Wainwright’s ‘Prima Donna’ – Sadler’s Wells, Manchester International Festival & Luminato – Sadler’s Wells
14 Apr 2010 Leave a Comment
When I saw Prima Donna in Manchester last July I was at a loss as to how to review it. My loyalty to Rufus Wainwright seemed to demand praise, but my own better judgement felt that something hadn’t quite worked. The sets and costumes seemed just a little garish beside some truly beautiful music. However, at Sadler’s Wells it is a completely different matter.
Taking the direction out of Daniel Kramer’s questionable hands and passing it on to Tim Albery the opera went from being an experiment in how shocking Kramer could be, to a work of art within which Albery offered his humble support and enhancement to the music itself. Going back to basics the set consisted of just one room in the house of Régine Saint Laurent. The front panel was the outside of the house onto which was projected raindrops and, for the finale, fireworks. It was raised to show the interior, while the back panel was raised to show a blue night’s sky for the ‘Aliénor d’Aquitaine’ scene, during which a proscenium arch and a moon and trees were lowered as well. Other than that, we were left to listen to the music. Where Kramer showed us everything very clearly, very explicitly, Albery lets us use our imaginations, particularly where Régine’s sadness comes from. While Kramer showed us her co-star cheating on her with her understudy, Albery simply implies that he hurt her, and from there on, he lets us imagine. There is also a wonderful ambiguity as to whether Régine jumps out of the window at the end, or not. Personally I think she doesn’t – the whole point being that she is content to remain where she is – but there was certainly some discussion amongst the audience on the topic.
While it is true that Wainwright can get a bit carried away musically, for example, when something is truly dramatic, he really goes all out, to the extent where the music can sound a little clichéd, lucky for him and us, almost all of the defining moments of this opera lie in the subtle quietness, where he excels. The recurring theme from the opera ‘Aliénor d’Aquitaine’ itself is really beautiful, as is the overture. Undoubtedly there are two real high points, moments of genius. The first is Marie’s aria, which opens Act II. Both the first time and the second time I saw Prima Donna this aria blew me away. It is so beautiful and simple and pure, I found myself singing snippets of it for days afterwards. The second high point is Régine’s finale, ‘Les feux d’artifice t’appellent’ – which happily you can hear Wainwright sing on his new album All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu. Sung out across the audience, from her window, this aria is simple and beautiful and undeniably powerful.
Returning to the role after having sung Régine Saint Laurent in Manchester is Janis Kelly. Her performance has improved, gaining more subtlety and a clearer understanding of the music. Her voice is beautifully suited to the part and she has wonderful stage presence. I continue to be impressed and humbled by her talent. Also reprising her role is Rebecca Bottone as Marie. I have heard Bottone sing a couple of times since Manchester, at ENO and in the Linbury Studio Theatre at the ROH, and each time her voice seems to grow stronger and clearer. Despite Kelly’s fantastic turn as the aging diva, Bottone’s Marie continues to be the star of the show. Her voice is unlike anything I have every heard. Agile and light and clear, but also rich and powerful and strong, she is a force to be reckoned with and I certainly hope to see her in many many more roles in the future. Furthermore, she is a wonderful actress, bringing a beautiful understanding to the parts she plays. I shall be keeping both eyes on her. Colin Ainsworth brings a new and very different gentleness to the role of André. The decision to bring him in to replace William Joyner – who sang the role in Manchester – was quite brilliant. Where Joyner seemed a little coarse, Ainsworth plays the role with a beautiful reverence and honesty. I felt that rather than showing André as the typical rake, we simply see him as a star-struck young man with a great passion for music. All in all a far more sympathetic character. Vocally he is also strong and sounds beautiful with his fellow singers, particularly Kelly. Their duet in the ‘Aliénor d’Aquitaine’ scene is spectacularly powerful and where he seems appropriately clumsy as André, he is commanding and regal as Henri. Also returning to the opera is Jonathan Summers’ Philippe. The story between Philippe and Régine really could stand on it’s own. It is so interesting and such a true example of human relationships. Summers plays the role in such a way that we can understand Philippe’s anger and frustration, but he does not have our sympathy at all. His voice is wonderful, particularly with Bottone, as they struggle and argue behind Régine and André, his dark, rich tones weaving beautifully with her high piercing notes.
The orchestra was on top form. Conducted by Robert Houssart who yielded the beautiful simplicities and the dramatic high points with equal respect and commitment. The percussionists were also rather amusing to watch as they seemed extremely confused about which of the three of them was playing what and where – an observation which was proved correct as we passed two of them on our way out and heard them saying “Yeah, there were lots of places where both of us were supposed to play, and neither of us played.” That in itself would have made an entertaining evening. Furthermore had I not been watching them I wouldn’t have been able to tell where they made mistakes.
Final words: for anyone who saw Prima Donna in Manchester and had reservations about it, you need worry no longer. Same goes for the rest of you. It has been simplified and enhanced and is now one of the most beautiful operas I have ever heard or seen. I can only cross my fingers and pray that they record it some time in the near future.
Prima Donna, Manchester International Festival 2009
Tchaikovsky’s ‘Eugen Onegin’ – Deutsche Oper – Deutsche Oper Berlin
14 Apr 2010 Leave a Comment
As a rule I tend not to like the great romantic operas everyone else adores, but I was in Berlin and thought I should visit Deutsche Oper Berlin and give this Tchaikovsky a chance. It’s not that I wish I hadn’t, but more that I just wish there had been something else on. Tchaikovsky is a wonderful musician, but without a truly fabulous production it seems to me that Eugen Onegin just cannot stand alone.
The set and costumes, designed by Andreas Reinhardt, were created within a restricted palate – mostly white – and while for the first scene this was rather beautiful, it began to grow tedious, despite flashes of red and blue here and there. It just wasn’t quite enough to support or enhance the opera.
