Richard Wagner, Der Ring des Nibelungen - Oper Leipzig

Ring cycle 5th - 8th May résumé

If an operahouse is doing a new Ring production it always is a huge effort and a very ambitious project. That Leipzig had to wait for 40 years to get a new one is a pity but they managed to bring this new Ring on stage with a very impressive level of competence. The production might not be a world-changing view of the plot but it tells the story appropriately and without any great contradictions. For the audience that is searching for a plain production that is more or less only serving the piece it surely is a recommendable production. People that want to have a totally innovative production that brings in a lot of interpretation and modern views might be disappointed, but the vocal quality of the performances compensates it all. Truly the vocal disposition of the cast is the main advantage of this Ring. I have never heard these roles with such qualitative voices that are able to hit all the notes and still sound beautifully. I can undoublty recommend everyone to see this Ring production, especially for people who see it for the first time. In some cases there is still room for improvement, but the Oper Leipzig did a good job with this quite ambitious project and it was definitely worth going there for the first cycle. The whole Ring gets 8 stars from me for a great cast and a very uncomplicated production.
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Reviewed by Daniel Url

Richard Wagner, Der Ring des Nibelungen - Götterdämmerung - Oper Leipzig

Performance 8th May

The great anticipated finale of the Ring in Leipzig took place on sunday and the atmosphere was highly charged. In the end it was an epic climax after some great performances at the Oper Leipzig. The production of Götterdämmerung (Rosamund Gilmore) seemed most natural to me and the interaction between the different singers was quite convincing. Gilmore's ideas for this opera were way more interesting and gave a fine impression. The prestigious loft with view to the Rhine (Carl Friedrich Oberle) looked very impressively and especially the pillars (some characters disappeared within these pillars) were a great idea. The costumes (Nicola Reichert) were a bit ambivalent. Some of them (Norns, Gutrune and Gunther) were really beautiful while others were just not really appropriate and did not impress at all.
The musical part seemed to better as well this time. Ulf Schirmer still should have kept the orchestra (especially the brass) a bit better under control but alltogether it sounded better than in Walküre or Siegfried. Schirmer can be happy to have singers who are not easily covered by the immense outbreaks of the orchestra. Nevertheless the Gewandhausorchester showed great musicality and excitement for this performance. A very good performance was done by the Chor der Oper Leipzig during the solemn second act. They sounded really brilliantly and gave a fine performance.
The two female trios, the norns and the rhinemaidens, were casted really well and sang very beautifully. Especially the norn scene was simply brilliant. Olena Tokar, Kathrin Göring and Karin Lovelius gave a very well balanced and mystirious trio with great phrasing. Especially Tokar impressed me with a very clear and bright, but still quite powerful voice. Lovelius also sang the role of Waltraute later and gave a solid performance there as well. A bit more power (and less power in the orchestra) would have made it better but it was fine anyway. Magdalena Hinterdobler, Sandra Maxheimer and Sandra Janke sang the rhinemaidens with very beautiful seductive voices. Also this trio sounded well balanced and gave a ravishing performance.
As Alberich we heard Jochen Schmeckenbecher who did a good job. His voice suits the role very well and his short appearance during act 2 was very interesting. In the role of Gutrune we heard Marika Schönberg again who seemed to be more happy with this role. It suited her voice way better than Freia and she gave a very emotional and touching performance. Tuomas Pursio also gave a better performance as Gunther than as Wotan. His elegant voice suited the character very well and his portrayal was really good. With the role of Hagen we also heard Rúni Brattaberg again who gave a good performance. The role might bring him to his limits in the upper register but everything else was really intensive. His dark timbre and the intimidating performance were simply great.
I was really excited to hear Thomas Mohr as Siegfried after his great Loge in Rheingold. He actually managed the role really well. His voice has a very bright and light timbre but also the power to sing over the orchestra and manage this very demanding role. His diction and his acting were also really great and helped to give a very solid convincing performance. Only in the third act he already seemed a bit tired, but his performance still worked out pretty well.
Christiane Libor on the other hand seemed to have never-ending resources of power for her Brünnhilde. She used her shining soprano without any consideration and gave an extremely intensive performance throughout the whole evening. Her beautiful voice was so powerful and radiant that it was a pleasure to hear her. Especially her top register is of such impeccable quality and radiance that her high notes float through the auditorium with such ease and power. Only her lower register still needs a bit more power and maybe some time, but I am sure that this will work out soon enough. I have to admit that I never heard a better Brünnhilde live so far. BRAVA!!
Alltogether it was a brilliant finale for the Ring cycle and I am happy that I have been part of it. The performance of Götterdämmerung gets 8 stars for a very fine evening.
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Reviewed by Daniel Url

