Gala Celebration - Royal Opera House 25th February 2015

I enjoy a good opera gala. And it has to be said I have attended some memorable ones at Covent Garden including the Farewell Gala before the house closed down in 1997 for refurbishment.  No such noble cause this time - this was essentially a fund raising gala grandly entitled. 'Life Reimagined'

As with all such enterprises the end result didn't quite match the anticipated line up.  Mariusz Kwiecien was originally billed to star but pulled out quite some time ago.  Tenor Aleksandrs Antonenko was recruited but fell at the last hurdle causing a hasty reshuffling of the program - more of which later.  This was essentially opera and ballet's greatest hits - although it has to be said that once again the ballet elements seemed a tad more imaginative than the vocal offerings.

I must admit I was pretty impressed with the overall production values of the concert.  I loved the fact that a camera in the pit enabled the orchestral numbers to be shown close up on the stage screen. Clever use of screening and visuals masked the comings and goings and there were plenty of video clips to enhance the live numbers and give some insight into what was coming up next.

So without further ado, my brief comments on the programme as follows:

Eugene Onegin - Polonaise
Nicola Luisotti led the band in a enthusiastic rendition of this number which set the appropriate celebratory mood.  Loved the video of the orchestra projected onto the stage.

Still Life at the Penguin Cafe - Texan Kangaroo Rat
The first slice of ballet and a hugely enjoyable one mostly due to the enthusiastic participation of the young dancers aged 10-11 who were obviously enjoying themselves.  Cute factor = 9/10

Sola, Perduta, Abandonata, Manon Lescaut
The originally billed duet from Cavalleria Rusticana with Antonenko had to be abandoned when the tenor jumped ship due to illness.  But luckily Eva-Mara Westbroek was on heartbreaking form as Manon Lescaut in the final act solo.  Gorgeously if not perfectly sung, it made me want to see her in the full role.  Extra points for looking glamorous in black twinkly frock.

'See, even Night herself is here'. 
Another ballet slot with vocals by soprano Lauren Fagen.  It was very pretty and I enjoyed the music by Purcell.  Alas I could have done with subtitles here as even though sung in English, I understood not a word!

Au fond du temple saint, Les Pecheurs de perles
Standard concert fare this duet for tenor and baritone but nicely done all the same.  Toby Spence and Samuel Dale Johnson blended perfectly without exactly setting the house on fire.

Qualia.  Pas de deux
Ballet.  Modern dance. This totally flumoxed me.  I didn't really enjoy if I'm honest - I suspect mainly because the music by Robin David Rimbaud was recorded and played into the auditorium leaving the orchestra twiddling their thumbs - metaphorically if not literally.

Ebben, Ne andro lontana - La Wally
A rather ubiquitous aria choice for a gala, but gorgeously sung by Sonya Yoncheva nonetheless.  I'm looking forward to Ms Yoncheva's upcoming Traviata's - they should be something special.

Jewels 'Diamonds' pas de deux
Another grand slice of ballet and very nice it was too. Loved the music but again I'm afraid that out of context ballet just doesn't really move me.

Credo in un Dio crudel, Otello
Now this is more like it!  In the brief video clip  before he came on stage Bryn commented that he wouldn't sing the full role on stage but loved to sing this aria. A great pity if this brief glimpse is anything to go by.  Gloriously malevolent and biting this was a real highlight of the evening.  Bryn brings his A game - 9/10.

Grand Defile 
Basically an excuse to get the whole of the Royal Ballet School on stage. I rather enjoyed it and rather impressive to see the whole stage filled with pupils of all ages.

Out of the Ruins music by Charlotte Bray
Part two kicked off with this world premiere performed on stage by the ROH Youth Opera Company. Lovely to see such enthusiasm on stage from the younger generation and if there was one theme I picked up on tonight was that we really do have to nurture the future opera and ballet stars.

March from The Love for Three Oranges
The orchestra get their chance to shine again and Luisotti's enthusiasm is really infectious.

The Cards, from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
One of the very few full length ballet's I actually know!  Having seen this on New Year's Eve I loved this reminder that modern ballet can be fun. I also loved the music by Joby Talbot which totally fits the story.  Highly recommended if you haven't seen it.

