Tristan und Isolde - Nationaltheater Munich, 27 July 2011
A superbly-executed Festspiele performance of one of Munich's great productions. Covent Garden's older Wagner efforts are so embarrassing they're practically unrevivable. But thanks to Peter Konwitschny, the Bavarian State Opera has several that can be reliably resuscitated year after year, each time gripping/fascinating/provoking a new audience.
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The Bavarian State Opera in Munich announced their 2011-12 season at a press conference this morning. A novelty worth imitating - a live chat feature on their website allowed Intendant Klaus Bachler and Music Director Kent Nagano to answer audience questions as well.
The heart of the season is a new Ring cycle directed by Andreas Kriegenburg and conducted by Nagano. This begins in February 2012 and culminates in two full cycles during the annual Festival in July. Excellent casting includes Klaus Florian Vogt as Siegmund, Anja Kampe as Sieglinde, Johan Reuter and Juha Uusitalo as Wotan, Lance Ryan as Siegfried, Wolfgang Koch as Alberich and Nina Stemme as Brünnhilde.
There are just two additional premieres. The first is Les Contes d'Hoffmann conducted by Constantinos Carydis and directed by Richard Jones. Rolando Villazón takes the title role and Diana Damrau all the female leads. According to the Munich website, this is an ENO co-production. though who knows if and when. And La Fura dels Baus produce a new Turandot with Jennifer Wilson as Turandot and Marco Berti as Calaf.
The rest of the season is not new, but it's strongly cast - though it has to be admitted some of the productions are showing their age. Jürgen Rose's plain but serviceable Don Carlo is revived under the baton of Asher Fisch, with a starry cast including Jonas Kaufmann, René Pape, Mariusz Kwiecien and Anja Harteros.
Vesselina Kasarova joins Anna Netrebko in I Capuleti e i Montecchi. Konwitschny's dodgy 'spin-class' Der fliegende Holländer reappears with Anja Kampe as Senta and Klaus Florian Vogt as Erik. The annual Gruberova-fest showcases the ageless diva in Christof Loy's Roberto Devereux, with Joseph Calleja in the title role. And to round things off there's La Cenerentola with Joyce DiDonato.
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Fidelio - Royal Opera House, 29 March 2011 (first night)
Nina Stemme is the Hilary Swank of opera. She nailed the manly look; she even nailed the speaking voice for Leonore's first words. If it hadn't been for the giveaway Scandi accent, I'd never have guessed. The illusion evaporated only when she began to sing. This was her first stage appearance in the role of Leonore, which fits her dark, gleaming soprano like a glove.
Continue reading "Fidelio at the Royal Opera House - Nina Stemme puts her pants on" »
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One of the great things about the Proms, at least if you have a season ticket, is the opportunity to experience the new or reappraise the familiar without a massive financial outlay - and sneak out easily if it really is dreadful.
Now and again you get lucky.
Continue reading "Prom 51: Swedish Chamber Orchestra Orebro with Nina Stemme" »
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Covent Garden Odeon was a surprisingly pleasant venue for screening the new film of Glyndebourne's Nikolaus Lehnhoff Tristan und Isolde -- clean, comfortable seats, bags of legroom, functional aircon -- none of which you could claim for any opera house here. And it even started on time.
There are no concessions to the seventh art in this film. They've simply pointed a camera at the stage and let it roll, alternating close-ups with longer shots. The cast even sport their heavy checkit-from-row-Z make up, but thanks to harsh stage lighting, it highlights every wrinkle and blemish. And because these singers have been picked for their musical abilities rather than their closeup potential, it's rather cruel. Perhaps it'll be less obvious on DVD.
The single set, a sort of tiered glossy whorl that's probably supposed to be the spiral of existence or whatevs actually reminded me of the opening James Bond credits instead.
With minimal camerawork and minimal cast movement, this could make for an immensely dull screen experience. A pared-down production that seems to capture a meditative essence in live performance can translate into torpor when you stick a camera in front of it.
However the facially expressive cast are compensation, as are the exquisite and highly detailed costumes, wimpletastic medieval styles updated in matte sequins and shorn bunnyfur.
Vocally and dramatically there are no weak links in this cast, but only René Pape (Marke) was truly exceptional, bringing a dignity and humanity to his role. Nina Stemme (Isolde) was always fascinating to watch, but it's not the most beautiful of voices. Robert Gambill (Tristan) came into his own with a gripping mad scene in Act 3, all the more haunting for its restraint, but lacked credibility earlier in a silly evening gown and Tommy Cooper wig.
Jiří Bělohlávek's deliberate pacing was I thought overdone in Act I, but there was a grace and gravity to the later parts. His dynamics seemed rather unshaded, but then the sound was surprisingly poor in the auditorium, given that it has the latest audio system. The more densely-orchestrated sections simply sounded like a radio turned up too loud. I couldn't be certain whether this was the cinema's fault, or the way the production had been recorded. At any rate, I think on this listening, and on purely musical criteria, there are several CD recordings I'd prefer to this one.
But great music doesn't necessarily make a great DVD, and neither necessarily does a great production. Not everything translates as you might hope. The landmark Tristan film for me remains the 1983 Barenboim/Ponelle version, and this one doesn't better it. But as there are surprisingly few even halfway decent DVD versions around, this becomes a sure runner up. Always assuming it makes it to DVD that is....
....if not, there are still a number of screenings at various Odeons on 25 October, details here -- the Covent Garden one is sold out though.
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