Oh dear! Its been a long time since my last post hasn't it? Unfortunately I was laid low for quite a while with a persistent chest infection which meant that not only did I feel pretty rough, I had to cancel quite a lot of my planned opera and concert going.
But enough of that! Now restored to relative full health, though I'd start the year with a look back at what I did manage to see!
Outstanding New Production
Surprisingly (or perhaps not!) my outstanding production of 2014 comes not from ROH but from ENO. The Girl of the Golden West was a delight from start to finish. A sympathetic, singable translation ensure that this opera was the deserved success it should be. All of the lead singers nailed their characters and if their voices weren't quite 'perfect' they more than made up for that with dramatic commitment. Why can't all opera be like this?
Runner up for this category - Manon Lescaut at the Royal Opera. Again, not quite perfect by any means but the cast almost convinced you that it was!
Best Revival
Once again there was so much choice for Best Revival but this performance of La Boheme with Ermonela Jaho and Charles Castronovo just stood out from the crowd. Great singing of course, but what impressed and moved me were their performances - they simply became Mimi and Rodolfo. As I said in my end of term report - mesmerising and magical.
Highly commended in this category was a surprisingly good Barbiere di Siviglia and a deeply emotional Diaglogues des Carmelites (classed here as a revival as its been around for so long!).
Best Male Performance
Yes I know, but honest I couldn't resist this year! Jonas Kaufmann is simply a force of nature! Put him in the right role and he simply overcomes resistance...at least for me! I think his most impressive performance came from the new Met production of Werther - which I managed to catch in the HD broadcast. He really does suit the more brooding and introspective characters. Also impressive was his assumption of Des Grieux in the ROH Manon Lescaut, even if the production didn't quite fire on all cylinders. But most memorable for me was his performance of Wintereisse also in the hallowed halls of ROH. This has led to the purchase of many lieder CD's (not just his) and also many tickets to Wigmore Hall!
Honorable mentions for Best Male Performance go to Charles Castronovo for La Boheme and Michele Angelini in his ROH debut as Count Almaviva in Barbiere di Siviglia
Best Female Performance
So many riches to choose from, but if I'm honest the performance which simply blew me away in 2014 was Sondra Radvanovsky in Tosca. This was my first chance to hear this artist in person and oh my word...what a stunning voice! I simply left the auditorium open mouthed with wonder. Stunning. Please, please can she come back?
Other outstanding female performances were Joyce DiDonato (Met HD Cenerentola), Karita Mattila for a stunning Ariadne auf Naxos, Susan Bullock for a resplendent Minnie in Girl of the Golden West and Kristine Opolais - her dramatic commitment to Manon Lescaut was impressive indeed.
Biggest Disappointment
Once again I suppose it was the quality of the new productions. Don Giovanni was the biggest disappointment for me. While the singing was for the most part top notch, dramatic invention was replaced by overused projections and a spinning set. Add a touch of misogyny to the female portrayals and a bizarre ending for a most unedifying experience!
So there we have my selections for 2014.
Have a Happy New Year everyone and I wish you many new musical highlights for 2015.
Although I have a soft spot for Puccini's 'horse opera' I booked my ticket with slight feelings of trepidation - but once again only because of the English language issues. Given my recent experience of ENO's Otello, where the translation let the production down I felt, I wasn't really expecting The Girl of the Golden West to be much better. But bolstered by positive first night reaction from Twitter friends, loins were girded and off I went.
La Fanciulla del West (as this opera is better known) is a strange beast among the Puccini canon of works. Puccini was drawn towards the unusual and exotic for his plots and to an Italian I suppose you don't get much more exotic that the wild, wild West of the US goldrush period. The libretto is based on David Belasco's play and as usual Puccini has consigned huge chunks to the dustbin, including Minnie and Dick Johnson/Rammerez first meeting. Its worth a read if you like digging into the background of this opera.
The musical structure too is advanced with very few standalone set pieces (a couple of tenor arias apart) and even those are skillfully woven into the fabric of the opera. The whole opera moves at a brisk pace with scene after scene flowing quite naturally without disruptive breaks for applause.
As with quite a lot of my experiences, my first encounter with Fanciulla was via a video recording featuring Placido Domingo in the monumental ultra-traditional Pierro Faggioni production at the Royal Opera House. I finally managed to catch up with this production live in 2005 with Jose Cura - and that was the last time I saw Fanciulla live on stage....until now.
