The Lyric Opera's production of Richard Wagner's last operatic work, Parsifal, may explain why the composer was reluctant to let it out of his proverbial sight of Bayreuth, even after his death in 1883. It is based on the 13th century long poem about the Arthurian knight, Percival written by Wolfram von Eschenbach. The story takes place in northern Spain during the middle ages. The curtains opens on Gurnemanz and his fellow knights of the Monsalvat kingdom, who guard the holy grail. It is explained that the king, Amfortas, in looking to end the conflict between Monsalvat and the kingdom of the fallen knight, Klingsor, was injured with a Christ like wound to his side with the same spear that Amfortas had been entrusted to look after. He is stricken with eternal suffering and must perform ritualistic acts to honor and protect his Kingdom which causes him great pains. An innocent fool, hunting in the forest happens upon the knights and learns of the prophecy and how a chosen one will right the wrongs of the past and bring peace to the kingdom. The chosen one must remain pure and refuse the amorous advances of woman that may lead him astray from his quest, which is to procure the spear that pierced Christ during his crucifixion and return it to Amfortas.
With an epic drama as this, adapted in to an epic opera like Parsifal, one would expect the performances to be epic as well. Unfortunately they were not. Even though the cast was filled with star studded names and promising careers, the performance fell short of what it could have been. There were no major breakdowns or cast changes due to inability on the part of the singers, but it was a simulacrum of Wagner rather than a Bayreuth certified Parsifal.
Making his Lyric Opera debut in the marathon like role of Gurnemanz is bass, Kwangchul Youn. Mr. Youn's voice has a beautiful, deep, and rich tone which has no problem carrying over Wagner's expansive orchestral textures, but his vibrato is consistently unsteady and warbly in the middle register up through the passaggio which taints its innate beauty. This is a signature role of his and one of many that he has performed at Bayreuth over the past 17 years. An achievement that carries with it an extremely high expectation which, in my opinion was not present given how ungrounded he sounds. I wondered if this was something new given the fact that Mr. Youn has been singing the heaviest of Bass repertoire throughout his lengthy career, but in listening to older recordings of him, it sounds as if this unsteady vibrato is a signature of his as well.
In the role of the conflicted seducing sorceress, Kundry, is dramatic Mezzo Soprano, Daveda Karanas. Ms. Karanas possesses a bright and brilliant sound that, for me lacked the depth of color needed for this role. Ms. Karanas who is still at the beginning of an international career sounded a bit immature for a role that would better suited for her later on. Her voice was uneasy and strained in the top of her range, especially when having to be heard over Wagner's wall of sound. In all honesty I do prefer a mezzo voice similar to that of Waltraud Meier, although she too, had difficulty in the upper range of this role.
Playing the titular role of Parsifal was tenor, Paul Groves. When I first read the brochure for the 2013-14 Lyric opera season last winter, I was surprised to see that Mr. Groves was going to be singing Wagner, as I remembered him to be more on the Lyric side. After hearing him in this role on opening night, my initial thoughts were confirmed. Mr. Groves has a lovely voice with a beautiful tone, but it is a suit that is not tailored to his abilities. His voice has difficulty battling the huge orchestra and for the most part could barely be heard when singing in his upper register. Once again his voice is beautifully agile, but it does not have the qualities and size even for a lighter Wagnerian role such as Parsifal.
World renowned baritone, Thomas Hampson sang the role of the wounded King, Amfortas. Much like the wound in Amfortas' side, it pains me to express the following. Mr. Hampson's performance was for the most part, well executed vocally, with some difficulty in forte sections, which may have been due to the fact that his voice (not to sound like a broken record) does not carry the size needed for Wagner, even though Amfortas is not necessarily a huge role, in weight and scope. Another contributing factor may be with the fact that Mr. Hampson comes across as extremely focused on the dramatic side of his performance which takes away vocally. There were times when the character's affliction seemed to effect Mr. Hampson's singing, as he sounded strained when faced with the task of projecting over the orchestra in his upper range. In the end, I enjoyed his interpretation and I must say, that it is awfully difficult to not like Mr. Hampson performances. Call it an eternal affliction if you will.
