that could have been better.<br />
<b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b>✰</span></b></span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.28px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">- </span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.28px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">-</span></b><br />
Reviewed by Daniel UrlDaniel Urlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367305986531605063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795399199970150965.post-43925651327831411122017-06-18T14:26:00.003+02:002017-06-18T21:53:36.254+02:00<h2>
<i><u>Richard Strauss, Arabella - Oper Leipzig</u></i></h2>
<h4>
Performance 16th June</h4>
Everyone who reads my blog knows that Leipzig has always been a regular destination for me due to the intensive Strauss and Wagner programming here and also because of their casting choices. After almost 3 1/2 years I am happy that it is also part of my last big trip as reviewer visiting the Strauss weekend with three Strauss operas in a row starting with his lyrical comedy, Arabella.<br />
The production by <b>Jan Schmidt-Garre</b> combines elegance and plain simplicity. The focus of his works is bringing out the relations and emotions of the different characters which works out really well. The puzzle-like stage (<b>Heike Scheele</b>) is changing almost constantly and creates an insecure undecisive atmosphere which suits the story perfectly. I especially liked the elegant and beautiful costumes by <b>Thomas Kaiser </b>which gave the evening some noble radiance.<br />
<b>Ulf Schirmer</b> conducted the performance and showed a clean score full of details. He knows the music very well, but unfortunately he has this utterly annoying tendency to let the orchestra be too loud. That caused some problems that evening and left some singers almost unheard. The <b>Gewandhausorchester</b>, though playing the score really wonderfully, simply covered the singers most of the times when they should rather be in the background. Certain moments like the love duet in act 2 (Und du wirst mein Gebieter) simply cannot unfold their magic when the music is too loud which was the case for most of the evening.<br />
Most of the small roles were cast very well with a great spectrum of voices. <b>Paul McNamara</b>, <b>Jürgen Kurth</b> and <b>Sejong Chang</b> convinced as the three elegant and jealous Counts Elemer, Dominik and Lamoral. <b>Katja Pieweck </b>gave a solid performance during her short scene as Kartenaufschlägerin and <b>Diana Tomsche</b> enchanted the audience as stratospheric Fiakermilli.<br />
<b>Jan-Hendrik Rooterin</b> as Waldner was unfortunately rather weak and had serious issues to be heard at all. He played the role very convincing, but it was really hard to hear him, especially when someone else was singing too. Same is valid for <b>Renate Behle </b>as Adelaide. Some notes were breaking through the orchestra without problems, but much of her singing did not succeed to do so.<br />
As Matteo we heard <b>Markus Francke</b> who gave a solid performance with a youthful bright tenor voice. He was very convincing in his role and showed great acting talent as well as a deep understanding of the character. His top could sound easier everynow and then, but alltogether he gave a pleasing performance.<br />
<b>Olena Tokar</b> also sang the role of Zdenka with great passion and devotion. Her full and strong soprano easily soars over the orchestra and has a beautiful timbre. She gave a lovely performance even though I was hoping for more light clarity in her timbre which is quite important for Strauss roles like this one. If her top notes only had this special Straussian silvery tone she would be a perfect cast.<br />
<b>Thomas J. Mayer</b> is an experienced Mandryka who knows the tricky parts of the role and knows how get through it without problems. He is probably one of the leading singers for this part at the moment and it was a pleasure to hear him in it again. His strong and warm baritone voice has the necessary power and stamina to fight the wall of sound that Schirmer sends from the orchestra pit and he is really convincing as Mandryka.<br />
Last, but not least, the role of Arabella was sung by <b>Betsy Horne</b> who has a wonderful full-bodied voice that combines a beautiful timbre with the flexibility and ability to fill the Straussian parlando style with life. I think her voice has the perfect colour for this role, but she has to work on her top which strikes me rather unreliable. There is a distinct break between middle and upper register which needs a more even transition so that she can let the top notes float with more ease.<br />
Alltogether it was a solid performance with some lovely moments. If only the loudness did not affect the overall impression that much... 8 stars.<br />
<b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b>✰</span></b></span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.28px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">- </span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.28px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">-</span></b><br />
Reviewed by Daniel UrlDaniel Urlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367305986531605063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795399199970150965.post-10795425236066648342017-06-18T13:39:00.000+02:002017-06-18T13:39:18.088+02:00<h2>
<i><u>Richard Wagner, Der Ring des Nibelungen - Siegfried - Staatstheater Nürnberg</u></i></h2>
<h4>
Performance 15th June</h4>
As final big trip as reviewer I decided to take the possibility to travel to some of the cities I visited regularly during the last years, but also one last new one. For the first day of my 5 day opera marathon (including 6 opera performances and a panel discussion) I made a stop in the Bavarian city of Nuremberg (Nürnberg) to see their production of Wagner's Siegfried.<br />
The production by <b>Georg Schmidleitner </b>shows an intensive knowledge of the plot and brings a very entertaining, but also sophisticated irony into the evening. Many little ironical details create an interesting fraction between the pathos of Wagner's story and the light-hearted irony of Schmiedleitner's direction. It might not please everyone and may seem offensive and disrespectful to some people, but I thought that it showed a great mind behind the production. The stage by <b>Stefan Brandtmayr</b> also showed some really interesting ideas and especially the second act with the moving street and the decayed surroundings created an intense and exciting atmosphere. <b>Alfred Mayerhofer</b> designed the rather simple and common costumes which supported the story quite well too.<br />
The musical lead of <b>Marcus Bosch</b> was surprisingly strong and he led the <b>Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg</b> with great understanding of the score. The orchestra did a great job following his lead and played a very clear and accurate rendition of the score. I have to admit that I have never heard the final bars of the first act finale (which are really a challenge for every orchestra) being played so clear and well balanced before. Unfortunately Bosch and the orchestra also tended to be way too loud for much of the whole performance and so very often the structure of the music got lost in the sheer display of power.<br />
<b>Ina Yoshikawa</b> as Waldvöglein gave a solid performance with light lyric soprano voice that could have had a bit more of a clear timbre and more lightness in her phrasing. <b>Nicolai Karnolsky</b> as Fafner was equipped with a microphone to create reverb which made his performance a bit more complicated. For this role I would wish for a more profound and darker bass voice.<br />
As Erda we heard <b>Judith Schmid </b>who has the right timbre for this role. Her creamy mysterious alto voice could be more flexible sometimes and her top was a it shaky, but apart of that she gave a pleasing performance during her scene in act 3.<br />
<b>Martin Winkler</b> sang a very good Alberich with his raw dark voice which suited the character very well. If his diction were a bit clearer he could have been even better, but as I said, he did a great job anyway.<br />
<b>Hans Kittelmann</b> as Mime gave an exceptional performance with a wide spectrum of colours and an excellent understanding of the text. He changed the colour of his voice so intensively depending on the words he sang that he gave a whole new dimension to the role. His light tenor voice might not be the most impressive one, but he showed great intelligence with his interpretation.<br />
The role of Wanderer was sung by <b>Antonio Yang</b> who also filled the role with life and sang it with great passion. His noble baritone voice suited the role wonderfully and apart of some little text mistakes he gave a flawless performance. Of course he might have difficulties in bigger houses, but in that house he definitely gave a marvelous performance.<br />
<b>Rachael Tovey</b> as Brünnhilde was a bit problematic and left me rather disappointed in the end. While having a nice and steady middle register and a good lower register her top is simply not convincing. This might not be a problem for the Walküre Brünnhilde, but in Siegfried it is highly dangerous because the tessitura is significantly higher. Most notes above f felt short or had shaky intonation. However, the real sin of the evening was the fact that she decided to not even attempt the final high c of the love duet. Moments like this are simply not negotionable and simply destroy the structure of the piece!<br />
The hero of the evening was <b>Vincent Wolfsteiner </b>as Siegfried with a voice that really impressed me a lot. His tenor voice combines the power of a Heldentenor with the light and easy top of a Charaktertenor. He is definitely one of the best Siegfrieds I heard so far and was worth the travel. In the end of the evening there seemed to be less brightness in his timbre, but he did not fail to deliver everything until the very last note. Bravo!<br />
