End of term report! Royal Opera Season 2013-14

Wow!  What a season that was...and how quickly time has gone by.  Doesn't seem five minutes since I was compiling the 2012/13 highlights but here we are again.  For me this has been a very positive season at ROH where the highs have definitely outweighed the lows.  Of course live theatre isn't perfect but I really feel that this has been such a great season - great singers, interesting productions and a good mix of new experiences and revisiting old favourites.  Here's what I saw at ROH this season:

Turandot (rehearsal)
Le Nozze di Figaro (rehearsal and 1 performance)
Les Vepres Siciliennes (twice) New Production
Wozzeck
Parsifal (rehearsal) New Production
Carmen
Manon (rehearsal and 2 performances)
Don Giovanni New Production
Faust
Jonas Kaufmann - Wintereisse
La Traviata - twice
Dialogues des Carmelites (new to Royal Opera but I have classed this as a revival)
Tosca
Manon Lescaut - (rehearsal and 2 performances)  New Production
La Boheme - twice
Ariadne auf Naxos
Maria Stuarda  New Production
JPYA Summer Performance

Productions I missed this season in the main house were La Fille du Regiment and Die Frau ohne Schatten - which isn't bad going really.


Best New Production
Once again this was a really hard decision. I find new productions quite frustrating for the most part.  Quite often they are so nearly perfect (Manon Lescaut) but then something goes awry.  In other cases I am baffled and sometimes quite angry (Don Giovanni).  But in the end I have to make a decision and its probably not the one you think...

Yes, considering the Wagner-phobe I claim myself to be, Parsifal won me over to such an extent that even my love for tenors and Jonas Kaufmann couldn't sway me!  The combination of production and Wagner's music completely transformed my opinion. Not saying I love everything about Wagner (I don't) but for some reason this particular opera hits the spot.  Now, if ROH would only entice Mr Kaufmann to come sing it, I'd be an even happier woman!


Worst New Production.
Sigh.  For some reason this category is one of the easiest to judge although I have to say that on balance, the new productions this year were slightly less annoying than last seasons but there is a clear winner for me....

Yes, I'm afraid Kasper Holten's production of Don Giovanni left me less than impressed.  The combination of whirling set, constantly flashing lights and borderline misogynistic concept meant that although I wanted to like this production, I didn't.  At all.

Best Production Revival
Once again, spoilt for choice amongst the many commendable revivals.  Some great performances from singers enlivened even the most venerable and staid of productions.  Honourable mentions go to Faust, Manon and Ariadne auf Naxos.  But, the surprise winner is.....

La Boheme.  I know!  All the more surprising as this time last year I chose this opera (reluctantly) as my 'worst production revival'.  Well all I can say is, what a difference a year makes.  John Copley once again returned to breath new life into this veteran production, but it was the casting of Ermonela Jaho and Charles Castronovo which made all of the difference.  Subtle and believable actors, they instantly convinced as star-crossed lovers Mimi and Rodolfo.  And not only that, their musicality and willingness to live the drama on stage totally convinced. Mesmerising and magical.


Worst Production Revival
Once again this category was very hard to pick. Most of the revivals I have seen these season have had their  merits, be it in individual performances (Tosca) or the production itself (Nozze di Figaro).  But for better or worse the winner is....

Carmen. It wasn't bad.  But it wasn't really a stand out either.  Individual performances were okay but frankly this just seemed like another routine revival of an old warhorse.  The production now seems tired and lacking in verve.  Alagna was good but brought no special insights into Don Jose.  Next!

Best Male Singer Performance
Ah. Now I know what you think.  She's going to pick that tenor again.  You're right but quite frankly when you have a tenor who is currently performing at the very top of his game, then there is no choice.  The winner is....

Yes, its that man again.  Jonas Kaufmann.  Although as you may gather from the picture, I'm actually choosing him for his magnificent performance of Wintereisse, rather than his performance in Manon Lescaut. Not that his Des Grieux wasn't good - it was fantastic.  But it is rather his ability to totally entrance in lieder and then switch to full-blooded and passionate operatic singing that has me hooked.

Very honourable mentions go to Charles Castronovo, Gerald Finley and Bryn Terfel.


Best Female Singer Performance.
This has been the season of some very great and wonderful soprano singing.  I've encountered voices new to me and revisited some favourites.  Honourable mentions to Lise Lindstrom, Ailyn Perez, Joyce di Donato and Karita Mattila.  But my winner for this season is....

Wow!  Just wow!  I was almost left speechless by my first encounter with the Tosca of Sondra Radvanovsky.  Where has this soprano been all of my life?  Well not at ROH very often to be sure.  This voice is the real deal.  And her assumption of the role of diva of all diva's was just perfection.  Brava Sondra - please come back soon.

And finally...

Operatic Highlight of the Season.
I've had so many highlights this season that I really consider myself very lucky to live near London and have the opportunity to see and hear some wonderful opera.  There were many highlights for me, not least Manon Lescaut which was wonderful and frustrating at the same time. Mentions must also go to Ariadne auf Naxos, Faust and Turandot.  But my highlight of the season was....