In my humble opinion, there were two "Wagnerian" ready singers in the cast and Tómas Tómasson who sang the role of Klingsor was one of them. Unfortunately he was the only one that encompassed every aspect of what a Wagnerian performance should display. His voice projected nicely and his singing adhered to the style needed for the role of the evil King.
Runi Brattaberg in his Lyric debut, sang the role of Amfortas' father, Titurel. It is a small part, but once again, Mr. Brattaberg's tone was lacking in depth which didn't help projecting in to the large opera house. His tone was insecure and warbly which begs the question; What is a Wagnerian sound in the 21st century?
The singers who comprised the Flower-maidens sounded beautiful and had wonderful blend with each other. The music in the 2nd Act when the Flower maidens appear adds a wonderful layer to Wagner the composer. When one thinks of Wagner, a French horn or a horned helmet comes to mind. What's interesting is that the music in this section, although complex and thick in texture, remains light and melodic emphasized by the voices it was composed for. Once again, the singers who made up the Flower maidens did a wonderful job. Additionally, the staging of the scene literally brought out the colors and feel of the music as well as the drama depicted in the story of Parsifal meeting "Flower Maidens" in a garden after having defeated their lovers in battle.
The Lyric Opera Chorus was wonderful, especially the virile sound of the men in the 1st Act. As was the case in Lyric's production of Otello, the director had the chorus off stage in a few sections, which left me wanting as they were at times covered up by the large orchestra.
Sir Andrew Davis, no stranger to conducting at the Civic Opera House, was at the helm once again which made the orchestral interpretation all the more disappointing. The ensemble itself sounded wonderful, but I felt that Wagner was left to conduct the piece himself, while Sir Davis was, how shall I put it...
...administering communion.
Anyone familiar with Wagner knows that it's going to be a long night. All the more reason to use those orchestral moments to bring out the dramatic subtext as Wagner intended. There were so many missed opportunities in dynamic shading alone, it was as if, Sir Davis thought that the sounds swelled on their own. In Act 3, we see an unknown knight appear on stage. Wagner gives us the dramatic tension as long as the conductor gets the orchestra to create it with a sforzando/mp that crescendos and back again into a diminuendo as we, the audience question what is to come next. I feltas though I ordered a decadent 3 scoop hot fudge sundae, only for Sir Andrew Davis to bring out a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The best vanilla ice cream I've had in a long time, but still only vanilla ice cream.
I thoroughly enjoyed the sparse staging of John Caird and design of Johan Engels & Duane Schuler. They did less when there were more bodies of stage and more with few. The dull green scape of Act I set the tone which then gave way to the spectacular brightness of Act 2 with the Flower Maidens which I felt did great justice to Wagner's music. The evil Kingdom of Klingsor was a mixture of the famous Bayreuth stagings of Tristan & Isolde of the 60's fused with modern touches and classical theater representation. It was dramatic in its visual presentation without overshadowing the fact that opera is first and foremost an aural medium.
If one truly wants a strong idea of what this opera may have been intended to sound like, after hearing the Lyric Opera's production, I would suggest listening to the 1962 recording at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus for which is was composed with true Wagnerian singers conducted by Hans Knappertsbusch, who incidentally worked with Richard Wagner's son, Siegfried, at Bayreuth.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Otello
The Lyric Opera's production of Otello had already seen it's share of drama with an opening night substitution for Baritone, Falk Struckmann who was replaced as Iago after the first act due to a severe allergy attack, which was to be followed by a back injury to renowned tenor, Johan Botha which required immediate attention. Although Mr. Struckmann recovered, it was announced on Monday that Botha would not be able to sing in the last two performances. In both cases, the singers chosen were more than substitutes in their own right. By the time Tuesday's performance was about to begin, I was quite interested to hear how things would progress given that the roles of Otello and Iago are some of the most difficult in the standard operatic repertoire. I must admit that I had some preconceived notions with regard to Mr. Struckmann as I had heard excerpts of his singing, but only on recording. I prepared myself for the possibility of a bumpy ride as the curtain raised on the opening scene of Otello's boat fighting storms to make it in to port.
