Intermezzo

Cunning Little Vixen, Royal Opera House

The Cunning Little Vixen - Royal Opera House, 18 March 2010 (first night)

Perhaps it's unsurprising Covent Garden's Cunning Little Vixen is looking a bit dog-eared these days. Bill Bryden's production debuted twenty years ago, making it older than many of the smaller cast members. Stage technology has moved on even if budgets haven't, and the faded, knocked-up amateurism lacks the charm it may once have possessed.

William Dudley's designs are literal, almost illustrative. Bestial extras like a two-kid caterpillar and a fluttering aerial dragonfly retain their ingenious charm. But the giant hamster wheel 'circle of life' that dominates the stage is literally and metaphorically clunky. Some of the other elements, like the twirling carwash brushes and stage-slicing chainsaw clock, are simply mystifying. Buried within is some point about the passage of time perhaps. But what exactly?  That's not obvious.

Though the tale Bryden tells embraces both the vixen's life story and Janácek's broader message about love, life and renewal, somehow neither angle is quite as clear as it should be. The Vixen's foul trick to take over the Badger's sett passes for nothing, as do some other key plot points. The whole tavern scene barely registers, the humans overwhelmed by a visual orgy of giant green bottles and spinning brushes. Even the menagerie of cutely costumed kids can't compensate for a fundamental failure to tell the story. 

The final act was the most gripping, perhaps because it was the least encumbered with whimsical clutter, or perhaps because some noisy tears from the audience as the Forester fired his rifle reminded that despite its comic-book origins, this is no children's opera.

With Sir Charles Mackerras in the pit, at least the music had the incisiveness the production lacked. A few minor fluffs aside, the orchestra played with warmth and authority, and attentive pacing allowed the drama to develop.

But concessions to the light voices of the cast were sadly limited by Sir Charles's assertive weighting. Not much point in performing in English if the singers can't be heard, but only Elisabeth Meister, the short-notice substitute Fox, had the lung power to cut through the orchestra consistently. Making the most of her golden opportunity, she gave a sparky, uninhibited performance.

Christopher Maltman's Forester was underpowered and Emma Matthews seemed an odd casting choice as the Vixen. Clearly better suited to higher, lighter roles, her flutingly clear singing above the stave was outweighed by a tendency to squalliness below as she tried her hardest to project. The most rewarding performances were in the smaller parts, Matthew Rose's Harašta particularly.

At least it's a livelier evening than Tamerlano. Though it could hardly be less. And perhaps the Royal Opera House have been listening to complaints about early starts - the 8pm kick-off permits the unaccustomed luxury of dining beforehand.

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Katya Kabanova at ENO

Katya Kabanova - English National Opera, 17 March 2010

ENO have turned into the Gap of the opera world - nobody with half a brain bothers to pay full price any more, because we know everything will be reduced in the sales.  And with the annual scenery budget blown on the ill-judged spectacular of Turandot too, there can't have been much cash around for David Alden to play with. Is that why the set for his new Káťa Kabanová was limited to a single plywood panel and the costumes were borrowed from Dallas Opera?

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Katya Kabanova in Holland Park

Kát'a Kabanová - Opera Holland Park, 24 July 2009

Something's been missing from Opera Holland Park this season. Something you don't usually associate with opera, so I only realised when I looked back at my post on their excellent 2007 Jenůfa.

No more surprise duets from screeching screaming peacocks!

Have they been tidied away to a far corner of the park? Had their beaks taped? Or have their scraggy carcases been put to more creative use? Who knows?

Many of the cast and crew from the rudely-interrupted Jenůfa were back again this year for more Janáček in this new production from Olivia Fuchs. By turns mystifying and overly bleeding obvious, it is at least clearly and confidently acted by the principals.

