Wozzeck

 

  “A fire… A fire rises from the Earth to Heaven and there’s a terrible noise like trumpets…” are the hauntingly prophetic words sung by the eponymous character in the first act of Alban Berg’s opera, Wozzeck. Moments later the mentally ravaged soldier sings, “Still. All is still as if the world has died” as if he can see the unavoidable conflict that would be labeled “The Great War” rolling through the fields, shaking the hollow ground beneath him.

  The ten years that preceded World War I was a revolutionary time in each facet of everyday life. There were enormous changes in the areas of industry, technology, communication, and mass consumption. People were traveling farther, seeing more, going faster, and being introduced a wider range of the foreign cultures. The form and organization of the previous century were soon in conflict with that of the golden age. Colonization brought new and improved goods to Europe expanding economic development and innovation, while creating competition for workers at home. Women received education en masse giving them individual opportunities in a wide range of areas which helped to liberate them from the old hierarchy and having to depend less on men. The economic modernization and rapid changes in the social fabric created a backlash. The average European man felt disjointed and out of place. Technologically advanced machinery created efficiency, but demanded more from men while providing less in the ways of income, rights, and a sense of belonging. The once indestructible form of masculinity that had been the bedrock of European society was being toppled evident in lower birth rates, changing family structures, and a perceived emasculation. Men at the turn of the century felt as though they were losing grasp of their place in the world.  

  The perception of instability is one of many themes expressed by Viennese composer Alban Berg through the mentally unwoven and demented character of Wozzeck. Berg, who had at a young age became a favored pupil of the musically innovative Arnold Schoenberg, was an inextricable part of the musical and artistic scene in Vienna which focused on structure, function, and form. Schoenberg, Berg, and the composers of the second Viennese school sought a return to the elemental aspects of music and language by replacing the ornamentation and florid lines of classical tradition with the variation and expansion of simple themes. This refutation of the established past was spreading to every corner of the artistic community in Europe. The Goldman & Salatsch building designed by architect Alfred Loos, which sat across the square from the Imperial palace, created a stir with its stark look and lack of classical ornamentation that had been a staple of the Viennese visual aesthetic. Gustav Klimt’s subversive symbolism and motto of naked truth attempted to break through the carefully constructed façade of ‘good society’. Klimt clothed his subjects in seductive looks and suggestive poses alongside ornate fabrics meant to titillate the viewer. And on the heels of that libidinous revolt was Sigmund Freud delving in to Vienna’s hidden sexual desires in order to eradicate the dysfunctions that repressed society.

  Berg’s opera, based on the Georg Büchner play ‘Woyzeck’, peeled back the skin of the pre-war golden age to reveal the growing nervousness, paranoia, and instability of society which industry, government, and military exploited for its own gain.  The story centers on the characters of Wozzeck, a poor soldier in a rural German town and Marie, Wozzeck’s lover and the mother of his young son. Wozzeck, desperate for money, submits himself to the irrational judgements of his Captain and the unethical experiments pseudo-scientific doctor. As a result Wozzeck had lost touch with reality and has paranoid visions that haunt him day and night. He laments being poor and the difficulty of acting in a moral and virtuous manner without money. The ignorant Captain, confused by Wozzeck’s response, berates him like a child. Wozzeck’s interactions with a quack military doctor who spouts unintelligible scientificac words are similar to that of the Captain. The extra money Wozzeck earns goes to support Marie, the mother of his son. She too laments her poverty throughout the opera and wishes for a better situation than what Wozzeck can provide. Marie soon to the sexual advances of the Drum major she had seen earlier marching in the parade past her window. Wozzeck, already paranoid and unhinged, becomes jealous of Marie and her romance with the Drum Major who demeans him by telling everyone in the army barracks. As Wozzeck loses hold of the little sanity he has left, Marie reads bible stories about Mary Magdalen, whom she identifies with and longs for forgiveness. Wozzeck and Marie go for a walk near a pond. Marie notices how red the moon looks. Wozzeck tells her that if he can’t have her, no one can and stabs her to death. Wozzeck soon drowns in the pond trying to clean off Marie’s blood. The opera ends with their son playing with other children, unaware of his parents’ death.