Alltogether a pleasing performance with a few deficits, but I enjoyed it and was happy to visit the house for my farewell tour. 8 stars.<br />
<b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b>✰</span></b></span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.28px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">- </span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.28px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">-</span></b><br />
Reviewed by Daniel UrlDaniel Urlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367305986531605063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795399199970150965.post-73302027996026956182017-05-29T17:57:00.001+02:002017-05-29T17:57:05.428+02:00<h2>
<i><u>Richard Wagner, Tannhäuser - Bayerische Staatsoper, Nationaltheater</u></i></h2>
<h4>
Performance 25th May</h4>
After a rather quiet month I went to see the new production of Tannhäuser in Munich shortly after its premiere. The long awaited production features many interesting reasons to have a look at it and so I decided to do so. The production is led by<b> Romeo Castellucci </b>who is also responsible for the stage and the costumes. I have to admit that I still do not know if I liked or disliked the staging. Castellucci shows an extremely sophisticated and highly philosophical version of Tannhäuser and everyone who came to see a more or less traditional Tannhäuser was probably very disappointed. He showed some really interesting ideas and a very symbolical concept that had some incredibly strong moments. The whole production is simply highly aesthetical and follows an extremely aesthetical concept that works quite well. There is no such thing as a traditional direction of the characters, but a lot of symbols and many images that create an atmosphere without necessarily telling a story. Optically it was definitely a highly interesting production that clearly captured the audience with its aesthetics. However, sometimes I had the feeling that Castellucci made the work end up more complicated than it is. I think that the production is really interesting for people who know the piece well and are open to new views on the work. Unfortunately this might be the problem because people who are new to the work or opera in general surely felt like having a drug trip (not necessarily in a positive way) and probably did not get everything Castellucci wanted to deliver.<br />
Musically the evening also was long awaited due to <b>Kirill Petrenko</b>'s debut conducting this very work. I thought that he did a good job with a clear idea of the music and a extremely clean interpretation of the score. I sometimes felt that his tempi are quite rushed, but not in an extreme way. He gave me the impression that he worked really hard on the piece, but did not really find his relation with it yet. The <b>Bayerisches Staatsorchester</b> played very well and followed Petrenko's lead with passion and clarity. Some minor inaccuracies were there, but nothing really serious.<br />
The <b>Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper</b> did a great job with the really important choir part of the opera. I sometimes felt that the sopranos could have been a bit stronger, but alltogether they gave a wonderful performance and ended the opera with a ravishing final chorus.<br />
<b>Georg Zeppenfeld </b>sang the role of Hermann and even though the part is not really big he did not fail to absolutely convince with it. Zeppenfeld is probably one of the most reliable singers out there and a guarantee for a nice performance. He sang the part very refined with his unique noble and solemn bass voice.<br />
As Wolfram we heard <b>Christian Gerhaher</b> who did a solid job, but did not really convince me. His singing sometimes sounded too operatic on one hand and too much like Lied on the other hand. Especially the recitative-like parts in the beginning of act 3 were so mannered that it simply lost all drama and seemed more like a Liederabend. Of course he did not do a bad job, but I thought that his interpretation lacked soul and dramatic flow.<br />
<b>Elena Pankratova </b>on the other hand did even exceed my expectations as Venus. Her powerful focused soprano has the necessary depth and also the easy top for the high notes. No doubt that she is one of the leading singers for that role at the moment and I am really happy to have heard her.<br />
In the role of Elisabeth <b>Anja Harteros</b> seemed to be a rather dramatic choice, but nevertheless she did a solid job. I have to say that I could name other singers who would be a better choice for that certain role, but Harteros is professional enough to make it her own as well. She convinces with a strong and well balanced soprano voice that was able to deliver the drama of her character very well.<br />
The most problematic performance of the evening was give by <b>Klaus Florian Vogt</b> as Tannhäuser. His extremely clear bright voice seems to be a rather strange choice for a role that is know to be a voice killer. Of course he has the power and stamina to endure a performance like that, but it simply feels weird to hear him in such a role. The one thing his voice definitely lacks is passion and colour. I would say that even a sinus tone has more timbre and colours than Vogt's voice that sounds the same throughout the whole performance. No matter if he sings of love, despair or death, he simply cannot give any other colour than the natural bright timbre of his voice. I thought that he was not as bad as I expected, but he definitely did not convince me in this role and I am sure there are enough other singers who could do a better job.<br />
Alltogether it was a nice performance that really made me think a lot and clearly has give me a strong and lasting impression. As I already said, I still do not know what to think about it, but it was definitely a performance on a very high level and therefor I can surely give 8 stars.<br />
<b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b>✰</span></b></span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.28px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">- </span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.28px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">-</span></b><br />
Reviewed by Daniel UrlDaniel Urlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367305986531605063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795399199970150965.post-76886709760822228732017-05-02T13:26:00.002+02:002017-05-02T13:26:23.735+02:00<h2>
<i><u>Gustav Mahler, Symphony No. 8 (Symphony of a Thousand) - Elbphilharmonie Hamburg</u></i></h2>
<h4>
Performance 30th April</h4>
Part two of my epic music weekend in Hamburg was a visit at the prestigious Elbphilharmonie with one of the greatest symphonies of all time and a piece that definitely earns the designation epic. Before I will talk about the concert itself I want to say a few words about the hall and its acoustics. Much has been written about it and still you have to get your own impression about the sound of the new Elbphilharmonie. No doubt it is an incredibly spectacular building and I spent two hours before the concert to discover much of it. The hall looks marvelous and is definitely an eyecatcher (as well as the view from the several floors (11th to 16th floor to be exact)). Acoustically I was not as disappointed as I originally expected. The acoustics are really cold and mercilessly clear. In addition to this extreme clarity (which unfortunately does not create a homogenous consonance) the music often sounds strangely choppend and phrases are torn apart. So in the end, the acoustics are not as bad as some reports made me expect, but they definitely are rather difficult for the ensemble because they are not very supportive.<br />
However, the concert itself was simply great and probably the best performance of the piece I ever heard live. Due to the illness of Kent Nagano, <b>Eliahu Inbal </b>took over the lead of the concert. With his more than 80 years he still brought so much energy and power into the performance that it was really impressive. Being a Mahler specialist, he pointed out many great details of the magnificent score and led the <b>Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg</b> to simply glorious performance. The huge orchestra did a wonderful job and played with intense passion as well as a nice balance between the different instrument groups.<br />
The choirs (<b>Chor der Hamburgischen Staatsoper</b>, <b>Hamburger Alsterspatzen </b>& <b>Staatlicher Akademischer Chor Latvija</b>) also sounded wonderfully balanced and had a great range from absolutely silent to powerful forte. Especially during the famous chorus mysticus they showed great harmony and gave a ravishing performance.<br />
The several soloists were very well cast as well and featured wonderful voices. The sopranos (<b>Sarah Wegener</b>, <b>Jacquelyn Wagner</b> & <b>Heather Engebretson</b>) combined powerful clear top registers with a very beautiful warm timbre.<br />
<b>Daniela Sindram</b> and <b>Dorottya Láng</b> sang the two mezzo parts with their strong dark voices and were a great contrast to the sopranos. The tenor part was sung by <b>Burkhard Fritz</b> who did a great job once again. He did not show any fear of the high tessitura and managed his part without any problems.<br />
<b>Kartal Karagedik</b> and <b>Wilhelm Schwinghammer</b> sang the two low voice parts and also met the high niveau of the performance. Karagedik's baritone voice has a heroic, sonorous timbre while Schwinghammer convinced with his dark and elegant bass voice.<br />