Richard Wagner, Der Ring des Nibelungen - Siegfried - Oper Leipzig

Performance 7th May

After the shaky Walküre on friday I was hoping for a better Siegfried and I have to say that this performance compensated for the previous evening. It was a true firework of great voices and surely the best performance so far. The production of Rosamund Gilmore seems to get better throughout the whole Ring. The interaction between the characters seemed very authentic and clear during this performance and the stage (Carl Friedrich Oberle) and the costumes (Nicola Reichert) also looked even better than in Walküre. Especially the second and third act looked just magnificently and served the plot really well. Also the role of the dancers seemed way more plausible than in the other parts so far. Especially the role of the bird as a dancer was a lovely idea.
Ulf Schirmer once again released the full power of the orchestra which sometimes just ended in unbalanced noise because of the relatively immense brass section. The string section really had to fight to be heard at all. Schirmer should hold the brass a bit more under control to ensure a balanced sound. Also some singers had to fight the wall of sound  that Schirmer and the Gewandhausorchester unleashed from the pit quite intensely.
Eun Yee You as the forest's bird was acceptable, but not really the ideal voice for this role. Her voice seemed not to be bright and radiant enough for this role. Unlike other Wagner soprano roles this one calls for a very clear and shiny light soprano with almost Mozart-like brightness in the voice.
Jürgen Linn as Alberich did a way better job this time than in Rheingold. Obviously this Alberich suits his voice better. The performance was more controlled and definitely more accurate. Rúni Brattaberg also appeared to be more comfortable in the role of Fafner than the evening before. The sluggish low phrases of Fafner sounded simply marvelously and showed the dark qualities of Brattaberg's voice.
In the role of Erda we heard Nicole Piccolomini once again. Her performance in Siegfried was even more intensive than the one in Rheingold and her incredibly dark and warm voice suited the role perfectly. Her strength is the balanced eveness of her full sonorous lower register which is so important for this kind of roles.
Dan Karlström also did a brilliant job as Mime. I have to say that I do not know what could be done better. His diction is clear, his light clear tenor voice has enough power to be heard through the orchestra and his whole portrayal was just really convincing. Bravo!
As Wanderer we heard Evgeny Nikitin who has seemed to be a very low Wanderer. While having a very good lower register he seemed not really comfortable with the upper parts of the role. Alltogether his performance was quite good even though his voice could be a bit more powerful and more heroic.
Elisabet Strid was one of the highlights of the performance with her very lyric but also very powerful soprano voice. Her Brünnhilde convinces with the sheer beauty of her voice, very elegant singing and also the neccessary power. Compared to her debut last year she was even better this time. Her phrasing was brilliant and the mix of power and beauty of tone worked out very well. If she manages to make the final high c a bit more shiny and bright in the future she would be a Brünnhilde to keep watching.
The event of the evening was Stefan Vinke as Siegfried. It is really incredible to hear a tenor who sings this incredibly difficult and demanding role seemingly easily without any signs of tiredness. The sheer power of his voice and the heroic dark timbre of his tenor make him one of the leading Siegfrieds of our time. Even during the finale of act three after hours of singing he still sounds freshly and vibrantly. Also his acting was really nice and showed great understanding of the role. He definitely brought down the house and it was an enormous pleasure to hear a singer that is not just able to sing the role, but also be really convincing in it.
Even though Siegfried is not my favorite of the Ring operas I loved the performance and was just delighted because of the brilliant accomplishment of the cast this evening. Therefor I give 9 stars to the third evening of the Leipzig Ring.
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Reviewed by Daniel Url