Kuda, kuda vi udaililis, Eugene Onegin
Lensky's lovelorn aria was wonderfully sung by Toby Spence. Full of desperate sadness and longing - one of my favourite pieces of the evening.

Tchaikovsky pas de deux
I think I may have reached by ballet threshold by this point.  Went on just a tad too long for my boredom levels.  I can admire the athleticism and artistry of the dancers but.....  

Suicidio, La Gioconda
Eva-Maria leaps to the rescue with a sizzling account the heroine's aria from this rarely performed opera. Would love to see EMW in this but realistically it probably won't happen unless Jonas Kaufmann decides he wants to sing Enzo.

Summertime
A world premier by choreographer Liam Scarlett to one of Gershwin's most famous songs.  I actual enjoyed this and the orchestral playing was especially fine.

Quanto amore, L'elisire d'amore
You can always rely on Donizetti....and Bryn Terfel to liven up a party!  Sure enough, Bryn brought his own two cans of 'elixir' on stage and downed one can in one gulp at the end. Sonya Yoncheva was a lyrical and pert Adina who entered into the fun of it all.

If I loved you, pas de deux, Carousel
A final helping of ballet and definitely worth waiting for.  The Richard Rogers music instantly familiar of course, but I loved the characterisation by Carlos Acosta and Sarah Lamb.  Probably my favorite ballet extract of the evening.

Der Holle Rache, Die Zauberflote
The final item on the programme was originally scheduled to be Nessun Dorma!  Not wishing Antonenko ill,but I'm rather glad we didn't get it. A sadly overexposed aria and out of context,not very interesting. Instead we got the Queen of the Night's showcase aria which was executed with efficiency and aplomb by Anna Siminska, currently singing the role in David McVicar's ROH production.

So, all in all it was a bit of a mixed bag but some very enjoyable moments indeed.

Zut alors! Andrea Chenier 26th January 2015

I think it's fair to say that Giordano's Andrea Chenier is not exactly top of the operatic hit parade when it comes to performances at the Royal Opera House.  A cursory glance indicates that it was last performed there over 30 years ago!  And yet it has some fabulous arias and duets that are loved by singers and audiences alike and quite rightly rolled out at gala concerts all over the world.  La Mamma Morta is famously featured in the movie Philadelphia.  As voiced by Maria Callas the aria is a high point and usually has audiences reaching for the hankies in no time.  So why the dearth of performances?

When I asked the same question not so long ago about Puccini's Manon Lescaut the answer seemed to revolve around the tenor role and the lack of a suitable voice (or at least one willing) to take on the part.  And so the story seems to be repeated here.  And it seems to be no coincidence that once again Jonas Kaufmann steps into the breach and dares to go where no other tenor at Covent Garden has gone before - at least for quite some time.

Covent Garden has certainly rolled out the big guns for this new production.  David McVicar directs, Antonio Pappano conducts and along side the 'world's greatest tenor' the cast is pretty decent too. Eva-Maria Westbroek (something of a house favourite) debuts her Maddelena with baritone Željko Lučić as nominal villain Gerard. Minor casting is not skimped on either with former diva Rosalind Plowright as the Contessa, Denyce Graves as Bersi and Peter Coleman-Wright as Fleville. What could possibly go wrong?

On the vocal side, actually very little indeed.  Jonas sings with practiced technique and a golden burnished ardour throughout - an accomplished debut of a very arduous tenor role.  Four arias and duets aplenty - not forgetting to save your best for the final blistering duet - this is not an easy sing by any means.  If I'm honest there's definitely a sense of power held in reserve and the singing is never anything less than tasteful - whether verismo should be quite this tasteful is for others to judge.  I did enjoy it (more so the second performance I saw) but think an ounce more 'oomph' wouldn't go amiss. But quite honestly, not sure which other tenor (preferably alive) who I'd rather see and hear in the role.  His portrayal of Chenier was more detailed than most - a sulky resentful poet in Act 1 as he surveys the aristocrats at play; Act 2 reveals Chenier as drunk and disillusioned with revolution and its excesses...until love is revealed in the shape of Maddalena.  In Act 3 a sense of resignation to his fate is revealed, only briefly illuminated by his angry self-defense.  Act 4 is simply the culmination of all that has gone before - a short very sublime postscript, the duet a mini-Liebstod  as the lovers welcome the embrace of Madame la Guillotine.