Furthermore, Götz Friedrich’s direction left something to be desired. When his singers weren’t overacting it was quite beautiful, and I especially liked the opening of Act III, with the female chorus picking cherries. But still, I couldn’t help squirming in my seat and wondering when the next section would arrive. That is until the final scene, during which I was absolutely transfixed – finally the singers had found their passion and their voices. The finale between Tatjana and Eugen Onegin was simply spectacular.
As Tatjana Michaela Kaune was passable. She had a good air of sadness and yearning about her, but she also seemed far too grown up and wise for the Letter Writing Scene. To really carry that off I believe you have to have a certain childish air about you. For most of the opera I was underwhelmed, but as I say, the finale was something different. I suppose because some years have passed and she is supposed to be grown up, it was as though the character had grown up to meet her – even if it really should have been the other way around. Vocally her voice was well projected, most of the time, and she sang well, but it was nothing truly astounding. Julia Benzinger’s Olga was extremely difficult to watch. Childish in a ridiculous way her voice was unclear and simply not well matched to her co-stars. However, in the Ballroom scene she displayed, in her body language, a good balance of the young girl Olga is and the woman she wants to be. Still, it wasn’t enough to sustain my interest in her. On the other hand, all of the male cast members were wonderful, and literally held the opera up. Bo Skovhus’ Eugen Onegin was just wonderful. Dark and passionate and then sad and tormented, this was truly a wonderful performance. I felt every look and every note. He had a commanding stage presence and his voice was spectacular – rich, strong, powerful. Opposite him as his best friend Lenskij was American tenor Raymond Very. Very matched Skovhus note for note, word for word and the scenes between the two of them were a joy to behold. Very also has a rich and powerful voice and I truly enjoyed his performance. Finally, special mention must be made of Arutjun Kotchinian’s Gremin. Without a doubt the most beautiful voice on the stage and the most poignant performance.
The orchestra, under the baton of Jacques Lacombe had some lovely moments, but was nothing special, sounding even a little clumsy at times. The Chorus, lead by William Spaulding, however, was strong, singing with wonderful clarity and power.
Overall this was a production it would have been no great loss to have missed. On the other hand, I discovered some beautiful singers and had my belief that over romantic, sentimental opera simply isn’t for me, reaffirmed.
Opening of Act II, Eugen Onegin, Deutsche Oper Berlin, 2010
Wagner’s ‘Parsifal’ – Wiener Staatsoper – Wien Staatsoper
13 Apr 2010 Leave a Comment
It wasn’t until about a month before I left for Vienna I realised that no only did I have a ticket for Parsifal at Wien Staatsoper, but that it was on Easter Sunday. Suddenly it all felt very appropriate and humbling. And I wasn’t wrong. It really was quite a profound experience Christine Mielitz’s production was appropriately holy and extremely respectful of both Wagner’s Parsifal and Eschenbach’s poem. However, it was not without it’s flaws.
In Act I I felt there was an unnecessary amount of ‘stuff’ onstage. The opening was superb, set in an old, victorian style bathroom, it was simple and effective. But as the ritual began the set changed a lot – too much – shifting up and down, the sides moving out and in. It just felt like too much. Act II also had a very full stage, but seemed to be used better, everything more united and fewer movements within the stage. It was designed as Klingsor’s war room and during the opening he was projected onto the back wall, while someone onstage filmed him, which worked incredibly well. He stood on stage like a dictator, making orders and calling Kundry up from below. The furniture was all red leather, like a thirties movie and, as I say, used very well, although I did think the shiny curtain at the back was just a little over the top, but you can’t have everything. Act III however, the stage almost completely bare, was perfect. Taking away the paraphernalia that so many operas seem to rely on, the finale was able to shine through as music and drama, not a set.
Having said that, musically and dramatically, Act II really was the crowning glory of this production. With Klingsor’s dramatic opening leading into this most wonderful of scenes, I was completely blown away and almost felt that Act II could stand as an entire opera on it’s own. The duets and arias from Parsifal and Kundry were incredible – what a brilliant pairing.
The cast was, on the whole, fabulous. John Tomlinson’s Gurnemanz was everything he needed to be, strong, commanding, concerned, understanding. His voice was spectacular – what a wonderful way to open an opera. His voice seems stronger and richer than it was in October, and he simply made a fantastic Gurnemanz. As Kundry, Petra Lang was impeccable. Through three dramatic transformations she managed to change and yet keep the essence of Kundry throughout the opera. I have rarely been so impressed by a singer. Wise, strange, seductive, repentant – we saw Kundry in all her progressions. Christopher Ventris’ Parsifal was also very good. He was perhaps not quite as vocally powerful as Tomlinson or Lang, but he brought a wonderful naïvety to the part, a necessary innocence. He really did create a wonderful image and symbol of Parsifal as the man and the hero. Wolfgang Bankl as Klingsor was a force to be reckoned with. Vocally powerful and dramatically terrifying – especially where Kundry is concerned – he was truly wonderful. I only wished he had more time onstage.
Undor the baton of Peter Schneider the orchestra of the Wiener Staatsoper were on top form, bringing out all the brilliance of Wagner’s wonderful score, the subtleties beautiful and the drama awe inspiring. Equally fabulous was the Chorus of the Wiener Staatsoper, who similarly, brought out all the subtle moments and the powerful ones and everything in between.
Despite a few minor things which I would have done differently, or where I felt things went a bit over the top, this production still held onto the holiness and purity of the Parsifal story, making this Easter Sunday incredibly poignant. Quite an experience.
Johan Botha & Angela Denoke in 'Parsifal', Wiener Staatsoper, 2003