As I already mentioned the performance was brilliant and I was really touched by this glorious work. I definitely can say that this was the best Mahler 8th I ever heard and therefor I can definitely give 9 stars to this marvelous performance in the new Elbphilharmonie.<br />
<b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b>✰</span></b></span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b>-</span></b></span></b><br />
Reviewed by Daniel UrlDaniel Urlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367305986531605063noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795399199970150965.post-1499204308531095722017-04-30T19:02:00.000+02:002017-04-30T19:02:31.497+02:00<h2>
<i><u>Richard Strauss, Die Frau ohne Schatten - Hamburgische Staatsoper</u></i></h2>
<h4>
Performance 29th April</h4>
For a long time I have planned this weekend in Hamburg full of epic music and a visit to the new and long awaited Elbphilharmonie, but the first evening was reservated for my all time favorite opera and the subject of my master thesis (I might have mentioned it before). So I simply had to pass and have a look at it and I certainly did not regret it. For the production in Hamburg they decided to do the usual cut version introduced by Böhm. I am not really a fan of cuts, but if there have to be cuts, this is the version to do.<br />
The production was led by <b>Andreas Kriegenburg</b> who created a very atmospheric surrounding for the opera with a mix of intense reality and fairytale-like fiction. He did not put the Empress, but the Dyer's Wife into the center of the story and told her story in a dreamlike fantasy that includes her and her alter ego (the Empress) and their difficulties. Both, the stage (<b>Harald B. Thor</b>) and especially the costumes (<b>Andrea Schraad</b>) were really impressively supportive to the plot and helped to elaborate the highly complex relations of the opera. I think in terms of the production it is certainly one of the best ones I have seen so far with its plain simplicity and highly emotional direction.<br />
After the cancellation of Kent Nagano who should have conducted the evenin originally the operahouse was able to find an appropriate replacement with <b>Axel Kober</b> who showed that he knows the piece very well. Sometimes I felt that his tempi were quite swift, but alltogether it was a ver pleasing performance. The <b>Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg</b> played very well with great intensity and a wonderful range of colours. The marvelous instrumentation of Strauss was so captivating that it was a pleasure to just sit and listen.<br />
The many small roles were sung solidly and did not give any reason for critique. Especially <b>Alex Kim</b> as the Youngling and <b>Gabriele Rossmanith </b>as Red Falcon & Keeper of the Treshold were done really wonderfully. Both with beautiful light voices and passionate legato singing. <b>Bogdan Baciu </b>also did a great job as Spirit Messenger with his powerful and dramatic baritone voice. I am quite sure that he might tackle the role of Barak someday in the future.<br />
In the role of the Emperor we heard <b>Roberto Saccà </b>who was a rather lyrical choice for the role. He convinced with his easygoing top and a beautiful youthful timbre while his lower parts tended to sound a bit weak and simply not powerful enough. However he managed to do a good job with that really cruel tenor part (Strauss really must have hated tenors to write such difficult roles).<br />
<b>Andrzej Dobber </b>probably gave this evening's best performance as Barak with a strong and flexible baritone voice that combines a warm and tender timbre with power and a highly convincing interpretation. He did not just sing his part really well, he also acted wonderfully and really made the audience believe that he IS Barak.<br />
Changing her repertoire from being a former Färberin to singing the role of the Nurse now, <b>Linda Watson</b> showed that she is one of the great dramatic sopranos of our times. She managed the low parts of the role without any problems and also the high notes were as intensive as I expected. I personally thought that there is still potential when it comes to diction, but alltogether it definitely was a luxurious choice for that role.<br />
Making her debut in that role, <b>Lise Lindstrom</b> sang the role of the Dyer's Wife and did a wonderful job with it. Compared to other singers of that role Lindstrom has a very bright and slender voice, but convinces with powerful and laser-like high notes that do not seem to bother her at all. Her performance was really touching and showed great understanding of the role. She definitely studied the role very well and did a great job.<br />
Finally, the title role, the role of the Empress, was sung by <b>Emily Magee </b>who already sang the role several times. Her middle and upper register is incredibly clear and soft (perfect for the role) and she did not fear any of the high notes (including several high c's and also a d). Her lower register sometimes sounded a bit rough and rather expressive, but alltogether she gave fine performance and showed that she knowes to ration her power in that role.<br />
Alltogether it was a magnificent and really touching performance that did not fail to convince me. The combination of good singing and a smart production really worked very well and so I can give 8 stars to Frau ohne Schatten in Hamburg.<br />
<b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b>✰</span></b></span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.28px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">- </span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.28px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">-</span></b><br />
Reviewed by Daniel UrlDaniel Urlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367305986531605063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795399199970150965.post-75551307566112324792017-04-30T18:06:00.001+02:002017-04-30T18:06:12.568+02:00<h2>
<i><u>Giuseppe Verdi, La Traviata - Bayerische Staatsoper, Nationaltheater</u></i></h2>
<h4>
Performance 26th April</h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">After the
Tristan debacle earlier this month I went to see Verdi’s adaptation of Dumas‘
Dame aux camelies known as La Traviata. An opera that is widely known and is
played regularly and the title role is probably the dream role of most dramatic
coloratura sopranos. The performance at the Bayerische Staatsoper sounded
pretty promising with famous soprano Sonya Yoncheva as Violetta, a role that
she is widely known for.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">The
production by <b>Günter Krämer </b>is rather conservative and made a pretty boring and
unexciting impression with few ideas that mostly were not elaborated
appropriately. The costumes (<b>Carlo Diappi</b>) and the stage (<b>Andreas Reinhardt</b>)
might have been lovey to watch, but there was no drama taking place
throughout the evening. I have never been less touched by a Traviata
performance than this very evening and already during the prelude I felt
genuinely bored. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Unfortunately
not only the production itself, also the musical part of the evening did not
really convince me the way I hoped it would. Conductor <b>Andrea Battistoni</b> (despite
being Italian) lacked grace and real Italianità. He tried to convince with
sheer power and loudness instead of deep knowledge of the score. Very often
there were issues of timing (especially when the choir was onstage) and the
worst thing was his extremely annoying humming. Even in the 15<sup>th</sup> row
I could hear him hum along the score (though it sounded as if he hummed in
another key). The <b>Bayerisches Staatsorchester</b> did a solid job and did its best.
At some moments they were close to find the right Traviata tone, but Battistoni
simply could not trigger the magic of the score. Despite of the mentioned
timing issues the <b>Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper </b>sounded refined and well balanced.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">The many
small roles (often only a small line) were cast appropriately and sometimes
showed some interesting voices. I definitely want to mention<b> Rachael Wilson</b> as
Flora and <b>Kristof Klorek</b> as Dr. Grenvil who both gave very good performances.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><b>Leo Nucci</b>,
definitely a legend in the Italian repertoire, was singing the role of Giorgio
Germont. Being a legend nowadays seems to make people believe that they shall
go on singing no matter if they can actually deliver a role appropriately.
Nucci might have been able to hit the notes (more or less), but there was no
phrasing and simply no explainable reason why someone would still cast him.
Interestingly also his Italian was absolutely not to understand (even if you
knew what he should have been singing).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><b>Arturo
Chacón-Cruz</b> also did not really stand a chance with this role. I can imagine
that he might be a good choice for small houses, but the Nationaltheater in
Munich is definitely way to big for his light tenor voice. Too often he had
problems to be heard over the orchestra and simply could not deliver a
convincing performance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">The star of
the evening was <b>Sonya Yoncheva</b> as Violetta. Yoncheva’s voice sounded immensely
powerful and filled the audience so easily that I was rather suspicious after
the first act. However, in act two I realised that there is a normal reason for
it. Most of the singing took place at the very fron of the stage and so no
sound was lost onstage. Yoncheva gave a good performance with a strong voice
and good phrasing, but altogether I missed the grace and lightness I would
expect from a Violetta. Most of her singing was simply loud and in the final
act she seemed to have some intonation issues in the upper register.