Richard Wagner, Der Ring des Nibelungen - Die Walküre - Oper Leipzig

Performance 6th May

The first full evening (after the so-called pre-evening) was something I was looking forward to with great expectations. An impressive cast was found for this performance and so I was sure to hear a brilliant performance. Unfortunately the great potential of the disposition did not work out as expected. The production of Walküre (I was lucky enough to have seen this one before) is very dedicated and intimate. Once again there could me more interaction and a more innovative concept but I was happy with the work that Rosamund Gilmore did. The stage (Carl Friedrich Oberle) and the costumes (Nicola Reichert) looked even more elegantl than in Rheingold and created a great atmosphere throughtout the evening. Especially the second act was astonishing with great impressions.
The musical part was not as satisfying as the day before. Ulf Schirmer seemed not to have everything fully under controll this evening. The Gewandhausorchester sounded quite loud at some moments and especially the string section was covered by the wind several times (at important passages). There should have been a bit more balance between the different sections and maybe even less volume from time to time.
Vocally the cast would have been on a very high level throughout the list. The valkyries (Marika Schönberg, Magdalena Hinterdobler, Monica Mascus, Sandra Janke, Daniela Köhler, Sandra Maxheimer, Karin Lovelius and Wallis Giunta) were a very balanced ensemble with great voices. I have to point out Miss Köhler at this point because her valkyrie shouts were exemplary and her voice definitely worth to be remembered.
Rúni Brattaberg sang the role of Hunding with his strong dark bass voice. I personally thought he could be a bit more clearer in his singing but he gave a solid performance. A bit more refinement and intimidating expression and he would be a marvelous Hunding.
Kathrin Göring as Fricka definitely was a highlight of the whole evening. Her clear and stron mezzo voice suits the role lovely and her performance was hauntingly intense with great clarity and exemplary diction. She portrayed her character simply marvelously.
The role of Siegmund was sung by Andreas Schager who is one of the most promising heroic tenors of our time. His voice is powerful with instensive radiance and effortless high notes. His voice has an enormous potential and he is singing almost all great Wagner tenor roles at the moment. Maybe too much. He had serious text issues and seemed not totally prepared. What a pity, because his voice was just perfect for the role but there were just too many blurry errors.
Christiane Libor also seemed to be a bit tense but did a good job. Her gleaming soprano is just perfect for this role. The mix of power, beauty of tone and her striking ability to combine dramatic singing with lyric qualities make her one of the best wagnerian sopranos of our time. Also the dynamic range is impressive because she can do anything from the most delicate pianissimo to enormous outbreaks  and still retain her beautiful timbre.
Markus Marquardt sang the role of Wotan and was quite unlucky this evening. He missed his entrance during act three because the call system of the house did not work. So the performance was interrupted and restarted after some time. Nevertheless he gave a wonderful performance with his heroic baritone voice. I thought that his performance in Dresden in february was better but he did a great job here as well. I actually thought that he sang even more intensively after the misfortune and the audience was very happy with his performance anyway.
Eva Johansson performed the title hero, Brünnhilde. She definitely is past her prime now and cannot sing this role as intensively as she did years ago anymore. Her lower register became quite weak and the top register rather shaky. Nevertheless she gave a good third act where she was way better than in act 2. I do not know where she took the power from but the final act was really magnificent and sung appropriately.
Alltogether it was a rather sobering performance that did not work out as it should have. It could have been an incredible evening and a firework of Wagner music, but in the end it just did not live up to its potential. Therefor I can only give 6 stars to the performance of Walküre.
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Reviewed by Daniel Url