This new production by Richard Jones is very clear and uncluttered and does the job of telling the story well. Slightly updated - The Polka now has electric lighting - but it still highlights a group men mining for gold, with Minnie as the only (good) girl in town. I liked this production although I had a couple of issues with some of the directorial decisions - especially in the second act. I thought the slap/coffee throwing incident between Minnie and Johnson could have been staged better - or perhaps it was just the view from my seat. Nothing worse than a fake slap that doesn't quite come off! The second act set didn't really leave Johnson many places to hide so he ended up under the bed! Now really, hiding under the bed - isn't that the first place anyone would look? And rather then letting the poor wounded tenor faint and have a lie down, he seemed to be propped up against the wall while Minne and Rance gambled for his life. But honestly, these are minor quibbles and certainly didn't spoil my enjoyment. I found the final scene especially touching - and where Minnie & Johnson normally ride off into the sunset, here the miners are standing on the set start which receded slowly away. Very effective.
Vocally things were competent rather than outstanding although again that is probably just me being picky. I do like Susan Bullock a lot and as Minnie she certainly convinced with her acting. Her singing was fine and its a tricky part but I did miss a more typical Puccini voice in the role. These days the casting tends towards Wagnarian sopranos but I did miss a bit of warmth and plushness in the voice. The same could probably be said for Peter Auty who was a sympathetic Dick Johnson but whose voice I found slightly constricted in the upper reaches - and there are plenty of upper reaches in this role. Craig Colclough as Jack Rance grew on me - again more because of his overall portrayal than having a stunning voice. He was more than a one-dimensional villain and that greatly added to the drama.
All of the other parts were taken well and the cast made their roles into real individual characters - always a plus when so many of them are on stage at once. It's hard to know what to do with the Native American Indian characters of Wowkle and Billy. As written they can come across as horrible stereotypes with lots of "Ugh's" and other nonsense. On the other hand turning them into dramatic ciphers with no character as here didn't really work either.
Ah and what about the English translation I hear you say? Well, to my great surprise it actually worked in English. Somewhere a decision was made down the line to incorporate American accents. I thought this would be distracting but actually I think it helped with the text and translation and the translator Kelley Rourke was very skilled in producing a very singable and yet understandable translation.
If you haven't had a chance to see this opera, do go! I heartily recommend it and you will leave the theatre will a smile on your face. I'll leave you with this clip from the Met production of Fanciulla with Placido Domingo and Barbara Daniels. This is the scene were Dick Johnson has been revealed as the bandit Ramerrez and Minnie confronts him. It has Spanish subtitles but its very clear I think. And a particularly good example of a stage slap!
No, not a 'Night at the Garden' this time but a 'Night at the Coliseum'. Not that it's my first venture to ENO but it's rare enough to warrant mention. One of the main reasons I don't venture to ENO more often is their blanket 'opera in English' language policy. I was lucky enough to grow up listening to opera in the original language as background music in my home as my Mum loved opera. So that by the time I came to re-discover opera in the early 90's the foreign language issue didn't bother me - especially as the Royal Opera thoughtfully provided surtitles. So opera in English isn't a great pull for me - especially in the standard Italian repertory as frankly in English just sounds odd!
So there has to be a compelling reason for a visit to ENO; a great singer, a great non-standard opera or a particular production I want to see. While Otello can hardly be called non-standard, I haven't seen so many live performances that I could afford to let one slip by! Especially with Stuart Skelton taking on the herculean title role. With bargain Secret Seat ticket in hand and not without a little trepidation I settled into my seat.
Strangely enough, Otello was one of the very first opera's I came to know and love, rather than one of any number of 'easier' works such as La Boheme, Rigoletto or Tosca. Falling in love with opera in the early 90's I used to raid the local library for CD recordings and snapped this up. Readers, it was love at first listen! I haven't looked back since!
But what about this production?
Let's get the somewhat controversial element out of the way first. Generally speaking (and certainly in all of the productions I've seen) Otello is portrayed as a black man and this usually means the white tenor 'blacking up' to a greater or lesser degree. Quite rightly, this is no longer an option but given the dearth of tenors who can actually sing this highly dramatic role, what is the solution? ENO doesn't really come up with one to be honest and simply ignores the issue. Which I think was wrong. Don't get me wrong, I was quite happy to see Stuart Skelton sans blackface, but I do think that the production has to compensate for this somehow, otherwise Otello ends up just being like everyone else. Where is the sense of isolation, inferiority, 'different-ness' that is implied in both Shakespeare's play and in Verdi's opera. Where is Desdemona's daring in marrying someone not of her kind, her rank or her age? If Otello is reduced to just being another stock jealous 'Italian tenor' figure then the production has failed.