Nevertheless it was a good performance, but maybe there is a bit much hype
about her Violetta.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Alltogether
it was definitely better than the dreadful Tristan lately, but still not
absolutely convincing. I left the performance without sheding a single tear and
therefor there will only be 8 stars for this Traviata.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b>✰</span></b></span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.28px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">- </span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.28px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">-</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Reviewed by
Daniel Url<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Daniel Urlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367305986531605063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795399199970150965.post-78684040988267928562017-04-17T22:20:00.005+02:002017-04-17T22:20:43.516+02:00<h2>
<i><u>Richard Wagner, Tristan und Isolde - Bayerische Staatsoper, Nationaltheater</u></i></h2>
<h4>
Performance 13th April</h4>
After almost two years of absence the wonderful production of Tristan in Munich had a comeback and I have to admit that I was rather excited to see a performance because of the new Isolde they had scheduled. In the past we had legendary Waltraud Meier do it and for the future we were supposed to have the exceptional Christiane Libor do it, but instead (due to a cancellation of Libor) we got Petra Lang. However, not only Lang was rather problematic during this performance, also the rest of the ensemble had a really really bad night. The first problem was the acting of the performance. Knowing the production I am aware of its playful ideas and <b>Peter Konwitschny</b>'s view of the work. Unfortunately most acting during this performance was quite mechanic and clearly studied. That led to a pretty unsatisfying and absolutely not exciting performance of the work that ended up feeling like 10 hours instead of the ususal 4 hours. It is a pity that almost noone of the cast was able to really convince with this normally great production.<br />
Musically there were some serious issues as well that should not happen in a house like the Munich State Opera. <b>Simone Young</b> showed a wonderful rendition of the score together with the <b>Bayerisches Staatsorchester</b> and if had been a concert suite it would have been extremely interesting, but strangely the interaction with the singers was a bit uneven and lacked flexibility. Very often the timing of the orchestra and the singers did not really match and so some sloppy moments happened that could have been avoided.<br />
The smaller roles were sung solidly and more or less appropriately. I especially want to mention <b>Dean Power </b>who sang a youthful and charming sailor. <b>Francesco Petrozzi</b> was a rather strained and unflexible Melot, but managed his part without any serious issues.<br />
<b>Iain Paterson</b> was a fine Kurwenal and gave a convincing performance this evening. I have heard him singing this role in Bayreuth were I liked his performance a bit more, but he did not fail to convince in Munich as well with a emotional and very caring portrayal of the role.<br />
<b>Okka von der Damerau </b>gave her long awaited debut as Brangäne and was definitely one of the pleasing performances of the evening. Her warm and strong mezzo voice suited the role wonderfully and she convinced with power and beautifully sung lines. I felt like she did not feel absolutely comfortable in the role yet, but clearly she will be a first-class Brangäne, once she got used to the role.<br />
<b>René Pape</b> probably saved the evening with his flawless performance as King Marke. His voice fills the auditorium with ease and his noble dark voice is simply perfect for the character. He gave an incredibly convincing performance and showed how Wagner could sound if you are actually able to really sing his music appropriately.<br />
<b>Stephen Gould</b> had a very unlucky day and quite obviously struggled a lot with the role this evening. Having heard him in that role in Bayreuth and Berlin I know that he normally has no problem with it, but this night he had serious health issues and probably should not have sung. I do not want to mention anything more about his performance except that it was quite impressive how he managed to finished the performance with dignity and smart disposition of his remaining forces.<br />
In the role of Isolde, as mentioned before, we heard <b>Petra Lang</b> instead of Christiane Libor. I have to admit that it was better than I imagined, but still it was really not satisfying at all. She was scooping her way through the role as if she was not sure which notes to sing. The extreme portamenti of her voice are disastrous and her intonation is absolutely unreliable. I was actually pretty surprised that she has a rather weak lower register (considering that she originally was a mezzo) and even though her high notes are impressive the role is simply not her thing. I cannot imagine that there is no better singer out there at the moment to sing this role!<br />
Alltogether it was a pretty disappointing evening and probably the most irritating performance I have ever seen in Munich. One can only hope that this was a one-time thing and not something that will happen again soon. Unfortunately that means only 7 stars for Tristan und Isolde at the Bayerische Staatsoper München.<br />
<b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b></span></b></span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">- </span></b></span></b></span></b></span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">- </span></b></span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">-</span></b></span></b><br />
Reviewed by Daniel UrlDaniel Urlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367305986531605063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795399199970150965.post-26463172833423509992017-04-11T16:42:00.003+02:002017-04-11T16:42:45.756+02:00<h2>
<i><u>Richard Strauss, Die Frau ohne Schatten - Staatsoper Berlin im Schillertheater, Festtage 2017</u></i></h2>
<h4>
Premiere performance 9th April</h4>
Last weekend I had another trip to Berlin for one of the greatest operas ever written. Strauss' and Hofmannsthal's Die Frau ohne Schatten is definitely a gem of music history and an incredibly interesting piece of music (and theatre). I am absolutely fascinated by the sheer complexity of the opera and also wrote my Masterthesis about the highly philosophical plot. I know every single note and I simply could not resist to make the trip to Berlin in order to see it. One thing is for sure: it was absolutely worth it.<br />
The production by <b>Claus Guth</b> is a cooperation with the Teatro alla Scala Milano and the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London and now it finally came to Berlin. It shows some great ideas and really features some interesting thoughts. Some of them might be daring, but alltogether I thought that he served the work very well with a reasonable view on the complex plot. Not only the interaction of the characters also the ravishing precious stage (<b>Christian Schmidt</b>) and also the elegant costumes (also Schmidt) were not only beautiful but also very supportive to the whole performance. Every single detail helped to support and solve the complexity of the story. Of course not everybody liked Guth's ideas, but I thought that he did a great job and it was definitely the best production of FroSch I ever saw.<br />
Musically it was a rather ambivalent evening with some exceptional performances and some rather unsatisfying ones. <b>Zubin Mehta</b> clearly is not a suitable conductor for this kind of repertoire and conducted a pretty dull and unbalanced performance. Not only his choice of tempi, also the sloppy confusion of the complex score did not really make a good impression. There is so much going on in this score that you need to have absolute control about anything to keep the dramatic flow of the music on a certain level. Mehta did not really succeed in that and the <b>Staatskapelle Berlin</b> seemed a bit lost at certain moments. However the orchestra showed great professionalism and still managed to prove that they are a top orchestra which is able to perform the score without any problems. If only they had an appropriate leader.<br />
Nevertheless, the singing was on a very high level with a few exceptions. The many small ensembles (servants, guards, voices, Barak's brothers etc.) gave solid performances on a quite pleasing level. <b>Narine Yeghiyan</b> sang the red falcon with a nice lyrical voice that could have had a bit more brightness in her timbre. <b>Jun-Sang Han</b> was a wonderful youngling with a beautiful youthful and clear tenor voice. As keeper of the treshold, <b>Evelin Novak</b> gave a solid performance with her warm and flexible soprano.<br />
<b>Roman Trekel</b>, usually a very reliable performer, seemed a bit uncomfortable with the role of the spirit messenger. With the lower parts of the role he did not really convince me, while the top was steady and strong. Probably it simply is not really his role.<br />
In the role of the nurse we heard <b>Michael Schuster</b> who gave an exciting and highly expressive performance. She did not care about some notes that sounded harsh and almost ugly, but she put everything into her impeccable interpretation. I thought she was brilliant even though the voice sounds edgy at some point. However, she did a great job in this rather demanding role.<br />