Verdi's penultimate opera, Otello is based on the Shakespearean play of the same name with the libretto being adapted by composer and once outspoken critic of Verdi himself, Arrigo Boito. The story of Otello to me, is a character study in to the facets of personality and how one's perception of others and themselves can greatly effect their actions, no matter how rooted in truth or insecurity they may be.
The drama starts off on the island of Cyprus as the locals await the return of their governor, Otello, after having defeated the Turks in battle. It looks as if the ship may go under due to the storm, but to everyone's relief with the exception of Iago, makes it in to port. The main action deals with Iago's plan to convince Otello that his bride, Desdemona, is unfaithful and really love with the young Captain, Cassio, which of course, is not true.
Clifton Forbis sang the role of Otello in the place of Johan Botha, as mentioned earlier. From the moment he stepped on to the stage, it was obvious that Mr. Forbis was committed to the part of Otello, evident by the energy he gave, not only when singing, but in reaction to everyone and everything around him. His voice in the beginning seemed a bit timid, but one can only speculate as to his state of mind having to step in to this difficult situation with short notice. Mr. Forbis' upper register was very strong and his high notes sounded like metallic lightning bolts that cut through Verdi's thick textures and thunderous fortes. His middle and lower ranges left much to be desired for my ears as he sounded a bit warbly and tired through the first 2 acts. Those parts of his voice warmed up a bit in the 3rd act which was impressive given that the top of his voice didn't seem to tire the whole way through.
The part of Iago was sung by dramatic Baritone, Falk Struckmann who was heard opposite Johan Botha in the Metropolitan Opera's production of Otello, featured in HD broadcast the previous season. Mr. Struckmann, like Mr. Forbis, was committed to the characterization of the scheming Iago. The quality of his voice, although not beautiful in my humble opinion, illustrated the cut throat mentality as heard in the baritone's 2nd act aria, "Credo in un Dio crudel".
Mr. Struckmann had no problem being heard above the orchestra regardless of their volume, but once again, was not as pleasing as I would hope for. His voice is a bit brutish and at times disconnected, not only in line, but with regard to dynamics. When singing piano, Mr. Struckmann's voice lost its color and tone quality. He resorted to falsetto when singing quiet phrases sitting in the passagio. An additional difficulty was the blend of Mr. Struckmann's voice with Mr. Forbis. The dramatic action of the second act deals mostly with the execution of Iago's plan to exploit Otello's insecurities. At the end of the act, Otello and Iago sing a powerful duet, "Sì, pel ciel marmoreo guiro".
Mr. Forbis' silvery tenor and Mr. Struckmann's rough air splitting baritone did not compliment each other, instead sounding like 2 soloists standing next to each other. I can't put fault on the singers themselves given that Mr. Forbis was a late substitution, but I'd be curious if the Lyric Opera management had given much thought to this.
The part of Desdemona was beautifully sung by soprano, Ana Maria Martinez. Ms. Martinez brought out the delicate nature of Desdemona through her wonderfully connected line and sensitivity to dynamics especially in the middle and upper registers of her voice. She did come across as a bid tepid with regard to her acting in the first two acts, but the part of Desdemona doesn't really heat up that much until Act 3 & 4. Ms. Martinez successfully brought out the anguish and fear that Desdemona feels towards Otello after her public humiliation at his hands. This despondency resolves itself in to acceptance of her death as she awaits for Otello to enter. She sings, the aria known as "The Willow song", which Ms. Martinez sang beautifully with an effortless sounding spin that didn't sound pushed or overly dramatic.