Yes it was actually Dialogues des Carmelites.  I have waited so many years to see this opera but it was worth the wait.  Musically and dramatically satisfying and emotionally overwhelming.  Just wonderful.

So that's it for another season and I'm already missing the place already!  My next scheduled visit is in September to see Barbiere di Siviglia...here's a little taster of what lies ahead...

Another moral maze - Don Giovanni, Royal Opera, 14 January 2014

I'm not sure that scheduling Don Giovanni on Valentine's Day isn't asking for trouble - or perhaps the Royal Opera was actually tipping us the wink that this Don wasn't the heartless seducer of old?  Either way, and despite mixed reviews, I was looking forward to this production with some anticipation.

First of all let me just say that even when I go to a performance some time after the premier, as in this case, I make a point of trying to avoid formal reviews and blogs, lest they cloud my judgement in some way. Twitter however is almost impossible to avoid and there were some fairly vociferous reactions on my timeline including hints of dire goings-on at the finale.  This notwithstanding, I was suitably intrigued and if nothing else, it would be a chance to catch up with the glorious music of Mozart, who can withstand most, of not all of any directorial shenanigans.

While the overture is still playing, the curtain opens on a fairly bland facade of a house, somewhat reminiscent of the set of Kasper Holten's previous directorial outing here, Eugene Onegin.  Given my reaction to that production, I wasn't entirely encouraged but things soon picked up as the highly vaunted light show sprang into life.  Soon dozens of names had been artfully inscribed on the grey background, testament to the Don's many conquests.    I thought the visual aspects of the production were very good and in the most part effective.  Splashes of colour at the appropriate moments worked well and the visual effects were stunning in places.  But....and its a big but...I'm not entirely sure that the visual effects didn't overshadow or overwhelm the singers at times.  While the so-called 'Champagne Aria' was visually stunning (if a little vertigo-inducing) I do wonder if the applause was for the singer or the effect?

And not only did we have the constant changes of lighting but also the ever-whirling cuboid set.  Its a wonder that none of the singers got lost or emerged from the wrong door.  While this was quite effective to begin with, the novelty wore off and towards the end I was just wishing the singers would all stand still for a minute instead of constantly whirling or going upstairs and down.  So on the whole I enjoyed the visuals (including the gorgeous costumes) but felt that perhaps less is more.

So much for the visuals.

The story you would think is a fairly straightforward one - after all the subtitle to Don Giovanni is Il dissoluto punito - The rake punished.  However no modern day director worth his salt can resist tweaking the story to fit a concept and sure enough here our Don is less of a vicious if charming rapist, murderer and seducer...more of a middle-aged rake having a mid-life crisis.  He bounces from woman to woman and none put up even the most token resistance....all fall to his charms including Donna Anna, who right from the start has enjoyed her fling with the charming Don and then finds herself lying to all and sundry about the nature of their relationship, crying rape and then calling for revenge for her father's death.  Donna Elvira and Zerlina barely come off much better in this production, with Zerlina portrayed as a girl on the make and willing to throw over her husband on her wedding day, and Elvira moping about constantly believing she can change the Don's wicked ways.

The Don himself is just a man having a bad day - although given that he at least gets to have sex a couple of times in this production (at least suggested) then he does okay.  Oh and he also murders Donna Anna's father but that seems less of a problem in this production. My problem with the concept (apart from the treatment of women) is that if the Don is not the hell-bent dissolute who murders and deceives...then who is he?  And what is the point of the Commendatore reappearing to extract justice if in fact he doesn't?  Or at least he didn't seem to - hard to tell with the fudged ending.

To be honest, I'm not as up in arms as some about the abbreviated ending as some appear to be.  Given what had gone one beforehand then it actually fit with the directors concept.  From what I can gather the Don doesn't get dragged down to hell but is left in some sort of limbo while the rest of the cast sing from the orchestra pit.   Go figure.

I thought the musical values were very high indeed and for me this (and the music of Mozart) was the saving grace.  Mariusz Kwiecien was on form as the eponymous Don, his voice robust and he cut a lithe and athletic figure.  I much preferred him here than when I saw him as Posa in Don Carlo.  He was well matched in his Leporello here played by Alex Esposito and the two singers struck up a beleivable partnership, less master and servant, more equal partners in crime.  Antonio Poli had the unenviable task of making Don Ottavio interesting or sympathetic...and failed.  Not his fault and his voice was pleasant and mostly up to the task that Mozart set him.  But I have yet to see a production of Don Giovanni where the Ottatvio is anything more than a dramatic cipher.

Malin Bystrom as Donna Anna was a revelation for me.  Her voice was agile, creamy and yet with plenty of dramatic heft when required. Veronique Gens as Elvira was similarly impressive if not quite in the same league - although Elvira has less vocal 'fireworks' than Anna.  Her characterisation of Elvira was dignified and restrained.  Elizabeth Watts and Dawid Kimberg as Zerlina and Masetto were fine but not outstanding.

Final verdict?  I didn't exactly hate the production but found some of the concepts a bit questionable.  The physical production and light show were novel but perhaps a little less would be easier on the eye.  On a side note I do wonder if the full effects of this production will come out well on DVD - which I presume will be on the way?