Eva-Maria Westbroek also makes her stage debut as Chenier's doomed love Maddalena.  The soprano has less to sing perhaps but also has to work harder to make an impression.  The diligent soprano is rewarded with slightly more character development than the tenor, going from young flighty aristocrat to world-weary fugitive and finally, and in the final act, to absolute heroine.  Her Act 3 confrontation with Gerard is the turning point of the opera and she certainly makes the most of it. The voice may not be ideally suited to the repertory but she is a warm-hearted and totally believable character and in many ways becomes the beating heart of the opera.

Revolutionary fervour is encapsulated in the form of Carlo Gerard - and as played by Željko Lučić he makes the most of every opportunity - saving his best singing for his aria Nemico della Patria. Again, not typically Italianate in tone but dark, firm and secure of voice - and a decent actor to boot.  Not sure if he's already done Scarpia but that role surely beckons?

As you might have noticed by the photographs, this was a resolutely traditional production by David McVicar.  Or as he put it himself  'It's the French Revolution - its a no brainer!' Costumes by Jenny Tiramani were equally traditional and well researched.  It's a very decent production though to be honest, not that exciting.  I though the vast open sets worked well for the opulent French chateau of Act 1 - less well for the remaining acts.  It was all a bit too vast, too well-scrubbed and too polite - no sense of real menace or threat.  There was no real sense of shock and outrage in Act 1 as Chenier impolitely rounded on his hosts with his improvised denunciation of the aristocracy.  Or even when a scattering of peasants intruded - quickly shooed away as the gavotte resumed.  The Act 3 trial scene was also curiously tepid in places - a bit more grit here wouldn't go amiss.

I feel the composer also has to take his share of the blame for being less than convincing in places. While the arias and duets shine with passion and  inspiration, some of the other music is less memorable and the energy sags as you wait for the next big "tune".  Maddalena and Chenier could also have done with a bit more stage time together as the progress of their relationship is episodic to say the least and you have to take it on trust that they fell in love somewhere along the way!

These are minor quibbles which are swept away by the passion of final short act where it almost feels as it there has been a sudden power surge!  The temperature leaps up as Jonas lets rip in Come un bel di di Maggio - Chenier's final soaring lament, quickly followed by the ecstatic duet Vicino a te, as his beloved comes to die with him.  A gorgeous and sublime ending to a not quite perfect opera.

If you can't get to London or can't get a ticket, ROH are broadcasting this opera around the UK and the rest of the world.  Transmission details for your area can be found Here - have a feeling this production will work even better in close up.   

And for your viewing pleasure the final glorious duet can be heard here:

All photographs copyright ROH/Bill Cooper

Die Walkure...or how I learned to love the Ring Cycle. A little.

Before I start to review my latest DVD purchase I just need to make a little confession.  "My name is Karen and I don't enjoy Wagner."  I feel like I should be standing up in some sort of therapy group and making that admission, such is the look of amazement you get when you admit this in most operatic circles.  But my view is that that I can't enjoy every composer with the same level of enthusiasm and I just don't 'get' Wagner.  Not entirely sure why.  

Maybe because I wasn't brought up listening to his music in the way I was with Italian and French opera.  Or maybe its the extreme length of some of his opera - I  mean, almost 6 hours (including intervals) for Parsifal? Really?  But most of all I think that I've been put off in the past by the type of singing I've encountered in Wagner - the 'park and bark' style that hopefully is now going out of fashion. For me, Wagner is the sort of opera that is so easy to  mock and unfortunately is shorthand for the stereotypical image that opera is subject to.  You know the one I mean,  a rather large lady dressed in breastplate and horns singing her heart out not very tunefully.

See what I mean.  This is what I imagine when I think Wagner.  And especially the Ring Cycle.  I mean , why tell a story in one opera when you can do it soooo much better in four - Wagner gives the word 'epic' a bad name. And then there's the plot which involves dwarves, gold, dragons and Nordic gods and goddesses.  Think Lord of the Rings with better music. Not really my thing.  I prefer real people, whether they are Kings and Queens or Parisian bohemians, direct human emotion is what I'm looking for and I expect my opera to give me that in bucket loads.  So I don't get Wagner.