Making his Lyric Opera debut in the role of Cassio was Italian tenor, Antonio Poli. He has a beautiful lyric tenor voice that is even and bright sounding. I was disappointed that the role of Cassio didn't showcase him more and I hope that his association with the Lyric continues given that he has a Chicago connection with Maestro Riccardo Muti.
The comprimario parts were sung by Ryan Center Artists. Baritone, Evan Boyer stood out as Lodovico, the Doge's representative. He has a dark and resonant voice, but lacked a bit of depth which in his defense, may not be a fair assessment without hearing him in a larger role. Julie Ann Miller sang the part of Emilia, Desdemona's servant (and wife to Iago). The role is quite small, but Ms. Miller's voice had a beautiful ring, that once again I wish I get to hear more of.
The orchestra sounded wonderful as it normally does, but I felt that the conductor, Bertrand De Billy allowed the thick textures of Verdi's score to overwhelm the singers, similar to that of the performance of Madama Butterfly a few weeks before. There were moments in the opening chorus when I wished for more singers on stage as it sounded like Maestro De Billy allowed the orchestra free reign in the forte sections upon Otello's arrival. The same was evident in the 3rd Act after Otello slap Desdemona to the disgust of onlookers. Whether or not the volume is exactly what Verdi called for doesn't matter if the chorus and comprimario parts are being drowned out and potentially forced to push themselves over the brink.
The staging and sets of the opera seemed to be historically schizophrenic. By the appearance of the costume design, the dramatic action was set in mid 19th century Europe, as the ladies were dressed as if they had jumped out of a Jane Austen novel and the men clad in Napoleonic military garb. This would've been a perfectly acceptable perspective if the set didn't look like a matchstick version of a back alley tenement apartment building. At one point there was a ceiling fan hanging which I assume was supposed to give the audience a sense of the heat and tension taking place in the scene. Unfortunately, the ceiling fan was not in widespread use until the turn of the century and even then, only in the United States.
This production of Otello at the Lyric Opera was a bit fractured and lacking in cohesive vision, not entirely the fault of the singers, musicians, or behind the scenes team. I left happy with specific performances and pieces, but unsatisfied with the production on the whole.
Verdi's penultimate opera, Otello is based on the Shakespearean play of the same name with the libretto being adapted by composer and once outspoken critic of Verdi himself, Arrigo Boito. The story of Otello to me, is a character study in to the facets of personality and how one's perception of others and themselves can greatly effect their actions, no matter how rooted in truth or insecurity they may be.
The drama starts off on the island of Cyprus as the locals await the return of their governor, Otello, after having defeated the Turks in battle. It looks as if the ship may go under due to the storm, but to everyone's relief with the exception of Iago, makes it in to port. The main action deals with Iago's plan to convince Otello that his bride, Desdemona, is unfaithful and really love with the young Captain, Cassio, which of course, is not true.
Clifton Forbis sang the role of Otello in the place of Johan Botha, as mentioned earlier. From the moment he stepped on to the stage, it was obvious that Mr. Forbis was committed to the part of Otello, evident by the energy he gave, not only when singing, but in reaction to everyone and everything around him. His voice in the beginning seemed a bit timid, but one can only speculate as to his state of mind having to step in to this difficult situation with short notice. Mr. Forbis' upper register was very strong and his high notes sounded like metallic lightning bolts that cut through Verdi's thick textures and thunderous fortes. His middle and lower ranges left much to be desired for my ears as he sounded a bit warbly and tired through the first 2 acts. Those parts of his voice warmed up a bit in the 3rd act which was impressive given that the top of his voice didn't seem to tire the whole way through.
The part of Iago was sung by dramatic Baritone, Falk Struckmann who was heard opposite Johan Botha in the Metropolitan Opera's production of Otello, featured in HD broadcast the previous season. Mr. Struckmann, like Mr. Forbis, was committed to the characterization of the scheming Iago. The quality of his voice, although not beautiful in my humble opinion, illustrated the cut throat mentality as heard in the baritone's 2nd act aria, "Credo in un Dio crudel".