It can be done. In another Verdi opera, La Forza del Destino, the tenor character is also a foreigner, an outsider or as the libretto has it , half-breed or 'mulatto'. Yes, the racial insults fly just as much in this opera as in Otello! And yes, in the past, the tenor has nearly always had a suspiciously deep tan to mark him as 'foreign' and not worthy of his lady-love. However, the times they are a-changing and in the recent Munich production the tenor was outfitted and bewigged in such a way as to mark him out as 'different' without resorting to a change of skin colour.
The production itself was a one-set fits all affair, dark, spare and minimalist with little furniture cluttering the stage. What furniture did appear was subject to some violent abuse by various characters, chairs being thrown around the stage at moments of high tension. Unfortunately this has become something of a cliche so perhaps didn't have the dramatic effect it might have done. At this particular performance Stuart Skelton also (unintentionally) threw himself off a tower of chairs, but luckily was uninjured and carried on as though this was all part of the stage business!
While the set more or less worked for the first three acts, the lack of a separate bedchamber, or even a bed, for the vital last act murder, made it all a bit silly and the murder of Desdemona a bit anti-climactic. Could the budget not stretch to a bed? This all sounds very caviling and I did quite like the overall design and look of the set but it somehow needed more.
Now to the good bits.
Otello is a chorus heavy opera and ENO's chorus were in fantastic form. The sound they produced was awesome in its power and use of dynamics. However I do like to see my chorus have defined characters and here they didn't. I'm sure this was the intention of the director but they just looked like an anonymous amorphous lump. The less said about the flower strewing episode the better!
In the title role Stuart Skelton was anguished, brutal and heartrending in places. While not having a typical Italianate sound, there was glorious compensation in the secure focused tone and the knowledge that there would be no cracking under pressure. This is an interpretation that will grow with time and I look forward to seeing and hearing him in another production - preferably in Italian.
Leah Crocetto was a voice new to me and she has a lovely dark spinto tone, gloriously lyrical and yet able to meet the demands of Otello's anguished spouse. Dignified in approach, she nevertheless conveyed strength of character in a role that can all to easily come over as somewhat wimpy.
Allan Clayton as Cassio is another superb tenor voice, his lighter but still ringing tenor contrasting nicely with Skelton's more hefty anguished tones. While he plays a convincing drunkard, I do think that it was a mistake to play him drunk from start to finish.
As all good Iago's do, Jonathan Summers almost stole the show. Verdi was tempted to name this opera 'Iago' and you can understand why why you have as good an actor as Summers. He was truly convincing as a two-faced manipulator who directs events with the skill of a master. His English diction was also exemplary.
So all in all a bit of a mixed bag. Whilst I enjoyed the singing and music-making very much, the lack of defined direction in the production was a disappointment and my emotions were not engaged - somewhat of a first for me with this opera.
Also disappointing were the swathes of empty seats in the dress circle. If ENO cannot shift tickets with great singers and a well reviewed classic Verdi opera, then I'm not sure I know what the solution is! Certainly I cannot see how they can go on with the constant discounting of tickets especially not that their Arts Council grant has been severely curtailed!
My Royal Opera House season got off to a great start with a double whammy of contrasting operas - Rossini's Barbiere di Siviglia on Friday evening, rapidly followed by Verdi's dark drama Rigoletto at the matinee performance the next day. If this blog concentrates on the Verdi, that's no slight to Rossini's sparkling comedy which was everything I hoped it would be - hugely enjoyable fun with some fabulous singing to boot. Go see!
It's very easy to take middle-period Verdi for granted at times and among the twittersphere there was a definite sense of ho-hum about Royal Opera's autumn season offerings - a lack of star singers in some cases or just a lack of excitement about the operas scheduled. To a certain extent I can definitely sympathise - on paper certainly there seemed little to get the operatic juices flowing - at least compared to the upcoming Winter season. First night reports of this Rigoletto did not ease misgivings as singers were reported as being out of sorts and the conducting somewhat erratic. One of the reasons why I mainly give first nights a miss!