<b>Wolfgang Koch</b> sang the role of Barak, which he already performed with great success in Munich. He also is one of the best candidates for this role at the moment and gave an experienced and balanced performance with his warm and versatile baritone voice. He also convinced with his acting skills and simply did a great job.<br />
The role of the Emperor was sung by <b>Burkhard Fritz</b> who also is an experienced singer for this role. He knows about the tricky parts and also gave a very refined performance. He had no fear and convinced with great power, seemingly easy high notes and great musicality throughout the performance.<br />
Making her debut as dyer's wife, <b>Iréne Theorin</b> gave one of the evening's best performances. Her voice is like a laserbeam and can cut through the thickest orchestrations without any problems. She is not afraid of any high notes and her diction and interpretation showed that she is one of the leading dramatic sopranos of our days. I think there has not been a singer so capable of this role since Christa Ludwig and Theorin is definitely one of the best singers of her repertoire.<br />
Another debut was made by Finnish soprano <b>Camilla Nylund </b>who sang the role of the Empress which is another highly complex and demanding role. Nylund however, gave a performance with such ease and lightness that one would think that Strauss wrote the role just for her. She sang everything with such nobility and grace (including a ringing high d) that it was simply marvelous to hear her. But not only vocally, also acting-wise she gave a performance that is close to perfection! Nylund also will definitely be the Kaiserin of a generation with her flawless technique and the sheer beauty of her voice.<br />
Alltogether this performance was breathtaking with great vocal performances and a production that showed great understanding of the work and its complexity. I think that the Schillertheater is too small for such an immense piece, but I hope that they will revive the production one day in the new old building (hopefully with a more suitable conductor), because this cast could help to show the greatness of this magnificent opera. Therefor, 9 stars for an exceptional evening.<br />
<b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b>✰</span></b></span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b>-</span></b></span></b><br />
Reviewed by Daniel UrlDaniel Urlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367305986531605063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795399199970150965.post-25399900646561481322017-04-01T21:17:00.004+02:002017-04-01T21:17:50.569+02:00<h2>
<i><u>Richard Strauss, Ariadne auf Naxos - Bayerische Staatsoper, Nationaltheater</u></i></h2>
<h4>
Performance 29th March</h4>
After a while of absence I finally returned to Munich for some Strauss. His Ariadne is a work that shows us a plot within a plot and is also different when it comes to the size of the orchestra. Only a small chamber orchestra is playing music that clearly shows a lot of Mozartian inspiration. The production by <b>Robert Carsen</b> is very plain and does not feature a lot of stuff on the stage, but focuses on the interaction of the characters. I felt that he really struck a chord with his understanding of the different relations in this work. The simple stage by <b>Peter Pabst</b> and the also basic costumes by <b>Falk Bauer</b> supported this very unpretentious staging. Especially the great finale was really impressive with the intensive contrasts of the bright wall that came closer to the auditorium and the black costumes and stage that dominated the evening. Also the idea to let people appear in the auditorium and open the so-called 4th wall (between stage and auditorium) worked out very well.<br />
Musically it was a very satisfying evening with some minor issues. <b>Oksana Lyniv</b> conducted a very plain performance which could have been a bit more passionate. Very often I had the feeling that she did not react to the singers onstage well enough. While having the orchestra under control most of the time there sometimes was a gap between the music from the pit and the singing from the stage. However she still did a solid job and the <b>Bayerisches Staatsorchester </b>showed great musicality. The orchestra sounded brilliant and there was a clear balance between the different sections.<br />
The highlight of the evening were the singers of the performance. Every single role was performed on a very high level. <b>Markus Meyer</b> gave a wonderul Haushofmeister with extremely clear and expressive diction. The many small roles were cast appropriately and showed the level of the Bayerische Staatsoper. The male quartet around Zerbinetta (Harlekin, Scaramuccio, Truffaldin & Brighella) was perfectly sung by <b>Sean Michael Plumb</b> (very nice and beautifully sounding baritone), <b>Dean Power </b>(almost overcast with his elegant youthful tenor voice), <b>Andreas Wolf </b>and <b>Matthew Grills</b>. The female trio of the nymphs (Najade, Dryade & Echo) was sung by <b>Elsa Benoit</b> (beautiful clear top), <b>Okka von der Damerau</b> (what a luxurious choice for that role) and <b>Anna Virovlansky</b>. <b>Jörg Schneider </b>sang a powerful and bright Tanzmeister that could have sung much more and <b>Eike Wilm Schulte </b>was a wonderful Musiklehrer who showed great understanding and experience in his role. <b>Tara Erraught</b> gave her debut as Komponist and did a solid job with it. Her bright mezzo voice could have a fuller sound and a warmer timbre for this role, but she compensated this with a passionate and convincing performance.<br />
The role of Bacchus was sung by <b>Burkhard Fritz </b>who is definitely one of the most relying heroic tenors of our times. He seems not to be afraid of any high notes and he mastered this really challenging role without any problems. His tenor voice combines a dark heroic timbre with a very clear and soft top register.<br />
Zerbinetta was performed by <b>Jane Archibald</b> who gave a stunning performance. Her bright and focused soprano seems to be perfect for the coloraturas and cheeky ornaments of this role. She sang everyhing with ease and even seemed to have fun doing the role. Her famous aria was done really well and earned her an intensive wave of applause. Brava!<br />
Finally, the title role was sung by famous soprano <b>Karita Mattila</b> who also gave a very impressive performance. Her dark but still soft soprano voice combines great power with a magnificent full-bodied timbre that suits the role perfectly. No matter if she is supposed to sing loud or soft, Mattila fulfilled everything the role is calling for and really convinced with her performance. Definitely the best Ariadne I ever heard live so far!<br />
Alltogether it was a lovely evening that really impressed with a nice production and marvelous singing. Therefor I can give 9 stars to Ariadne in Munich.<br />
<b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b>✰</span></b></span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b>-</span></b></span></b><br />
Reviewed by Daniel UrlDaniel Urlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367305986531605063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795399199970150965.post-54366752292659727872017-03-15T11:06:00.002+01:002017-03-15T11:06:13.927+01:00<h2>
<i><u>Richard Wagner, Wagnergala, Staatsoper Berlin, Schillertheater</u></i></h2>
<h4>
Gala performance 12th March</h4>
For one night, and one night only, the Staatsoper Berlin invited to Gala honouring the great Richard Wagner including scenes from his operas sung by some of the best Wagner singers of our times. The cast and the programme really made it impossible not to come and so I decided to take this short trip to the German capital and check out the performance.<br />
The <b>Staatskapelle Berlin</b> was playing throughout the evening conducted by <b>Simone Young</b> who showed perfect and strict control over everything with a very economic and clear conducting style. I have rarely see someone conduct with such clarity and accuracy! The Staatskapelle followed her lead very well with passionate playing and especially a great range of volume and colours. Except of a few less nice moments of the brass section everything sounded marvelous and proved the high level of the orchestra. Also the <b>Staatsopernchor Berlin</b> did a great job during the two choir scenes. First they sang a wonderful rendition of the Entry of the Guests from Tannhäuser with such solemnity and joy that it was simply breathtaking. In the second part of the evening they returned for the "Wach auf" scene which they also sang very well and passionately.<br />
The soloists were <b>Anne Schwanewilms</b>, Camilla Nylund, Waltraud Meier, Nikolai Schukoff (jumping in for Burkhard Fritz), Wolfgang Koch and René Pape. Schwanewilms openend the evening with a rendition of the famous Hallenarie from Tannhäuser. Her crystal clear soprano voice has this certain fragility and innocence in its timbre which sounds glorious, but also seems dangerously close to crack. However, she sang the aria very beautifully without any problems. I liked her singing as Elsa way more because it just suited her voice much better with its bright slender timbre. Singing with her was <b>Waltraud Meier </b>as Ortrud. I have to admit that Meier was the main reason for me to come to the gala because she simply is a legend and a national treasure. Of course the quality of tone might not be as good as 10 years ago, but she still captures the audience with her electric stage presence. I have never ever experienced such an exciting charisma with any other singer. Meier just nailed the fierce scene with Elsa with a stormy performance of "Entweihte Götter" as well as the previous scene with Telramund, sung by <b>Wolfgang Koch</b>. Koch did a very good job with his dark and flexible baritone voice. I think he was outstanding as Telramund and also gave a great rendition of the dutchman's monologue later. He is definitely one of the leading Wagner baritones and especially in the evil roles he has this certain viciousness in his timbre.<br />