The set is simple, stretching over the full width of the stage. In one corner is a wire gazebo that Katya paws to escape in the prelude, later revealed to be - of course -  the 'cage' that is her home.  Paths twist over a painted river and no-one dares step outside their boundaries - until Boris leads Katya off the path. And of course 'off the path'. Surfboards are suspended behind - waves, clouds, leaves? Not a clue. The chorus hang around like flies at a picnic, giving us plenty of time to admire their gorgeous costumes (I can't imagine any other purpose for the weird mass zombie shuffle that ended the show).

The opera isn't long and the set doesn't change, so I'm not sure why there was an interval before the last act. It defused the dramatic tension, and much more importantly (now that Holland Park Cafe is closing at 8.30) there was nothing for greedy people (raises hand) to do but stuff themselves with costly designer peanuts at the fancy OHP bar. But perhaps that was the idea.

The tiny Anne Sophie Duprels made a riveting Katya, all her warmth and passion gradually crushed by her cold, reserved husband (a blustery Jeffrey Lloyd Roberts) and her vicious stepmother (Anne Mason, needle-sharp). Tom Randle's troubled Boris seemed pretty unappealing to me, but perhaps that was the idea - Katya is so starved of affection she'll settle for anything.

Some of the evening's best singing, clear and gleaming, came from Patricia Orr as Varvara and Andrew Rees as Kudrjáš.

Had the orchestra benefited from a few more rehearsals than usual? They played vividly and accurately for Stuart Stratford, and with enormous confidence. It was hard to believe this was only the first night.

Royal Opera House 2009/10 season - all the details

Here first! - a full list of all the Royal Opera House's main stage productions for the 2009/10 season.

The 2009/10 Covent Garden season opens with neither bang nor whimper but with a credit-crunching concert performance on 7 September (repeated on 14 September). Makes a change from last year's Sun readers' special I suppose.

The opera in question is Donizetti's Linda di Chamounix, and the conductor is bel canto genius Mark Elder. The cast includes potential Next Big Things Stephen Costello, Eglise Gutierrez and Luciano Botelho, plus the incomparable Alessandro Corbelli, the first of several welcome appearances this season.

The first staged opera of the season is Nicholas Hytner's lego-loving Don Carlo, with - OMG!- Jonas Kaufmann !!! in the title role. John Tomlinson joins him as the Grand Inquisitor, and the rest of the cast is lifted straight from the first run - Marina Poplavskaya, Simon Keenlyside, fans' favourite Ferruccio Furlanetto, Sonia Ganassi and Pumeza Matshikiza.The conductor is Semyon Bychkov.

This season's contribution to the 2013 Wagnerversary is a new Christof Loy production of Tristan und Isolde. Antonio Pappano conducts Ben Heppner, Nina Stemme, Matti Salminen, Michael Volle and Sophie Koch.

Neigh! Francesco Zambello's ghastly Carmen returns in October, with the latest Covent Garden favourite Elina Garanca back for the title role, fighting off Roberto Alagna, Ildebrando d'Arcangelo, and a farmyard full of furry friends. Bertrand de Billy conducts. It's resuscitated again in June 2010 with a distinctly 'B' cast.

October also sees one of Richard Jones's more subtle and effective efforts back on stage - and attractively cast. The shouldn't-work-but-it-does double bill of Ravel's L'Heure Espagnole (Christine Rice, Yann Beuron, Christopher Maltman, Andrew Shore and Bonaventura Bottone) and Puccini's Gianni Schicchi (Thomas Allen, Maria Bengtsson and Stephen Costello) is conducted by Pappano.

Francesco Zambello steps into Tchaikovsky's The Slippers in November. The new production will be conducted by Alexander Polianichko and features some serious talent fresh from the Mariinsky - Olga Guryakova, Vsevolod Grivnov, Larissa Diadkova, Vladimir Matorin and Maxim Mikhailov.

John Schlesinger's elderly Der Rosenkavalier is dusted off in December. Kirill Petrenko conducts and the cast includes Soile Isokoski, Sophie Koch, Thomas Allen and Lucy Crowe.