This David McVicar production from 2001 is no romantic costume drama rather a bleak dystopian nightmare - the first scene especially is stuffed to the gills with debauchery and copulation of all varieties - not a production for your granny or any small children! While not a prude in the slightest (even if the boob count was on the high side) it was all a bit too hectic, with too much going on and I found my attention wandering and not concentrating on the music - toning down the manic element a little wouldn't harm the depiction of the overall licentiousness of the court of Mantua. But overall this is a very dark portrayal of the opera indeed - there is no light at the end of the tunnel and the only truly sympathetic character is Gilda - and look what happens to her!
The set is essentially a huge dark edifice set on a revolve which serves as the set for all acts. It works as most of the opera is set in dark gloom but there were some pauses between scene changes didn't aid the flow of the drama. Luckily the singers compensated for that.
Saimir Pirgu as the Duke is a fine tenor although I'm not really sure that he captured the essential character of the Duke - there seemed to be little differential between his romantic 'Gualtier Malde' interactions with Gilda, and his altogether more nasty alter-ego. Not that I've seen many other tenors get to grip with this conundrum - they all seem rather more keen on the romantic side of the role than the real meat of the character - a reluctance to play nasty perhaps? For me, this character should have the face and voice of an angel...but the morals of a tom-cat. Of the more recent tenors I've seen in this role only Vittorio Grigolo has convinced me as truly despicable....make of that what you will! Vocally Pirgu took a while to warm up and the voice was a little 'one-note' to start with but things improved by the second act and the money notes were all there. I'd just like a bit more acting and more honey in the voice.
Aleksandra Kurzak is a new voice to me although pretty much established at the Royal Opera, having made her debut in 2005. Again, her voice took a while to warm up but when it did I found it extremely beautiful and perhaps with a little more heft to it than most Gilda's - more lyric soprano than true coloratura. She returns to ROH later in the season as Fiorilla in Il Turco in Italia something I will definitely look forward to. Her acting here was touching and convincing - which can sometimes be difficult in a plot that is, to say the least, far-fetched in places. Her scenes with Simon Keenlyside were especially convincing.
Ah yes, Perhaps I'd better admit that besides my abiding love for Verdi, the main reason for booking this opera is that I was intrigued to see and hear how one of my favorite baritones would fare in this most taxing of Verdi baritone roles. This was a house role debut for Simon so I'm guessing a lot of the critics and regular audience were also wondering how he would fare. Despite dark rumblings after the first night performance, I found his performance mesmerising and in the end deeply touching. Vocally he may not command the typical Verdian heft but I found nothing wanting in the overall tone and technical accomplishment. He managed the transitions from snarling, cynical jester at the Duke's court, to loving, over-protective Father in his duets with Gilda magnificently. Physically too he gives it his all, staggering, crawling and generally heaving himself around on two sticks as the situation demands - I have no idea how you actually sing while doing that! Rigoletto is one of the few operas where I don't actually cry at the end - not sure sure. But on this occasion there was a definite lump in the throat. Just superb.
The smaller roles were none too shabby either with fine contributions from Brindley Sherratt as a cavernous voiced Sparafucile and Justina Gringyte as a wonderfully convincing Maddalena. Now, I've never really had cause to notice Monterone in this opera before but Sebastian Holecek brought a real character to the stage along with a commanding baritone voice. Is this a future Rigoletto perhaps?
So then a dark and interesting start to the season and a useful reminder for me that even when you think you know an opera very well - and this is very familiar music to me - even I can be surprised at Verdi's achievements. The conventions are still there (cabalettas and slightly improbable plots combine for inadvertent amusement) but at the heart of it there is a dark tale to be told and I'm betting that baritones give thanks to Verdi for such an amazing title role to play!
As
the days get shorter and the nights longer, it’s time to anticipate the coming
attractions of the ROH 2014-15 season.
A
quick overview reveals a pretty even-handed distribution of composers this
season. Verdi leads the way with five
productions followed by Mozart with three.
No Richard Strauss this year and French opera almost entirely absent – I
presume making up for last season’s superabundance of French opera. Instead we get a fairly even distribution
including Rossini, Donizetti, Giordano as well as a bit of Wagner and
Weill. Hopefully something for everyone.
While
not having quite the same appeal as last year’s programme, I still think it’s
quite an exciting season and there are lots of things I want to see – as well
as a few things I’ll probably be giving a miss.