<b>Nikolai Schukoff </b>was singing the Parsifal scene from act 2 with his powerful youthful tenor voice. I have not heard of him before, but I will definitely remember his name now. He combines piercing power with an elegant bright tenor timbre and great flexibility. Even better than his Parsifal, was his performance as Siegmund together with <b>Camilla Nylund</b> as Sieglinde. This might have been the best rendition of the 3rd scene from Walküre act 1 I have ever heard. Schukoff did a great job and was definitely an outstanding Siegmund, but Nylund simply gave a flawless performance. Not only does her beautiful voice sound lovely, she also seemed to perfectly understand every single line of the role. Nylund continuously became one of the leading Wagner & Strauss sopranos of our time and is definitely one of the most musically talented singers out there. BRAVA!<br />
Last but not least, <b>René Pape</b> joined the ensemble of singers with two scenes. First he was singing the Fliedermonolog from Meistersinger with such theatricality that it simply was a joy to listen to him. Every word was pronounced so meaningful and the range of his colours is just incredible. However, his performance as Wotan in Wotan's farewell was even more intense. Marking the end of the evening it was a performance that clearly earns the adjective legendary. His Wotan combines authority, emotion, melancholy as well as anger and disappointment. I thought he was brilliant and finished the performance with nobility and class.<br />
Alltogether it really was a glorious evening and really showed that the age of great singing is definitely not over yet. Without doubt this performance earns full 10 stars thanks to the electric performances of all singers!<br />
<b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b>✰</span></b></span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b>✰</span></b></span></b><br />
Reviewed by Daniel UrlDaniel Urlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367305986531605063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795399199970150965.post-32130345789099518262017-03-04T19:11:00.003+01:002017-03-04T19:11:34.660+01:00<h2>
<i><u>Giacomo Puccini, La Bohème - Salzburger Landestheater, Haus für Mozart</u></i></h2>
<h4>
Performance 2nd March</h4>
After a while also attended an opera performance in Salzburg again, this time in the former small festival hall (now called Haus für Mozart). Puccini's Bohème is something like an evergreen which always works and barely ends up in a mess. Also the new production by the Salzburger Landestheater is convincing the audience with a concept that is not really pioneering, but very pleasing to a mostly conservative audience. <b>Andreas Gergen</b>'s production reminded me a lot of the festival production of 2012 and shows some noticable parallels, but also displays the plot very well most of the time. Only some very bold choices (that create some contradictions as well) did blur the overall impression. Particularly the house beat during the last few minutes of the second act were really inappropriate as well as some ideas that clearly were based on faulty translations. However most of the interactions were elaborated quite well and also the interesting stage (<b>fettfilm</b>) was incredibly versatile. The many projections worked out very well and created a magical atmosphere. The costumes by <b>Regina Schill </b>also looked lovely and helped to support the characterisations of the different roles.<br />
Musically I was positively surprised by the performance because I have not experienced such a good performance of the Landestheater for quite a while. Not only because of the wonderful <b>Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla</b>, but also because of the excellent casting of the singers. The young conductress (?) is one of the most promising young talents and there is a reason why she is in mind for bigger positions all the time. It really is a great loss that she will leave Salzburg so soon and it is always a pleasure to have her here to conduct. The <b>Mozarteumorchester</b> also seems to benefit from the highl musical woman and played wonderfully and passionately throughout the evening with a great sense for the emotions onstage.<br />
The smaller roles were cast appropriately with <b>Einar Th. Gudmundsson</b> as Benoît and <b>Franz Supper</b> (always a highlight) as Parpignol, a role that I really never understood. Also Colline and Schaunard were sung very well by ensemble members <b>Raimundas Juzuitis </b>(lovely dark, but soft voice) and <b>Elliott Carlton Hines</b> (very flexible and elegant bright baritone voice).<br />
<b>David Pershall</b> was a very good Marcello with a beautiful voice which has a lovely soft and warm timbre. He sang his role really passionately and probably gave the best performance of the evening with a very emotional portrayal of his role.<br />
His Musetta was sung by <b>Hailey Clark </b>who impersonated the role wonderfully. Her voice combines a beautiful softness with great agility and clarity of singing. I really liked her performance which was really captivating both musically and acting-wise.<br />
<b>Luciano Ganci</b>'s Rodolfo was also sung very well with a bright and clear tenor voice, but he tended to be very loud an harsh in the upper register which sounded not really elegant. However, he gave a nice performance throughout the evening and ended the performance with very emotional "Mimì" screams.<br />
The Role of Mimì was performed by <b>Shelley Jackson</b> who gave a marvelous and really touching performance. She has the ideal voice for that role with a warm lyrical voice that has a soft flexible timbre throughout all the registers. Only her upper register could sound a bit more free, but nevertheless she convinced me from the very first moment.<br />
I can only hope that the Landestheater finally starts to cast more appropriately and we will have more production with good casts like this time. The new production of La Bohème earns 8 stars this time with good singing, but a bit of a capricious staging.<br />
<b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b>✰</span></b></span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.28px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">- </span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.28px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">-</span></b><br />
Reviewed by Daniel UrlDaniel Urlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367305986531605063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795399199970150965.post-11390759251121309992017-03-02T17:38:00.001+01:002017-03-02T17:38:21.858+01:00<h2>
<i><u>Werner Egk, Peer Gynt - Theater an der Wien</u></i></h2>
<h4>
Performance 27th February</h4>
The Theater an der Wien rediscovered a rare piece of music from the last century and staged a production of Peer Gynt by composer Werner Egk. The piece was premiered in 1938 and admired be Hitler and Goebbels which did not really help Egk after the war when he had serious issues to explain his role in Nazi Germany. However the opera itself is a real treat and shows some really interesting influences. Traces of jazz, late-romanticism and musical modernism can be found in the work which features some great musical ideas. Of course it might not have the same quality level as Richard Strauss for example, but it is definitely worth a rediscovery.<br />
The production by <b>Peter Konwitschny</b> helps to bring out the drama of the plot very well and achieves a really exciting and thrilling evening. He does not fail to display the inner strife of the main character and also the interpersonal relations of the different roles. This is exactly why I love his production because they usually show great understanding of the dramatic flow of a work. The stage and costumes (<b>Helmut Brade</b>) also supported this impression with a versatile concept full of interesting details. This shows how thrilling a production can be and how it is able to carry the audience into the plot.<br />
Not only the scenery, also the musical part of the evening was exceptional. <b>Leo Hussain</b> conducted the mixture of styles with great understanding and a balanced controlled drive throughout the evening. He seemed to have studied the score very well and definitely was responsible for the musical success of the evening. The <b>ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien</b> played the interesting score very passionately with a wide range of different timbres and a very luscious sound. Also the <b>Arnold Schönberg Chor </b>did a great job with the choir part. They sounded balanced with a focussed sonority.<br />
Basically all of the soloists sang on a very high level and their voices suited their roles really well. Of the smaller roles I want to mention <b>Andrew Owens</b> (Mads, Servant) and <b>Nazazin Ezazi</b> (Ingrid, waitress & first black bird). Both convinced with bright clear voices. Owens light tenor has a very focused timbre, while Ezazi's soprano has a very beautiful soft, but also flexible sound.<br />
<b>Rainer Trost </b>sang the roles of The Old One and the king of the trolls. He also was able to convince with a highly musical performance and with a flexible powerful voice that was able to convey the his characters very well.<br />