Littering the December and January schedules is the inevitable La Bohème. This time Andris Nelsons conducts most of the double-cast performances, which begin with Piotr Beczala and Hibla Gerzmava and end with not a few tbc's.

Robert Lepage's intermittently effective Rake's Progress returns in January 2010. Ingo Metzmacher, Toby Spence (a Tom Rakewell tdf), Kate Royal, Kyle Ketelsen and Stephanie Blythe promise much on the musical side.

Female conductor alert! Top Lisboan Julia Jones wields the baton over Jonathan Miller's Cosi fan Tutte in January. The cast includes Charles Castronovo and Sally Matthews.

A new Richard Jones production of Prokofiev's The Gambler in February is conducted by Pappano, with a cast including Roberto Sacca, Angela Denoke, John Tomlinson and Jurgita Adamonyte.

Plácido Domingo's first appearance of the season is as a tenor. Graham Vick's acclaimed production of Handel's Tamerlano (recorded in Madrid and available on DVD con Plácido) makes its first visit to Covent Garden in March with Christianne Stoijn, Sara Mingardo and Christine Schäfer. Baroque specialist Ivor Bolton conducts.

Bill Bryden's family-friendly The Cunning Little Vixen returns in March with Emma Matthews, Christopher Maltman and Emma Bell, though the presence of Charles Mackerras on the podium has to be the main draw.

Caurier and Leiser's lovely Il Turco in Italia is back in April, with Maurizio Benini conducting, and Aleksandra Kursak, Colin Lee, Alessandro Corbelli, Thomas Allen and Ildebrando d'Arcangelo in the cast.

Aida is subjected to the David McVicar magic in April. His new production is conducted by Nicola Luisotti and features Micaela Carosi, Marcelo Alvarez and Luciana D'Intino. Bare naked elephants?

The last of the Big Three, Richard Eyre's subtly intelligent La Traviata, makes its annual appearance in May and July. This time her name's in the programme - Our first Lady of the Camellias is the fabulous former Netrebko sub Ermonela Jaho. Joining her in her long-awaited return to Covent Garden in May are Saimir Pirgu and Dmitri Hvorostovsky. July's 'B' Violetta is Angela Gheorghiu, who makes do with James Valenti and Zeljko Lucic. Yves Abel conducts.

Laurent Pelly's now-legendary La Fille du Régiment returns in May with the unbeatable original cast of Juan Diego Flórez, Natalie Dessay, Alessandro Corbelli and Felicity Palmer back in place. Bruno Campanella conducts.

What would tempt Sir Colin Davis back into the pit? How about David McVicar's Le Nozze di Figaro? Erwin Schrott, Camilla Tilling, Maruisz Kwiecen. Annette Dasch, Soile Isokoski and Christine Schäfer head the strong cast.

Antonio Pappano conducts Laurent Pelly's new Manon, coming to Covent Garden in June with the announced cast including Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón. Anyone fancy a bet?

In one of those rare operatic fairy stories, June sees a baritone with less than a year's experience thrust into a leading role at Covent Garden. Yes, it's Plácido Domingo again, and this time he's Simon Boccanegra. Antonio Pappano conducts a strong cast including Marina Poplavskaya, Ferruccio Furlanetto and Joseph Calleja. It's the 1991 Elijah Moshinsky production by the way, not the Ian Judge one seen last year.

The season ends in July 2010 with the first revival of David McVicar's controversial Salome. Angela Denoke takes the central role, with Johan Reuter as Jokanaan. Hartmut Haenchen conducts.

No link yet, but more details expected on the Royal Opera House website sometime next week.

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*******UPDATE 22/4*******

The Royal Opera House's press releases are now available on their website. Go here for the summary, here for the opera details and here for the ballet.

