Sunday 19 May 2013

From the frustrating to the sublime - a tale of two opera

La Donna del Lago 17th May and Don Carlo 18th May, Royal Opera House

I wasn't originally due to see Rossini's Donna del Lago until 7th June but a last minute ticket appeared and I grabbed the chance for an early visit.  With a cast featuring Joyce Di Donato and Juan Diego Florez my expectations were high to say the least.  This was staged in a new production by John Fulljames, the ROH Associate Director of Opera and I think its fair to say that interest was high, especially after his boss's less than successful Eugene Onegin earlier in the season.

This is one of Rossini's neglected opera and hasn't been seen at Covent Garden since 1985 and I can understand why.  Only the best Rossini singers will do and you simply have to wait until they appear before you even think about staging this.  You need not only one but two world class mezzo-sopranos and two world beating Rossini tenors, one for a role that on paper should be un-singable.  Luckily ROH have assembled a cast that pretty much hits the target musically.

This is my first time (there's that phrase again) of hearing Joyce di Donato and Juan Diego Florez live in the theatre and I wasn't disappointed in either of them.  Both displayed the virtuosity required by Rossini while still managing to convincingly portray their characters in somewhat trying circumstances -  more on that later.  But this is not Verdi or verismo - the voice is the thing here and if there is any reason to go and see this opera then its for the voice - not for the drama.

One of my pet hates on opera is the convention of a woman playing a male role - or 'trouser role'.  I find it so ridiculous most of the time that it totally takes me out of the story being told in front of me.  However Daniela Barcellona as Malcolm, almost succeeded in convincing me she was indeed a hairy Highland warrior - kudos to wardrobe and make-up.  But of course the voice is still recognisable feminine and the illusion is destroyed.  Impressive singing by the kilted Ms Barcellona though.

Kasper Holten announced that Colin Lee was unwell and unable to sing the fearsome role of Rodrigo - the second virtuostic tenor role in this opera, and Michael Spyres had stepped into the breach. I have to say that I think he has a freakish voice - but that is what the role calls for.  His voice is baritonal - but not in the Kaufmann sense of the word.  He is most definitely a tenor but when the low notes are called for he can throw them out with abandon - sometimes sounding more like a bass than a tenor.  But then the high notes come forth and it leaves you wondering just what sort of singer this was written for - a very impressive one obviously.

That was the good - now onto the production.

The basic concept looked to be an operatic "Night at the Museum", with Elena (the Lady of the Lake) in a glass cabinet, along with other cabinets containing various mementos and gentlemen in 19th centenary evening dress wandering around getting very excited by their exhibition.  Elena is then released from her cabinet and the story proper begins but not without the annoying presence of one or more actors observing the action as it unfolds.  Also present were singers costumed as Rossini and Sir Walter Scott - to what end I really don't know.  Combine that with unwarranted rape scenes and you get a production that really doesn't know what it wants to be - apart from controversial maybe?  It seems that I was not in the minority as the production team received plenty of boos at the curtain call while the singers were cheered to the rafters.




And on top of that a lot of the action took place on the left of the stage - coincidentally the bit of the stage I couldn't really see from my restricted view seat.  Now I don't expect all the action to take place centre stage but when you have a theatre with a traditional horse-shoe shape, to stage 70% of the action to one side of the stage seems bizarre.

In conclusion this was a very frustrating night - the singing top rate but the staging not only annoying but detracting from the performance.  Go see it for the singing if you can and if you really want to see the production find a seat centre or on the right of the auditorium.

Luckily for me, I had a second visit to see Don Carlo planned for the following night.  And what a contrast it was.  I won't go into all the detail here (see previous post) but the singing here was just as sublime and in its own way as virtuostic as the Rossini, but here the production (although not ideal) didn't interfere with the drama - no dead composers on stage and no silent observers of the drama.  Just a straightforward telling of the story which didn't need any concept pasted on.  The singing and acting were even better than when I saw this the first time, each singer now completely within the character they were portraying.  The final act duet for Carlos and Elisabetta once again almost had me in tears - quite frankly I don't expect to hear it sung so beautifully again for quite a long time - if ever.

