A both shocking and haunting production, this Rusalka is one of Martin Kusej´s best stagings and probably one that many will find it hard to forget – whether one agrees or not with the “concept”.
Inspired
by the horrors of the likes Josef Pritzl and Wolfgang Priklopil, Martin Kusej
completely ignores any trace of the romantic era painting a grim and shocking
picture of contemporary sexual violence.
While
Fritzl/Rusalka´s Father/Water Goblin and his wife/Rusalka´s Mother/Jezibaba
live upstairs, Rusalka together with her sisters are kept prisoners in the
cellar of an (from the outside) idyllic house. the mother/Fritzl´s accomplice
but also she who helps Rusalka escape.
It is
simply heartbreaking to see how Rusalka is damaged beyond repair and does not
stand a chance adapting to life outside, when she escapes, aided by her
mother/Jezibaba. Obviously an insensitive Prince (perfectly played by Klaus Florian
Vogt), who carries on a premarital affair with the Foreign Princess does not
help her either, however it is clear that the psychological damages inflicted
upon Rusalka during her childhood as a prisoner are too severe and incompatible
with a normal life on the outside. Finally, Rusalka flees back to the comfort
of her prison, the only place she knows and among the most outstanding features
of Kusej detailed direction is the ambiguity of the psychological portraits –
Rusalka´s ambiguity towards her father and also her mothers/Jezibaba´s
ambiguity as both an accomplice and support in Rusalka´s escape.
In the end,
however, Fritzl is finally caught by undercover police, but damaged and
shattered, the children end up in a mental institution and, by now, Rusalka is
clearly insane. The closest I have ever
seen an opera come to a psychological thriller. It may not have been Dvorak´s
intention, but it works.
Originally
planned for Nina Stemme as Rusalka, Kristine Opolais gave up her Metropolitan
Opera debut (Musetta in Boheme) when Stemme pulled out - retrospectively the
right choice as she later was hailed as one of the most noteworthy debuts of
the 2012-13 Met season as Magda/La Rondine.
Kristine
Opolais is the ideal interpreter of this haunted Rusalka, looking and acting
the part worthy of a Hollywood-star and with a silvery, agile voice, she
certainly is up to the demands of the part. That her voice does not quite
appeal to me should not be held against her.
Gunther
Groissbock is terrifyingly convincing as Fritzl/Water Goblin in what could
easily be one of the most thoroughly unsympathetic character´s ever seen on an
opera stage (contrary to Dvorak´s intention). Probably not what he expected
signing up for this production....
Not
less outstanding are Klaus Florian Vogt´s cool, egocentric Prince, Janina
Baechle´s Jezibaba, herself a damaged creature and Nadia Krasteva´s looker of a
Foreign Princess.
There
is only one let-down here, and for me that is Tomas Hanus in the pit, whose
style is rather rigid, reluctant and transparent and does not truly capture
Dvorak´s flow.
Almost
unwatchable, at the same time one of the strongest stagings I have ever seen.
Production trailer:
The bottom line (scale of 1-5, 3=average):
Kristine Opolais: 5
Klaus Florian Vogt: 5
Günter Groissbäck: 5
Janina Baechle: 5
Nadia Krasteva: 5
Martin Kusej´s production: 5
Tomas Hanus: 4
Overall impression: 5