All the details of the 2014/15 upcoming season are here
I’m
concentrating on opera in the main house but there are also some interesting productions coming to the Linbury which you might like to investigate
Placido
Domingo brings his Papa Foscari to Covent Garden and I will be there for two
reasons. One – I’ve never seen this
Verdi opera before and two…it's Domingo!
Yes, I know there are mixed opinions regarding his ‘baritenor’ outings
(to say the least) but I have a feeling this is a good role for him. And as
ever he will bring his exceptional stage presence and musicality to this
endeavour which is never a bad thing.
A
new Mozart opera for me and a pretty rare outing for ROH – last seen here in
1989. The UK directorial debut of Martin Kusej should ensure press and public
interest and a cast including Matthew Polenzani, Franco Fagioli and Malin Byström
should ensure high vocal standards.
Another
new Verdi production and one of my very favourites. This is an opera full of wit and humour and
yet equally dark and brooding – typical Verdi in many ways. But this is also Verdi at his most brilliant
and complex. I’m looking forward to
seeing the production by Katherina Thoma and hearing Joseph Calleja, Liudmyla
Monastryka and Dmitri Hvorotovsky in the
lead roles – vocal values will be high although I’m slightly less optimistic
about dramatic ones!
Obviously
this is THE hot ticket of the ROH 2014/15 season – ticket prices are high and availability
restricted due to the presence of Jonas Kaufmann in the title role. Yes, Jonas takes another bite out of
Placido’s repertory, resurrecting an opera last seen in the house in 1985 with
Domingo in the title role. Eva-Maria Westbroek
is Maddalena, David McVicar directs and Antonio Pappano conducts. What more
could you ask for?
I will have to do my homework for this opera as not only have I never seen it before, I've also never heard it before. Undaunted, I'm planning to be there and I'm looking forward to hearing Anne Sofie von Otter, Willard White and Christine Rice. The director is John Fulljames whose Donna del Lago I wasn't particularly enthralled with, so I'm hoping for better things.
More homework required as another opera new to me (and I suspect a lot of the ROH audience) makes its debut at Covent Garden. I've heard very good reports from productions elsewhere so I'm suitably intrigued. With the added incentive of Mariusz Kwecien and Samir Pirgu in the cast, Pappano conducting and Kasper Holten directing, this could be the dark horse hit of the season.
What? More homework? Okay, I vaguely know the music but this is anotther comparative rarity at Covent Garden. However with a cast led by Gerald Finley and conducted by Antonio Pappano, the audience should be in for a good time.
This
is the revival chosen to kick off the ROH 2014-15 season and rather
commendably, the very first performance is a student only affair. I’m still debating whether to attend this
opera as my tolerance for good-girl gone wrong stories may have peaked with
last season’s Manon Lescaut! But ticket
sales are looking rather slow at the moment so still time to grab a bargain. Eva-Maria Westbroek returns to the role she
created in 2011.
A
reliable staple of many an opera company there are two great casts here to
tempt – I’ve plumped for Simon Keenlyside as the poisonous court jester, Samir Pirgu as the Duke and Aleksandra Kurzak as the innocent Gilda. Alternatively you could have Dimitri
Platanias, Piero Pretti and Eri Nakamura.
David McVicar’s production is dark-toned – Verdi’s music is glorious.
This
Leiser and Caurier production passed into operatic legend when Joyce DiDonato
broke her leg on opening night…and carried on with the performance, not only on
this night, but in all subsequent performances.
Hopefully nothing quite so dramatic will happen with this run! I’m not the world’s biggest comic opera fan
but the music should fizz along nicely with Mark Elder at the helm. Serena Malfi makes her ROH debut as Rosina
along with fellow debutant Michele Angelini as Almaviva. The eponymous barber is Lucas Meacham.
More
hijinks as Donizetti’s comic opera is rolled out for yet another revival. I
missed the last outing with Roberto Alagna as Nemorino – this revival has
Vittorio Grigolo who will no doubt ham it up for all he’s worth! Lucy Crowe as
Adina will be worth a visit as will Bryn Terfel as Dulcamara.
Christoph
Loy’s production came in for quite a lot of criticism when it was first
presented and sight lines were ‘challenging’ to say the least. ROH have said that some of these issues have
been addressed and restricted sightlines will be reflected in the pricing –
we’ll see. Tony Pappano conducts a fine
cast lead by Nina Stemme as Isolde, Stephen Gould as Tristan, backed up by
Sarah Connolly as Brangane and John Tomlinson as King Marke. Highly recommended.