Mr. Struckmann had no problem being heard above the orchestra regardless of their volume, but once again, was not as pleasing as I would hope for. His voice is a bit brutish and at times disconnected, not only in line, but with regard to dynamics. When singing piano, Mr. Struckmann's voice lost its color and tone quality. He resorted to falsetto when singing quiet phrases sitting in the passagio. An additional difficulty was the blend of Mr. Struckmann's voice with Mr. Forbis. The dramatic action of the second act deals mostly with the execution of Iago's plan to exploit Otello's insecurities. At the end of the act, Otello and Iago sing a powerful duet, "Sì, pel ciel marmoreo guiro".
Mr. Forbis' silvery tenor and Mr. Struckmann's rough air splitting baritone did not compliment each other, instead sounding like 2 soloists standing next to each other. I can't put fault on the singers themselves given that Mr. Forbis was a late substitution, but I'd be curious if the Lyric Opera management had given much thought to this.
The part of Desdemona was beautifully sung by soprano, Ana Maria Martinez. Ms. Martinez brought out the delicate nature of Desdemona through her wonderfully connected line and sensitivity to dynamics especially in the middle and upper registers of her voice. She did come across as a bid tepid with regard to her acting in the first two acts, but the part of Desdemona doesn't really heat up that much until Act 3 & 4. Ms. Martinez successfully brought out the anguish and fear that Desdemona feels towards Otello after her public humiliation at his hands. This despondency resolves itself in to acceptance of her death as she awaits for Otello to enter. She sings, the aria known as "The Willow song", which Ms. Martinez sang beautifully with an effortless sounding spin that didn't sound pushed or overly dramatic.
Making his Lyric Opera debut in the role of Cassio was Italian tenor, Antonio Poli. He has a beautiful lyric tenor voice that is even and bright sounding. I was disappointed that the role of Cassio didn't showcase him more and I hope that his association with the Lyric continues given that he has a Chicago connection with Maestro Riccardo Muti.
The comprimario parts were sung by Ryan Center Artists. Baritone, Evan Boyer stood out as Lodovico, the Doge's representative. He has a dark and resonant voice, but lacked a bit of depth which in his defense, may not be a fair assessment without hearing him in a larger role. Julie Ann Miller sang the part of Emilia, Desdemona's servant (and wife to Iago). The role is quite small, but Ms. Miller's voice had a beautiful ring, that once again I wish I get to hear more of.
The orchestra sounded wonderful as it normally does, but I felt that the conductor, Bertrand De Billy allowed the thick textures of Verdi's score to overwhelm the singers, similar to that of the performance of Madama Butterfly a few weeks before. There were moments in the opening chorus when I wished for more singers on stage as it sounded like Maestro De Billy allowed the orchestra free reign in the forte sections upon Otello's arrival. The same was evident in the 3rd Act after Otello slap Desdemona to the disgust of onlookers. Whether or not the volume is exactly what Verdi called for doesn't matter if the chorus and comprimario parts are being drowned out and potentially forced to push themselves over the brink.
The staging and sets of the opera seemed to be historically schizophrenic. By the appearance of the costume design, the dramatic action was set in mid 19th century Europe, as the ladies were dressed as if they had jumped out of a Jane Austen novel and the men clad in Napoleonic military garb. This would've been a perfectly acceptable perspective if the set didn't look like a matchstick version of a back alley tenement apartment building. At one point there was a ceiling fan hanging which I assume was supposed to give the audience a sense of the heat and tension taking place in the scene. Unfortunately, the ceiling fan was not in widespread use until the turn of the century and even then, only in the United States.
This production of Otello at the Lyric Opera was a bit fractured and lacking in cohesive vision, not entirely the fault of the singers, musicians, or behind the scenes team. I left happy with specific performances and pieces, but unsatisfied with the production on the whole.
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