Prokofiev, Betrothal in a Monastery

From Seen and Heard International
By: José M Irurzun; Production Picture courtesy of the Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse

Soloists, Orchestre National du Capitole, Choeur du Capitole. Conductor: Tugan Sokhiev. Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse. 16.1.2011 (JMI)

To start the year 2011 the Capitole offers this funny and original opera by Prokofiev – also known as The Duenna – which is slowly entering into the repertoire of well known opera houses. That’s is not surprising, considering that each performance I have attended of this work has been received with much pleasure by the audience.

The stage production for this one is due to British director Martin Duncan, who provides a colourful and lively setting, very well suited to an opera buffa like this. The sets offer a flexible staging with simple well chosen elements that give great slickness to the numerous changes of scenes. The action is transferred to around 1946, when the opera was premiered, and has some very colourful costumes. Good lighting is an excellent complement for this production and Martin Duncan’s stage direction emphasizes the buffo aspects of the opera, particularly in the scenes of Mendoza’s fish warehouse and the last scene at the Monastery. This is a fairly simple production that works at the service of music and libretto, and has been very well received by the public.

Musical direction was entrusted to young Russian maestro (33) Tugan Sokhiev, who has been musical director of Orchestre National du Capitole since September 2008. His work in recent years has been superb and it is not surprising that his contract has been recently extended through to 2016. Tugan Sokhiev seems to me one of the great conductors today, shining especially in the Russian repertoire. His reading of Prokofiev’s opera was truly outstanding. I confess that at the start of the opera I was worried because as the sound coming from the pit was so spectacular that I wondered what would happen to the singers, but my fears were unfounded: Sokhiev knew perfectly how to balance the sound. Under his baton the orchestra were at their very best. There was also a good performance from the the Capitole’s chorus.
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Rossini, Il barbiere di Siviglia

From Seen and Heard International
By: Jim Pritchard; Pictures © The Royal Opera / Mike Hoban

Soloists, chorus and orchestra of the Royal Opera House. Conductor: Rory Macdonald. Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 18.1.2011. (JPr)

I make no apologies for referring to ideas from the excellent essays in the programme book as a stimulus for this review of the second revival (overseen by Justin Way) of Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier’s 2005 production. Emanuele Senici reminds the reader in ‘An Essential Theatricality’ that Il barbiere di Siviglia ‘is the first opera ever composed that has constantly remained popular in the repertories of theatres around the world’. More importantly he debates how many commentators state that ‘Rossini’s comic characters … seem constantly aware that they are operatic characters, rather than real human beings. These characters have no past and no future, no memory of who they have been and no anticipation of who they may become; they live exclusively in the theatrical present. The only reality known to Rossini’s comic operas, then, is operatic; or in other words, the subject of Rossini’s comic operas is comic opera itself’.

Benjamin Walton’s essay ‘The Rossini Effect’ considers his operas ‘exist through performance, animated not (or not just) by the humanity of the dramatic characters but also that of the singers on stage. It is they who to a large extent determine whether the music takes on a comic or serious quality … and whether a joke comes to life or falls flat.’ One word is repeated more than once here in these quotes – and that obviously is ‘comic’ – Il barbiere di Siviglia is a comic opera and that is the basis of its longevity in the operatic canon.
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R. Strauss, Der Rosenkavalier

From Seen and Heard International
By José M Irurzun; Picture © Javier del Real
Soloists, Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid, Coro Intermezzo. Conductor: Jeffrey Tate. Teatro Real de Madrid. 6.12.2010 (JMI)

Anne Schwanewilms as the Marschallin

If Nicolas Joel decided last month in Paris to offer a tribute to Rolf Liebermann and Giorgio Strehler with the regurgitation of the famous production of Le Nozze di Figaro, something similar has happened with Gerard Mortier in Madrid, offering his tribute to Herbert Wernicke with the reconstruction of the production of Der Rosenkavaler, which had its premiere at the 1995 Salzburg Festival when Mortier was director there. This reconstruction was presented first at Baden Baden in January of 2009 with none less than Renée Fleming and Diana Damrau and Christian Thielemann in the pit.

Herbert Wernicke’s produntion has attractive and original sets, with the stage surrounded by mobile panels of aesthetically attractive, alternating painted sets and mirrors. Mr. Wernicke makes great work of the movement of mirrors, the production—in its contemporary setting—is too dark and the lighting doesn’t strike me as particularly inspired.

The stage direction is more questionable. Alejandro Stadler, a regular collaborator of Wernicke’s and his assistant in this production in Salzburg, was responsible for the direction in Madrid. I assume that Mr. Stadler has faithfully followed the original guidelines. In any case, what we got in Madrid was an opera buffa, not ‘comedy in music’. The program references this aspect, stressing that Richard Strauss conceived this opera as “comedy for music “, accepted by Hoffmansthal, who changed his original concept which had been that of an opera buffa. Wernicke’s idea in the last two acts is mostly clownish, far from the fine sense of humor of the music and the libretto. Baron Ochs is a noble, rustic if you want, but not a complete, uncouth oaf, as Wernicke conceives him. On the other hand I do not see what is gained by Octavian hitting Och’s ass with his sword in, rather than in his arm. Wernicke fills up the stage with an excessive crowd of extras. This is particularly noticeable in the persecution of Faninal’s maids by innumerable Lerchenau’s servants, and also in the last act, where Ochs makes his final exit accompanied by more than 60 people, including some 20 children. Wernicke also changes the character of Mohamed to Harlekin. And Herr von Faninal becomes a pure buffo character in this production.
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