More
Wagner but for once I’m not really complaining.
Bryn Terfel returns as the Dutchman with acclaimed Canadian soprano
Adrianne Pieczonka as Senta. Throw in Andris Nelsons conducting and well you
can’t really say no!
Hand
on heart, I’m not the world’s biggest Butterfly fan…although I do love Puccini.
But with Kristine Opolais returning in the title role I’m hardly likely to
resist. Brian Jagde makes his house
debut as Pinkerton and the flamboyant Nicola Luisotti leads the ROH orchestra. Bring a handkerchief.
There
are nine performances of this David McVicar production, shared between two
casts. I may give this one a miss as I saw two performances at the most recent revival. Casts are very good if not ‘starry’ – Toby
Spence and Janai Brugger, alternate with Pavol Breslik and Christiane
Karg. It’s a very enjoyable production
and if I do give in and buy a ticket I may be swayed by the Breslik/Karg
combination.
Oh
Lord! What is it about comic operas this
season? Anyway, that notwithstanding
I’ll probably attend as I’ve never seen this on stage before. Another colourful
production by Leiser and Caurier, and with a cast led by Ildebrando d’Arcangelo and
Aleksandra Kurzak it should be enough to make the evening go with a swing!
Yet
another batch of performances for this ROH and audience favourite. There are 16
performances in total so if you miss one performance there’ll be another along
shortly! Two casts share the honours;
Sonya Yoncheva, Ismail Jordi and Franco Vassalo kick off the run with Marina
Rebeka, Dmytro Popov and George Petean picking up the baton later. And if that wasn’t enough excitement, Domingo
jets in to give two performances as Giorgio Germont. Personally I’d probably go with the Yoncheva
cast and I wouldn’t mind catching Domingo as this is one of his better
‘baritenor’ assumptions.
Yet
another audience favourite and another excuse to schedule 11 performances.
However, this is the very last chance (honest!) to see this venerable John Copley
production as we are assured a new production is forthcoming. In the meantime, this last outing has been
very starrily cast indeed – Anna Netrebko and Joseph Calleja are down to lead
off as Mimi and Rodolfo with Lianna Haroutounian and Piotr Beczala very
respectable alternatives. Personal
preference draws me towards the second cast but also the very real suspicion
that Ms Netrebko won’t actually turn up!
Given that her current roles now include Lady Macbeth, Manon Lescaut and
Leonora in Trovatore, I find it difficult to believe that she’ll be singing
Mimi next year. We’ll see.
A
quick revival for Kasper Holten’s somewhat controversial take on Don
Giovanni. You can read my opinion here so I can’t see myself making a return visit despite the attractions of
Christopher Maltman’s Don, The rest of
the cast are decent enough too with Alex Esposito returning as Leporello and
Rolando Villazon appearing in his new guise as a Mozart tenor. Alain Altinoglu conducting should also
provide some fireworks.
I
wish I loved this opera. I like it….but
I just don’t love it. I certainly don’t
love it enough to go and see it again in this production. It’s a good production but it's just okay and
the final act doesn’t really work as it should. But
it's okay. Ambrogio Maestri returns to the production as Falstaff with Marina
Poplavskaya currently down to sing Alice Ford – but don’t hold your
breath! Unfortunately Popsy has been
cancelling assignments left, right and centre so unless she has sorted out her
problems by next year then expect a replacement to be announced.
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:
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...
I love this opera. Thought I'd better get that out in the open before we go much further. And I have a pretty long history with it, as bizarrely (given its comparative scarcity) it was one of the first full length operas I watched back in the early 1990's when I was first getting into opera in a big way. Placido Domingo was really my way into opera - I loved his voice (still do) and I loved that he could act and make me believe in the character he was playing. So when I investigated his video catalogue and found Manon Lescaut (which I'd never heard of) it didn't faze me one bit...and as a bonus it also starred Kiri te Kanawa and Thomas Allen.
I think its safe to say it was love at first sight...or first listen. I just fell in love with the romance, passion and desperation it portrays. And even in a traditional no-surprises sort of production, the plot is clear and concise, the singing soaring and melodic (even if Kiri was having an off night due to illness) and the music simply sublime. Yes, I love Tosca and Fanciulla, but if I'm honest Manon Lescaut is my first love. But since 1983 there have been no performances of Puccini's first great success at the Royal Opera...until now.