Which is not to say that I don't like his music - I do.  I've got the requisite CD with the 'best bits' and can hum along to the Ride of the Valkyries with the best of them.  I just don't want to watch or listen to a whole opera.  Until now.

Yes, its that tenor again.  Jonas Kaufmann.  Even so I approached Die Walkure with trepidation rather than outright enthusiasm and my heart sank when I ripped through the cellophane to discover 2, yes 2 dvd's.  Of course there would be - this is Wagner.  Still, there was nothing on the tv and I'm on leave from work so no rushing off for that early night - I could watch this to the bitter end if necessary.  But I must admit that I found myself thinking I could always whizz through the non-Jonas bits if necessary.

So, on to the review.

Another reason for my slight apprehension is that this is a DVD from the Met Opera, showcasing their latest production of the Ring Cycle by Robert Lepage, featuring what has come to be know as 'The Machine'.  To say that there have been mixed reviews is putting it politely. There's no way to adequately describe this contraption so you're going to need a visual.

That's the Ride of the Valkyries by the way.  No horses as you might have noticed.  That picture doesn't really do it justice though.  This is a fully articulated platform that serves as stage, occasionally as horse, but mostly it seems, as a surface for the many projections throughout the opera.  It looks clumsy and dangerous and I for one wouldn't like to be clambering around its many facets and I can only imagine the technical jiggery-pokery needed to ensure everything was alright on the night.  Anyway, let's just say it was effective in parts and didn't overly detract from the opera itself.  However I did get the feeling that so much attention had been paid to The Machine, that not enough was spent with the singers and the story they were trying to tell.  A little more time spent there would have reaped benefits.

Luckily a world class cast was assembled in most of the roles and if its top class singing you're after then look no further than Jonas Kaufmann and Eva-Marie Westbroek playing the incestuous twins Siegmund and Sieglinde, separated when young and now joyfully reunited here.  Even in Wagner (and some might say especially in Wagner) Kaufmann's singing is a joy and never descends into stereotypical Bayreuth Bark territory, strong, dark and luscious tone that even I could listen to, Wagner sceptic that I am.  Ms Westbroek matched him with some sublime singing and a touching characterisation of the downtrodden wife she has become when Siegmund finds her.  However, they were both hampered in Act 1 by The Machine taking up half the stage necessitating all the action taking place downstage.   No matter, I was hooked by the love story (yes I'm a romantic) and couldn't wait for the rest of the opera.

Act 2 brought the second reason why I ventured into the Ring Cycle.  Bryn Tefel, Welsh bass-baritone playing the King of the Gods, Wotan.  He has an enormous presence, both physical and vocal, but uses both aspects with taste and always with focused intent.  This is the first time I've encountered his Wotan and I was not disappointed.  In fact I was pleasantly surprised at the sheer emotion he managed to convey in his portrayal of this mighty god.  He might be a god, but he has the same problems as many human beings, a nagging wife, an errant daughter and a son who he loves but cannot now protect.

And so onto the Die Walkure herself, Brunhilde, here sung by the American soprano Deborah Voight making her debut in the part.  Since I have nothing to compare it to and not being a musician I can only say that I found her singing good without being outstanding - especially in comparison with her colleagues. She also acted the part adequately again without being outstanding.  Supporting roles were taken well with special mention going to the rest of the the Valkyries who sang and capered around the machine without betraying too much nervousness.  

All in all, and much to my surprise  I did actually enjoy the whole opera and didn't fast forward through anything.  In fact at one point I was reduced to tears when Siegmund dies in his father Wotan's arms.

Nicely played by both singers and gave me exactly what I was looking for - direct human emotion that I could understand.. I was equally impressed by the complexity of the father/daughter relationship between Wotan and Brunhilde.  A lot has been written about Verdi's various depictions of fathers and daughters but I really think Wagner hit the nail on the head here, and all the more touching for being totally unexpected.  By me at least.

So, am I a Wagner convert?  I wouldn't go that far.  But at least I think I've come to appreciate the music a little more.  And if Kaufmann and Terfel ever bring their Wagner partnership to the Garden - I'll be right in the queue for a ticket.  And I think that's definitely progress.

My next review will definitely be of a live performance - Nabucco at Royal Opera this weekend.