As Aase we heard <b>Natascha Petrinksy </b>with a great dramatic mezzo voice that has the full-bodied lower register as well as the dramatic top notes which are important for that role. She gave a wonderful performance with passion and devotion.<br />
The double role of Solveig / the redhead was sung by <b>Maria Bengtsson </b>with hear beautiful soprano voice. Her voice combines the power of a lyric-dramatic soprano with the clear timbre and flexibility of a light lyric soprano. This combination worked perfectly for those roles and she gave a magnificent performance. Also her acting was very convincing and her beautiful final song was the perfect ending for the opera.<br />
The title role was performed by <b>Bo Skovhus</b> with his elegant and noble baritone. His voice has this disting noble timbre and also convinces with great flexibility and a passionate interpretation. He was able to capture the attention of the audience from the first minute to the very last and it was great to see and hear him in this role.<br />
I have to say that I was positively surprised by this opera and I really hope that this production might help to bring it back from oblivion. It was definitely a great evening both musically and scenically and therefor I give full 10 stars to Peer Gynt at the Theater an der Wien.<br />
<b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b>✰</span></b></span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.28px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b></span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.28px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b></span></b><br />
Reviewed by Daniel Url<br />
<br />Daniel Urlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367305986531605063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795399199970150965.post-17929541726705458932017-02-27T13:28:00.000+01:002017-02-27T13:28:10.552+01:00<h2>
<i><u>Richard Wagner, Tristan und Isolde - Aalto-Musiktheater</u></i></h2>
<h4>
Performance 25th February</h4>
Part two of my Essen journey was one of my absolute favorites and probably one of the most dramatic love stories of all time. The production led by <b>Barrie Kosky</b> has an interesting concept and does not fail to convey a special atmosphere. The Stage (<b>Klaus Grünberg</b>) features a single room that is quite small compared to the full stage and the whole action takes place in this small room. While in act 1 it seemed a bit odd to have only this little bit of space the following two acts showed the idea of this concept. During the famous love duet in act 2 the room was constantly turned several times so that the singers had to walk on the walls and ultimately also the ceiling. This created an atmosphere in which we know that everything is upside down and there is no place in reality for these lovers. While in the first two acts we only saw the room surrounded by a black wall, in act three we were able to see the whole construction surrounded by sheep showing that they are alone on this deserted island. After I while I started to appreciate the production more and more and alltogether it was really well done. The costumes by <b>Alfred Mayerhofer </b>also suited the characters and supported the overal concept very well.<br />
Musically there were some really great performances as well. <b>Frank Beermann</b> conducted a very clear and elegant version of the score with a great balance between passion and control. The <b>Essener Philharmoniker </b>played way better than the other night and really gave a ravishing performance. They sounded lush and the performance was much more intense.<br />
Most of the smaller roles were sung appropriately. <b>Karel Martin Ludvik</b> sang a rather dark Melot which suited the character quite well.<br />
<b>Tijl Faveyts</b> was a solid Marke with an elegant and warm bass voice. His performance could have feature the despair of the king a bit more, but alltogether he gave a solid performance.<br />
As Kurwenal we heard <b>Heiko Trinsinger</b> who has a powerful heroic baritone voice which suited the role very well. The warm timbre combined with a very convincing portrayal of the role made his performance a real treat. Especially during the lengthy final act he helped to keep the level of attention up.<br />
<b>Martina Dike</b> was a wonderful Brangäne with a warm and flexible mezzo voice. The necessary power combined with a highly musical performance showed that this is a great role for her. She sang very beautifully and simply gave a thrilling performance throughout the evening.<br />
<b>Jeffrey Dowd</b>'s Tristan was a bit misplaced. Having seen that he already sang this role at the premiere (in 2006) I do believe that he is past his prime. His voice seemed not comfortable with the role at all. He was so busy just to manage the role that it simply did not convince in the end. He lacks the power and stamina that is crucial for the role and his timbre seems not to be fitting as well. Unfortunately he was no match for his Isolde even though he managed to get through the evening without any serious issues.<br />
<b>Dara Hobbs</b> was a wonderful Isolde with a surprisingly youthful timbre. I have to say that at some moment she reminded me of the Isolde recording of Margaret Price. While also having enough power to be heard over the orchestra Hobbs has an impeccable lyric quality in her voice which makes her interpretation very exciting. Her ringing high notes (including two really impressive high c's) and her beautiful legato singing suited the role very well (way better than the usual "over" dramatic sopranos). She had enough stamina to finish the evening with a utterly beautiful rendition of the famous Liebestod.<br />
Alltogether it was a really good performance that started a bit cautious and got better with every minute. So finally I can give 9 stars to this interesting rendition of Tristan und Isolde.<br />
<b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b>✰</span></b></span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.28px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b>-</span></b><br />
Reviewed by Daniel UrlDaniel Urlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367305986531605063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795399199970150965.post-37127585506860842252017-02-26T17:15:00.004+01:002017-02-26T17:15:44.987+01:00<h2>
<i><u>Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Die Zauberflöte - Aalto-Musiktheater Essen</u></i></h2>
<h4>
Performance 24th February</h4>
My first visit in Essen started on friday with the famous fairytale by Mozart in a production by <b>Ezio Toffolutti</b>. The production basically features a single room which is created by several different parts which can be used seperately. This gave me the impression of some kind of a doll's house. Together with the costumes it looked rather cheesy sometimes, but was lovely to look at most of the time. The interaction of the characters was a bit more problematic because it seemed quite artificial most of the time (on purpose I suppose) which made the opera feel like a children's version sometimes. Most of it was rather conventional which might not be bad, but also not really exciting.<br />
Musically there was quite a contrast as well. <b>Felix Bender</b> seemed very passionate about the score and conducted very elegantly, but sometimes there was a lack of control. Especially during some ensemble or choir scenes there were some inaccuracies that could have been avoided. This might partly be because of the <b>Essener Philharmoniker</b>. The orchestra sometimes did not follow Bender's instructions immediately which caused some of these moments. I also felt that there was a lack of passion which lead to some really uninspired playing. The great choir "Es lebe Sarastro" for example did not have the necessary charisma and solemnity which makes it such an impressive scene. The <b>Opernchor des Aalto-Theaters</b> also gave a very unenthused impression and gave a rather boring performance. I also think that the choir for Zauberflöte definitely needs a bigger lineup than it was during this performance.<br />
Most of the smaller roles were cast more or less appropriately with some solid performances. The two trios (<b>Jessica Muirhead</b>, <b>Marie-Helen Joël</b> & <b>Marion Thienel</b> as the three ladies as well as three young ladies from the <b>Aalto Kinderchor</b> as the three boys) did not blend together as well as they should, even though everyone of them did a solid job own their own. This shows the difficulty of such tight ensemble roles.<br />
<b>Albrecht Kludszuweit</b> was a rather heavy Monostatos with a strong tenor voice which is almost too elegant for that role which calls for a true Charaktertenor. However, he did a good job with it and gave a solid performance.<br />
<b>Tijl Faveyts</b> also might not be the perfect voice to sing the role of Sarastro, even though he managed the role without any problem. Only the solemnity and reverend timbre that you would expect for this role seemed to be missing a bit.<br />
In the famous role of the Queen of the night we heard young soprano <b>Danae Kontora</b> who has a lovely lyric soprano voice which has no problems with the many high notes or the coloratura of the role. I personally think that her performance seemed a bit too innocent and could have been more fierce. I do believe that her beautiful voice would fit better to more lyrical repertoire where she could delight the audience with her clear light soprano.<br />
The rather short role of Papagena was sung by <b>Christina Clark</b> who gave a solid performance during her short scene. A bit more balance when it comes to timbre and volume and she would be on a good way for bigger roles.<br />