In contrast to the previous evening the audience cheered to the rafters, almost unwilling to let the cast go as they took bow after bow. There was a special feeling in the house and I felt privileged to have been there.  Simply magical.

And that's the beauty of opera - one night so frustrating you want to scream, and the next so sublime you want to weep.  And that's also why I keep going back for more.









Sunday 12 May 2013

Starry Starry Night - Don Carlo, Royal Opera 11th May 2013

I may have mentioned this before but I love Verdi.  I may also have mentioned that my current favourite tenor is Jonas Kaufmann. So imagine what would happen if my two loves were combined in one fabulous evening....read on.

Don Carlo is one of Verdi's most epic opera - both in ambition and scale.  With a performance length hovering at around 4 and a half hours, this takes commitment both from the artists and the audience.  Not all of the audience were up to it and a couple of young women seated next to me abandoned ship at the first interval  their places gratefully taken by an Italian couple from the standing places. But perseverance pays dividends for this is one of Verdi's most ravishing scores wrapped in a deeply dark political and personal plot.

Hearing Jonas Kaufmann's voice live in the theatre for the first time is probably something I will always remember.  Yes, of course it sounds just a good as on DVD or CD, but live in the theatre you can feel the full impact of the varied tone and dynamics.  But I can now sort of understand why some reviewers think that hasn't got a 'Verdi voice' - it lacks the typical ping and innate sunshine in the sound, but in Don Carlo this matters less given the dark overtones throughout.  I for one would gladly listen to Herr Kaufmann in whatever he chooses to sing.  Yes, even Wagner!


But he wasn't the only vocal star of the evening. There was barely a weak link in this magnificent cast, even given the cancellation of Anja Harteros who was due to appear as Elisabetta but cancelled due to acute tonsillitis.  I won't go into the furore (not in the House but on social media) that greeted this latest of many cancellations, but will simply say that her replacement was much more than adequate.  Lianna Haroutounian has an impressive dark toned voice with ringing high notes and sympathetic acting in her portrayal of Elisabetta and she clearly impressed the audience judging by her reception at the end of the opera.  I would hope that the ROH management are even now beating down her door armed with future contracts.

In the role of Rodrigio, Mariusz Kwiecien displayed a robust baritone but I found his acting in this role pretty generalised, although I appear to have been in the minority as he also was cheered to the rafters. Beatrice Uria-Monzon sang Princess Eboli who cut a beautiful figure (as her character should) but whose voice is an acquired taste.

The fabulous Ferrricio Furlanetto as the despotic tyrant  Philip humanised by Verdi's music, was simply sublime.  Out of all of the singers on stage he was the one who fully embodied the role he was playing - that comes from over 30 years of playing the role and the experience shows.  His duet with the Grand Inquisitor as sung by Eric Halfvarson was masterly and almost the best moment in the opera.  Almost.

Although hard to pick the greatest moment out of so many great moments, the best for me was the final heart-rending farewell duet between Carlo and Elisabetta at the tomb of Carlos V.  It was simply ravishing and I cannot imagine I will ever hear it sung so beautifully again.  Kaufmann dared to reduce his voice to the merest whisper in places and yet was still clearly audible.  Haroutounian joined in this Verdian 'liebestod' until there was barely a dry eye in the house.

Last but certainly not least, Antonio Pappano led the orchestra in a rousing and dynamic reading of this complex music.  The ROH Chorus too played a vital role in making the performance come alive.

I've concentrated on the singing in this review and I think that's how it should be.  Nicholas Hytner's production has been well documented elsewhere and has both detractors and admirers.  It's semi-abstract style certainly doesn't detract from an outstanding evening although I don't think it particularly added anything either.  I've certainly seen the autdo-da-fe done better but as I say, it didn't detract from the fabulous singing and acting on stage.


I've said that I cannot imagine hearing the final duet sung so beautifully again - actually I'm hoping I will as I'm revisiting this on the 18th May where I hope to be blown away all over again.