Richard Wagner, Der Ring des Nibelungen - Das Rheingold - Oper Leipzig

Performance 5th May

A big spectacle that I waited for quite some time started last thursday: the first full cycle of the new Ring production of the Oper Leipzig. The first one after 40 long years! Since 2013 they added one new production per season and just last week they finished the Ring with Götterdämmerung. Within four days they play a first full cycle now which is a very ambitious project for any house. The production of Rheingold, led by Rosamund Gilmore focuses on the music and basically tells the story quite appropriately. It might not be an incredibly expressive and innovative interpretation, but it surely serves the plot. Sometimes I felt that the lead of the characters was a bit over the top but alltogether I was happy with the way everything was performed. The stage (Carl Friedrich Oberle) and the costumes (Nicola Reichert) looked monumentally and elegantly. Especially Fricka's costumes looked marvelously and suited the role perfectly. The idea to have real water on the stage during the first scene also was quite an interesting idea and worked lovely. Towards the end I was a bit irritated because of the quite cheesy rainbow bridge, which also seemed to be a bit over the top.
However musically Ulf Schirmer led the Gewandhausorchester through an evening full of huge sound walls and dramatic flow. Schirmer is one of the conductors who are not afraid to make use of the full power of a huge orchestra like that. Especially during the great finale the volume was overwhelming. The orchestra did a pretty good job and showed the high level of professionalism of the Gewandhausorchester. The sheer power of the brass section is sometimes almost too much and one would wish for a little bit more balance.
Thanks to the exceptional acoustics of the house noone of the singers had any problems to be heard in the auditorium. The three rhinemaidens were performed by Eun Yee You, Kathrin Göring and Sandra Janke. They did a lovely job and especially Göring convinced with great power and flexibility of the voice. Jürgen Kurth's Donner seemed a bit undermanned and did not really fulfill the vocal demands of this role. Bernhard Berchtold on the other hand performed the role of Froh very well with a light heroic tenor voice.
Dan Karlstöm as Mime was definitely one of the best performances of the evening. There is nothing to wish for in his performance. His voice seems to be perfect for this role and I really look forward to his Siegfried-Mime on saturday. In the role of Alberich we heard Jürgen Linn who gave a solid performance. His portrayal could be a bit more accurate rhythmically and more balanced in terms of his phrasing but as I said it was a solid performance.
In the short role of Erda we heard Nicole Piccolomini who has the perfect instrument for a role like Erda. Her dark low mezzo voice has a very soft and full timbre with a very colorful lower register. Her portrayal was mysterious and very convincing. Marika Schönberg as Freia seemed a bit colorlessly and her acting a bit mannered. Vocally her soprano has a very even timbre and smooth transitions.
The two giants were performed by James Moellenhoff and Stephan Klemm. Both voices have a very dark but also sort of smooth timbre. Klemm's voice seemed a bit brighter while Moellenhoff's timbre was definitely darker and rougher.
Thomas Mohr sang Loge and did a great job. His voice is strong and quite heroic for this role but still somehow light and bright. His diction was exceptional and the whole portrayal very convincing. I am looking forward to his Götterdämmerung-Siegfried on sunday which will be definitely interesting to hear.
Karin Lovelius sang a very elegant and refined Fricka. Her voice is smooth and has a warm timbre with smooth transitions. I thought that her performance was really nice and her portrayal, vocally and acting-wise, appropriately. Lovelius definitely seems to be a very reliable and solid performer.
In the role of her husband, Wotan, we heard Tuomas Pursio who has a very lyrical baritone voice. Surely he has enough power to sing the role but the role of Wotan demands a more heroic and dramatic sort of voice. He managed the role but I was not totally happy with this approach. Wagner-singing demands more that just a strong voice.
Alltogether it was a lovely start for the cycle and a solid performance through and through. Generally I would like to hear more rhythmical accuracy and more balance between the voices. Therefor I give 7 stars for Rheingold.
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Reviewed by Daniel Url