  Director David McVicar’s restrained stage directions were key in highlighting the wide range of emotions that the main characters portrayed. Mr. McVicar allowed the music and text to speak for itself. He did not make the mistake of having too much action, especially in the larger ensemble scenes. Mr. McVicar staged those scenes in a way for the audience to keep focus on the story as it unfolded rather than be drawn away to a purely visual spectacle.

  Set and costume designer, Vicki Mortimer accented the bleak and mentally damaged aesthetic of the opera with hospital curtains, the full length of the stage, pulled open and closed during scene changes. She also placed a war memorial of sorts in the middle of the stage. A shrouded figure lies on its back with an outstretched hand coming up out of the cover. The back drop is a desolate gray chiseled quarry like scene of a post-war area as if it’s one large bombed out crater.

  Sir Andrew Davis was at the podium once again and like previous performances, he started out Wozzeck with the orchestra playing too loud which occasionally drowned out the sprech-stimme lines of the singers. Fortunately this problem was rectified early on, whether it was a purposeful decision or Berg’s orchestration, the orchestra didn’t continue to cover the singers and played with wonderful dynamic variation and color.

  Polish bass-baritone, Tomasz Konieczny sang the role of the psychologically brittle soldier, Wozzeck. He has a dark color to his voice that had no problem being heard in the lower range, but what amazed me the most was how piercing and silvery his high notes were without sacrificing the blend of register. Mr. Konieczny didn’t overact the part or come across as affected and like Mr. McVicar’s direction, he sang the lines and followed the stage directions with restraint which added to the suspense of the drama.

  German soprano, Angela Denoke sang the role of Wozzeck’s lover, Marie. She has a beautifully rich tone that easily projected in to the hall. She sounded a little wobbly at the outset which corrected itself soon thereafter. Ms. Denoke sang with expression, intensity and dynamic variation. Her characterization wasn’t tortured in the same way as that of Mr. Konieczny’s Wozzeck, but she was strong willed and less restrained which was a nice counterbalance for the two characters.

  German tenor, Gerhard Siegel sang the roll of the self-absorbed Captain. Mr. Siegel has a piercingly bright tenor voice that seems to have been written for him by Berg. His voice naturally sits quite high and he handled the difficult tessitura of the Captain with little problem other than a squeak at the outset of the opera. Again, Mr. Siegel’s portrayal of his character, like his colleagues, was restrained and to the point which served the opera well. There wasn’t a need for histrionics as the music and story was dramatic enough on its own.

  British bass, Brindley Sherratt sang the role of the unethical pseudo-scientific Doctor. He was heard in this season’s production of ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ as Bartolo. I felt that the role of the Doctor gave Mr. Sherratt more of a chance to showcase his rich and cutting bass.

  German tenor Stefan Vinke sang the role of the pompous and overly masculine Drum Major. His dramatic voice projected throughout the hall, but sounded a bit strained at times.

  Ryan Center alum and Lyric tenor, David Portillo sang the role of Wozzeck’s friend and bunk mate, Andres. Mr. Portillo sings with a beautifully fluid and agile tone that expressed the innocent and open character of Andres. His voice, though not small, had a little harder time being heard against some of Berg’s thicker textures as well as the large voice of Tomasz Konieczny.

  The comprimario roles were sung nicely by Jill Grove, Brenton Ryan, Bradley Smoak, and Anthony Clark Evans, with Mr. Smoak who was also heard in the previous production of Figaro being a standout. He has a rich and evenly balanced bass that is more on the lyrical side. I was also happy to hear Mr. Evans’ who made the most of his small role with some impressive high notes.

  With the exception of Mozart’s Figaro, this season has been a joy to attend and I hope that it continues in the current direction with the upcoming productions of ‘The Merry Widow’ and ‘Bel Canto’, although I remain skeptical given the past few seasons’ inconsistent track record especially when it comes to comic operas.