Jenufa - ENO's communist plot

Jenùfa - ENO, 19 June 2009

Thanks to ENO's generous ticket offer, I took in this last-but-one performance of Jenùfa for just £20, my bottom nestled in the unaccustomed luxury of a side stalls seat. With armrests! And legroom! The offer seems to have worked its magic - stalls and balcony (£5) were packed. Evidence that ENO really need to rethink their regular pricing, which sees front and centre seats selling like hot cakes however dire the production. Charging a bit more for these choice seats and a bit less for the others might help more cash-strapped punters to find their way to the Coliseum.

David Alden switches Jenùfa from a nineteenth century Moravian village to a grungy Eastern Bloc setting, popping in a few anachronistic details like a gleaming British motorbike. Like any update, it brings us closer to a world we can understand. But more importantly here, it makes it clear that the Kostelnička's crime is rooted in something more personal than the shame of a child born out of wedlock. This is an open-minded society where a couple of good-time girls (in nineties minis and crop tops) can mingle with the regular villagers. What drives the Kostelnička to infanticide here is not just social disapprobation, but the fear of divine judgement, honed by her own sad history. Her religious convictions border on the manic, underlined by an obsession with prayer and god-shop knick-knacks.

Michaela Martens, in a classic piece of only-in-teh-opera casting, was probably the youngest person on stage, so her singing was fresher and less matronly than the Kostelničkas we usually hear. Though formidable, she's a less domineering presence too. 

So the story inevitably focuses on Jenùfa herself. Her painful decline through rejection, disfigurement and betrayal was unerringly charted by Amanda Roocroft. Her singing may not be technically flawless, but dramatically her performance was utterly and heartbreakingly convincing. As the walls of the set brilliantly split asunder when the the Kostelnička's shocking crime is exposed, so Roocroft made us understand that Jenùfa's inner world is breaking apart.

The cast were directed with an attention to detail that means that every single character rings true, and not just while they're singing. Tom Randle's Števa may be vain and cowardly, but we can also see the fun-loving charm that attracts Jenùfa to him. Similarly, Robert Brubaker's first act Laca is an irritating oaf who thoroughly justifies Jenùfa's rejection - only at her lowest point does his steadfastness and sincerity show through.

Alden's only failing is his weakness for misplaced humour. Janáček's tale of infanticide and betrayal is fatally short on natural laughs. But superimposing a joke or two doesn't improve it. The Grandmother was beautifully played by Susan Gorton, but why does she need to be got up as a tubby Rosa Klebb? Similarly the Mayor and his wife - straight out of some DDR musical comedy - raised quite inappropriate giggles simply by walking on stage.

Musically, Eivind Gullberg Jensen's ENO debut was a total triumph. The orchestra sounded wonderful, possibly the best I've ever heard them. There was an inevitability to the tempos that made everything flow naturally, and Jensen made the difficult job of balancing solo voices against Janáček's dense orchestrations seem a piece of cake. Never once were singers overwhelmed. The chorus lost their way here and there. Like their fuzzy diction, it provided further evidence of a gradual slide in standards over the last couple of years.

ENO are increasingly supplanting hard-sell treasures like this and the recent Partenope with seat-filling tosh. It's a trend in desperate need of reversal, and one that a further prompt revival of this production would address.

 

 

 

 

Bargain tickets for ENO Jenufa - with money back guarantee

ENO are offering tickets for their forthcoming Jenufa at superlow prices - side stalls £20, dress circle £10 and balcony £5.

Online purchase only - go to this page and follow the instructions. 

And they'll even give you your money back if you don't like it!

David Alden's production, which premiered a couple of years ago, is intelligent and innovative. I'm not familiar with the conductor, Eivind Gullberg Jensen, but the cast, which includes Amanda Roocroft and Tom Randle, sounds fairly reliable. 

If you're not familiar with the Coliseum's seating, the balcony is only for people with teeny bottoms and short legs. Some of the dress circle seats have a reduced view of the top of the stage, so the side stalls are the best pick if you can spring for the £20.