You can imagine then my excitement when it was announced that Jonas Kaufmann would be taking over the mantel of the lovelorn Chevalier Des Grieux opposite Latvian soprano Kristine Opolais as Manon Lescaut. Jonathan Kent was announced as director and Antonio Pappano conductor. I had no qualms at all about Tony P at the helm. He is such a great Puccni conductor, almost feeling the music in his blood. And he has such a magnetic and enthusiastic personality - I just love to watch him talk about music and especially Italian opera.
Jonathan Kent is a slightly different proposition, although it has to be said I have only had two previous experiences with his productions, one of which I love, the other, well I pretty much hated it. I loved the ROH Tosca production, although I don't think you can really go far wrong with Tosca. The other was a Flying Dutchman for ENO which started well but then deteriorated badly and changed Wagner's passionate opera of redemption into something else entirely. So its fair to say I wasn't entirely sure which side of the fence Manon Lescaut would finally rest. As it turns out, it was somewhere in between.
If I've been cagey so far about the production there's a very good reason for that...its because basically I'm feeling a bit schizophrenic about it! I loved half of it but then.....
But I'm rushing ahead.
Jonathan Kent made no bones about it in the lead up to the production that this was to be a modern contemporary version. If I was nervous about that, it was only because I'd already seen the Welsh National Opera 'contemporary' updating recently and was less than impressed. I was so not impressed by it that I couldn't even blog about it - that's how much I disliked it. I don't mind updatings and enjoy quite a lot of them, but I do hate it when directors change the story on me, to give me their own version or tell a completely different story to the one the composer is telling. I have a particular problem when they do this with Puccini as his music is so specific and so theatrical that if you try to tell a different story, it doesn't match the music. For me, the WNO production of Manon Lescaut had the same affect as nails down a blackboard. Great directors work with the music, not against it.
I've now seen the new ROH production twice, once on stage and once on the big screen HD broadcast so I've had a chance to think about it and see what worked for me and what didn't. Broadly speaking Acts 1 and 2 worked dramatically and Acts 3 and 4 were less successful. Not helpful in the house were the restricted sight-lines experienced in some areas. I notice that ROH Director of Opera Kasper Holten has now apologised for this with a promise to do better next time.
Apart from sight-line problems most of the directorial ideas worked well in the first act, although I found the slightly self-concious waving around of iPads amusing. The gaming tables/casino set up on stage were a little odd and would it have hurt to put the supposed soldier Lescaut, into a uniform - at least for his introduction? Otherwise all was colourful enjoyment, even if there was a little too much running up and down stairs on this multi-layered set.
Act 2 was possibly my favourite although it appears I may be in the minority. This is the act where Manon has left her young lover for the abundant riches of Geronte, here played as some high-level, filthy rich banker. She is comfortably ensconced in a Barbie-pink gilded cage of a boudoir, platinum blonde wig and minuscule dress, her dancing lessons transformed into some sort of soft-porn movie shoot, watched by Geronte and his hangers-on. As bizarre as this sounds it works very well and at no point do you ever feel that Manon is there against her will. No. This is the price she is willing to pay for the riches, jewels and fame that come her way. Although the music provided by Puccini is faux- 18th century (including an elegant minuet at one point) this still works for the most part. Where Jonathan Kent has got it absolutely right, is the depiction of sex - both successful and not quite so successful. (Avert your eyes now if you're squeamish).
Manon Lescaut is about sex, passion, power, lust and desperate devotion. No where is this more evocatively portrayed than in the music of Act 2 which musically describes not only the overwhelming physical passion of Manon and Des Grieux but a slightly less successful encounter between Manon and Geronte. In traditional productions these two encounters are slightly less obvious, usually involving a dance for Manon and Geronte and then a passionate embrace for Manon and Des Grieux. Listen again. The music accompanying the 'dance' builds in a slow but steady rhythm, the music rising higher and higher with suitable vocal encouragement from the hangers on, until suddenly the music suddenly skitters out of control, as Manon's more mature admirer suffers a bad case of errr...getting overexcited shall we say? While not explicitly shown in this modern production, Manon was straddling her aged protector on the bed at this point, so I think the director knew exactly what he was doing.