One of the highlights of the evening was <b>Martijn Cornet</b> as Papageno. His light flexible baritone voice seems perfect for the role, but not only musically he was able to convince. His whole portrayal was full of life and energy which is crucial for this part which wins the audience by its acting and not necessarily by its music. Cornet simply did a wonderful job and did not leave anything to wish for at all.<br />
The other highlight was <b>Elbenita Kajtazi</b> as Pamina. A voice that combines a dark and full-bodied colour with a clear soft timbre and good power. With her vocal control, the wide range of colours and the simply beautiful timbre she has everything this role calls for. She gave a thrilling performance with excellent diction and simply marvelous singing. Brava!<br />
Finally, the role of Tamino was sung by <b>Dmitry Ivanchey</b> who has the perfect vocal material for this role. However he did not fully convince me due to his sometimes a bit emotionless performance. His bright and clear tenor voice would fit the role perfectly, but too often he failed to convey the dramatic content of his role. I am sure that he could be a magnificent performer in this role if he worked through some of the inaccuracies and dealt with the character a bit more.<br />
Alltogether it was a solid performance with some good and some less good moments. Still it was definitely worth coming to Essen for and I did have a lovely evening. Therefor I give 8 stars to the Essener Zauberflöte.<br />
<b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b>✰</span></b></span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.28px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">- </span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.28px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">-</span></b><br />
Reviewed by Daniel UrlDaniel Urlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367305986531605063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795399199970150965.post-26588150366863856212017-02-01T15:33:00.000+01:002017-02-01T15:33:02.991+01:00<h2>
<i><u>Richard Wagner, Der fliegende Holländer - Staatsoper Stuttgart</u></i></h2>
<h4>
Performance 29th January</h4>
The second evening in Stuttgart featured Wagner's famous opera about the cursed dutchman who is in search for love. The Staatsoper Stuttgart decided to play the original version from 1841 in a production led by <b>Calixto Bieto</b>. Bieto's interpretation is quite abstract in many ways. It features a lot of symbolic properties and a very modern view of the plot. The plain stage (<b>Susanne Gschwender</b> & <b>Rebecca Ringst</b>) the modern costumes (<b>Anna Eiermann</b>) showed a typical capitalistic society with all its whims. I thought the production was quite sophisticated and complex even though its aesthetics did not really appeal to me. Nevertheless you could tell that Bieto did really deal with the work intensively.<br />
The evening was conducted by <b>Georg Fritzsch</b> who gave a very balanced performance. He showed intimate musicality as well as powerful outbursts during the big choir scenes or the climatic finale. The <b>Staatsorchester Stuttgart</b> also gave a solid performance with passionate playing and exemplary accuracy. Of course the <b>Staatsopernchor Stuttgart</b> (Zusatzchor) had a very important role in this opera and they gave a very refined performance except of a few inaccuracies. Especially the big scene in the final act was simply brilliant.<br />
<b>Torsten Hofmann</b> sang a very fine Steuermann with his bright and clear tenor voice. I personally prefer a voice with a more youthful timbre, but Hofmann undoubtly gave a very fine performance anyway.<br />
<b>Idunnu Münch</b> was a wonderful Mary with a beautiful dark mezzo voice. She has the necessary power, flexibility and playfulness that is important for that role and so she gave a marvelous performance.<br />
<b>Thomas Blondelle</b> was a really superior Georg with his slender but powerful tenor voice. He showed great musicality and his performance was so expressive and thrilling that he reallyy gave me goosebumps several times.<br />
As Donald we heard <b>Attila Jun</b> who also has a powerful instrument with a very imperious timbre, but he lacked the flexibility and agility to absolutely convince in this role. He seemed a bit to static sometimes and seemed to feel totally comfortable with the role.<br />
The female leading role, Senta, was sung by <b>Christiane Libor </b>stunned me with her highly musical performance once again. I might repeat myself, but her voice is simply perfect for Wagner including not only power and flexibility, but also a beautiful warm timbre and good sense for phrasing.<br />
<b>James Rutherford</b> was a good match for her as dutchman. His baritone voice has a dark but clear timbre and his power and stamina worked out well too. His performance also showed great musical talent and he did not give any reason for criticism.<br />
Alltogether a very good performance with some very good singing and a very sophisticated smart production that features some really smart ideas. Therefor I give 9 stars to the production.<br />
is definitely worth the travelling and so I give 9 stars to Elektra in Stuttgart.<br />
<b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b>✰</span></b></span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.28px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b>-</span></b><br />
Reviewed by Daniel UrlDaniel Urlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367305986531605063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795399199970150965.post-44379054797854990102017-01-30T20:55:00.000+01:002017-01-30T20:55:00.125+01:00<h2>
<i><u>Richard Strauss, Elektra - Staatsoper Stuttgart</u></i></h2>
<h4>
Performance 28th January</h4>
Last weekend I traveled back to Stuttgart after a long time to see two of my favorite works. The first evening was dedicated to Strauss' probably most modern opera and surely one of the bloodiest stories in his oeuvre. Despite its relatively short duration it is extremely demanding for both, performers and audience. The music is brutally loud and creates a thoroughly nervous atmophere, but also thrills the listener from the very first moment to the very last.<br />
The production by <b>Peter Konwitschny</b> which premiered in 2005 was a bit disappointing for me because I expected more of him. I have seen several of his productions, but this one seemed a bit boring and odd. Despite some really interesting ideas and some funnily grotesque moments the whole production struck me as a bit too simple. The impersonal stage and costumes by <b>Hans-Joachim Schlieker</b> did not really help. Sure, it was not a bad production, but as I said I expected a bit more of Konwitschny.<br />
Musically it was a first-class performance led by <b>Ulf Schirmer </b>who kept the overall volume quite high, but the singers were still able to be heard through the walls of sound. The <b>Staatsorchester Stuttgart </b>did a very good job following his lead and gave a balanced and thrilling performance throughout the evening.<br />
The many small roles (maids, servants etc.) were sung well and the overall impression was solid and positive. <b>Torsten Hofmann</b> sang the role of Aegisth with a clear and powerful bright tenor voice. He managed the incredibly high tessitura of the short role very well and gave a very pleasing performance.<br />
As Orest we heard <b>Shigeo Ishino</b> who also sang his part very well. His imperious strong dark voice suited the role marvelously and I really liked his passionate performance. The fact that this role is very static is not very rewarding, but he definitely convinced me.<br />
My personal highlight of the evening was <b>Simone Schneider</b> as Chrysothemis. Her voice is really incredible and combines vocal beauty with incredibly clean transitions and impressive power and stamina. Despite all these advantages she also has a marvelously clear and bright timbre that rings like a bell. She sang the part beautifully and I cannot imagine it to be sung better at all.<br />
<b>Doris Soffel</b> was a very hysteric and crazy Klytämnestra. Her voice still has quite some power and projects very well into the auditorium. She is not new to this role and you could tell that she has a lot of experience with it. I really enjoyed her great multi-dimensional portrayal and I have to say: she still has it.<br />
The title role was sung by <b>Rebecca Teem</b>, a dramatic soprano of extraordinary ability. Her voice works very well in all registers and her top seems to be very easy and shows great power and stamina. Sometimes the timbre might be edgy in the top, but undoubtly she gave a magnificent performance throughout the whole evening.<br />
I really enjoyed the whole performance and I was thrilled from the first note to the last one. The production might not be something extraordinarily great, but it is not bad as well. Especially the cast is definitely worth the travelling and so I give 9 stars to Elektra in Stuttgart.<br />
<b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b>✰</span></b></span></b><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.28px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;"><b style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #787878; font-family: "signika" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24.29px;">✰</span></b></span></b>-</span></b><br />
Reviewed by Daniel UrlDaniel Urlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367305986531605063noreply@blogger.com0