Giuseppe Verdi, La Traviata - Deutsche Oper Berlin

Performance 2nd May

After some Puccini I went off to see some Verdi the following day. La Traviata is probably one of the most popular operas of all time and most people know it very well. This bears advantages and dangers for the performers. The production at Deutsche Oper Berlin was created by Götz Friedrich and is kind of vintage. The classy stage (Frank Philipp Schlößmann) and the elegant costumes (Klaus Bruns) looked very beautifully and created a very decadent flair. Nevertheless the direction seemed a bit boring and conservative. Not really totally exciting, but beautifully to look at.
Musically Ivan Repušić led a very soft chamber music like performance that rarely became very loud. This of course created a very intimate atmosphere but sometimes I wished for a little bit more dramatic flow. The Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin played vividly and gushingly with elegant phrases and great rhythmic expression. Also the Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin gave a lovely performance during the many choir passages.
The performances of the soloists were quite ambivalent sometimes. The smaller roles were casted very well and showed that the Deutsche Oper has a very fine ensemble. Marko Mimica as Grenvil, Michael Adams as the Marquis, and Gideon Poppe gave solid performances and did very well in their few appearances. Dong-Hwan Lee as Baron Douphol sang with a very intimidating dark voice. He never seemed brutal and always showed some kind of noble superiority.
Rebecca Jo Loeb as Annina also gave a solid performance, but seemed a bit one-dimensional from time to time. Amira Elmadfa on the other hand gave a brilliant performance in the small role of Flora Bervoix. Her seductive warm voice sounded very beautifully and her portrayal also made a very convincing impression to me.
Jumping in for the ill Thomas Hampson was George Petean who gave one of the best performances of the evening. His dark but noble baritone voice suits the role of Giorgio Germont very well. While beeing a little bit expressionlessly at the beginning he improved from minute to minute and became more and more impressive throughout the performance. He even sang an impressive optional high note at the end of the first scene of act 2.
The role of Alfredo was sung by Albanian tenor Saimir Pirgu who has a very smooth youthful voice. While his lower register has a darker timbre his upper register is bright and clear. He sang his part very intimately and passionately. Admittedly the high c was not totally perfect, but alltogether his performance was probably the best of the whol evening. Especially during the second half his performance was so instense and emtional that it was a pleasure to watch him.
Jumping in for Diana Damrau surely is not an easy thing and many people in the audience just came bto see her. Nevertheless she had to cancel due to illness and Italian soprano Patrizia Ciofi jumped in for the title role. Ciofi's acting in the role was simply thrilling and totally convincing. The agony and despair of Violetta was so vivid that it almost made me cry. However, vocally she constantly seemed to be a bit husky and ill herself. I personally think that she might be to light for the role of Violetta which definitely demands a more dramatic type of coloratura soprano. Nevertheless she gave (except of the high e flat in act 1) a solid performance and got the gratitude of the audience for jumping in spontaneously.
Alltogether it was an entertaining evening but not really a moment of glory for the Deutsche Oper. Of course they were quite unlucky to lose two of the main singers, but they managed to save the performance quite appropriately. The production gets 7 stars.
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Reviewed by Daniel Url

Giacomo Puccini, Madama Butterfly - Staatsoper im Schillertheater Berlin

Performance 1st May

The first evening of my Berlin residence started off with Puccini's Madama Butterfly at the Schillertheater and a wonderful performance. Madama Butterfly is an opera that always seemed strange to me. Some parts are really marvelous while other parts always bored me. This production did not disappoint me and I have to say that I enjoyed it from the beginning to the tragic ending. Eike Gramss realised a production that looks astonishing and creates space for intimate atmosphere as well (stage & costumes: Peter Sykora). Gramss shows a young girl that expected to much of love and marriage. His Butterfly is not just a victim of Pinkteron, but also a victim of her own expectations which finally bring her to the final suicide.
Musically Stefano Ranzani created the perfect balance between the highly romantic intimate passages and the hysteric dramatic outbursts of the score. He showed the diversity of colours that are hidden in this ravishing score. The Staatskapelle Berlin managed to bring out this eastern sound with great clarity and beauty, while supporting the singers appropriately.
The smaller roles (Scott Wilde as Bonze, Arttu Kataja as Yamadori, Natalia Skrycka as Kate Pinkerton and David Oštrek as Imperial commissioner) were performed very well. Especially Natalia Skrycka's warm and full voice sounded lovely during her short appearance.
Jürgen Sacher sang the role of Goro with a very bright and focussed tenor voice. The timbre of his voice is very bright and clear and has a very carrying sound. This is also valid for Katharina Kammerloher who sang Suzuki. Her portrayal was very convincing and she did a wonderful job with that role. Her mezzo voice has a very smooth timbre with a very concentrated sound. Alfredo Daza as Sharpless also gave a great performance with a very pleasant baritone voice that has a very warm and songful timbre. Also his acting was impressive and highly convincing.
The male lead, B.F. Pinkerton, was performed by Stefano La Colla who was a very powerful tenor voice. Especially his upper register was very strong and he seemed not to fear any high notes up there. Not only did he manage the high tessitura well, it also sounded really lovely. His timbre is both, youthful and virile and his whole portrayal of the role was convincing, especially in the final act.
Nevertheless, the highlight of the evening was Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho in the title role. What a voice! Her soprano has a shimmering upper register with such clarity and brightness that one wishes for more phrases up there. Not only does her voice sound beautifully, it also radiates through the whole auditorium without any problems. Only the lower register sometimes could be a little stronger, but alltogether her performance was simply marvelous. The high d flat during her first appearance sounded just brilliantly and also the great duet in act 1 was a great pleasure.
Alltogether I had a lovely night with wonderful music and a very touching performance. Therefor I give 9 stars to Madama Butterfly at the Schillertheater.
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Reviewed by Daniel Url