As he was when he finally had Des Grieux burst onto the scene, once Manon's other admirers had left her bedroom. After the usual recriminations Des Grieux capitulates to Manon's charms, allowing himself to be seduced...although in this production he is by no means passive in the seduction! "I can fight no longer" he says, and the love duet proper begins. The ensuing duet is a musical depiction of sex - passionate loving sex to be sure, but sex all the same, and the singers throw themselves into the action as required, culminating in a musical orgasm, complete with whispered sweet-nothings muttered in the post-coital glow. When Des Grieux mutters "Manon, mi fai morire" (you make me want to die or you bring me close to death), he's not talking about actual death, but rather the more pleasant 'le petite mort' - an orgasm. And nothing wrong with that at all. Unsurprisingly, when Geronte unexpectedly reappears there is consternation all around - lets face it, he has just walked in on them, in bed, basking in the sexual afterglow and while no nudity is involved, I think this production leaves no doubt as to what as happened. As an aside, I thought it was slightly more 'passionate' in the dress rehearsal and slightly, only slightly, toned down for the HD broadcast. Not sure if this was due to the inclination of the singers, director, opera house or possible DVD censors! It still works but I'm intrigued.
Photograph Copyright Bill Cooper
And alas this is where my praise for the physical production more or less ends. In Act 3, the original story has Manon (after Geronte has her locked up for being an 'immoral woman') sentenced to exile to the American colonies. In this production Manon is sentenced to....I'm not really sure! When Des Grieux and Lescaut arrive to rescue Manon, she seems pretty much able to wander about as she wants! No ship awaiting to take her to exile, in fact no mode of transport at all. It seems to be some sort of game show set up, although everyone looks to be a loser and their fate is to step through a ripped poster. Now, call me old-fashioned but that doesn't really work for me. The music and singing was as sublime, passionate and heartfelt as ever (especially from Jonas) but there was no sense of drama in the setting, no sense that he was about to be separated for ever from his love, that she would be exiled and never seen again. Luckily the two principles managed to overcome the lack of coherent drama, providing it all with their acting and singing -but what a let down!
The very short Act 4 (which basically consists of one long duet interspersed by a solo aria for Manon) was also scenically not ideal. For a start, the action basically continued on without pause from Act 3, Manon still dressed in her tattered and now faded pink Barbie dress. In the novel on which this is based, some time has passed and Manon and Des Grieux have settled happily in the colonies until once again trouble ensues, Des Griuex kills the Governor's nephew who had desired Manon, and they had to flee, ending up in some deserted wasteland far from civilisation. Although Puccini didn't set any of this to music, I think it important to note that once again they are in trouble and its not just a continuation of the previous act. The production here sets this on a half destroyed flyover/highway leading nowhere. Honestly, if this is literally just supposed to depict 'the end of the road' then I'm disappointed and slightly miffed to be honest. While I don't like to over-intellectualise at the opera, I don't like being treated as stupid either. I presume the director wasn't aiming for stupid but that's what it felt like. Anyway, this worked a lot better in the broadcast than it did in the theatre. The singers were placed precariously high up on the highway, resulting in a lot of sight-line problems in the house. The singing was of course sublime and in many ways, made up for the lack of imagination and clear plot narrative displayed. Here I thought, Opolais came into her own, as Manon finally realises how much she loves the man beside her. "My faults will be forgotten, but my love will never die." Frankly, if you're not in tears by this point, you've a harder heart than me!
So in all it was a mixed bag and yet I actually do like this production and I will buy it if it comes out on DVD. Somehow the singing and orchestral playing overwhelm any faults in the production - and the faults are not so huge that the piece as a whole is not worth seeing. But I do also wonder if this production will be revived in the near future - and how revivable it is. Exactly how good would this production have been without the combined vocal and dramatic talents of Kaufmann, Opolais, Maltman and Pappano in the pit? How many top class sopranos do we have who can also pull off the skimpy Act 2 costume. How many tenors can match not only the excessive vocal demands, but also the shimmying up and down staircases and ladders? I don't know the answer, but I do know that this will be a hard cast to follow. That plus the fact that contemporary productions date rather quickly. Jonathan Kent commented that his Tosca for ROH had to be traditional to accommodate frequent revival with a variety of singers. Does he then not expect the same for his Manon Lescaut?
At this point I must also praise Tony Pappano and the ROH orchestra. What a master of Italian opera and Puccini in particular Pappano is. The famous Intermezzo was so richly played, the narrative so clear, the emotion so apparent, that I was almost in tears just listening to this piece. I'm looking forward to the rumoured collaboration between the Maestro and Kaufmann in a recording of Puccini arias. I'll leave you with Pappano and the Intermezzo:
