La Scala Lohengrin 2012 season opening

Lohengrin. Teatro alla Scala, December 2012 opening night, streamed. Production: Claus Guth. Conductor: Daniel Barenboim. Cast: Jonas Kaufmann (Lohengrin), Annette Dasch (Elsa), René Pape (Heinrich), Evelyn Herlitzius (Ortrud), Tomas Tomasson (Telramund), Zeljko Lucic (Heerrufer).

At 7 pm, German soprano Annette Dasch received a phone call in her Berlin home. If she could possibly come to Milano and sing Elsa in the new Claus Guth production of Lohengrin the next evening for the season opening of La Scala in Milano, as Anja Harteros was ill? To be televised directly, obviously. 3 hours later she was on the plane. The next day, she had a 2 hour session with Claus Guth and 10 minutes with Daniel Barenboim. She had worked with Barenboim before, but not in Wagner operas, as well as with Claus Guth. And she had sung Elsa to Jonas Kaufmann´s Lohengrin in 2009 in Bayreuth, in a production where Elsa is a disturbed character, not entirely unlike her characterization in this production.

Claus Guth is particularly known for emphasising the darker sides of standard repertoire work - just take a look at his Nozze di Figaro or Cosí fan tutte, both available on DVD. His favourite century is the 19^th century (source: himself) and setting his Lohengrin in a repressive Biedermeier society seems just like the thing he would do. We are in an open space surrounded by balconies and doors. A piano and some stretches of grass represent the past with frequent flashbacks of Elsa playing the piano under Ortrud´s rough guidance. Elsa and her brother were  repressed (if not physically abused) as children. It is this repressive society that Elsa longs to leave, and thus she conjures up Lohengrin, a sickly, neurotic wretch whom she clearly does not love and finally rejects. Also frequently seen on stage: A child with swan feathers and Lohengrin more often than not curled up in a fetal position. According to an interview Claus Guth´s agenda evolved around how people arrived at their own happiness after a deprived childhood. He raises plenty of questions, however. Such as why Lohengrin has to be so sickly? While it is excellent with a staging raising plenty of questions I ultimately felt that the lack of consistency and interpersonal relations (especially between Elsa and this sickly Lohengrin) were the weakness of this staging. 

For Jonas Kaufmann, the ultimate romantic hero, one could wish for him to appear in a slightly more traditional production or at least one where he is allowed to show the romantic/as written in the score sides of Lohengrin:  In 2009 in Bayreuth he was in the middle of a rat experiment, later that year in Munich he was a carpenter, and here in Milano he is a neurotic fragment of Elsa´s fantasy, stripped of all pretenses, rolling on the floor curved in fetal position.

His singing, however, is formidable and he just seems to get better and better. A couple of years ago one would often hear that he could not go on singing like that, with his shaded tenor pushing for the high notes. That criticism is nowadays seldom heard. Anyway, I for one, have always thought that, unlike Villazon, his singing seems rock solid. Really he is virtually beyond competition as Lohengrin today.

Annette Dasch is a formidable actress, and creates an intensely moving portrayal of Elsa, quite better than her performance at Bayreuth. However, legato lines and blooming topnotes still are not her specialty and Anja Harteros remains the better singer of the two while Annette Dasch clearly is the superior actress.

René Pape was superb in what is a medium-opportunity role for him and Zeljko Lucic was luxury casting as Heerrufer.

As for the socalled villains, they were unfortunately disappointing. Tomas Tomasson was heavily overmatched and Evelyn Herlitzius, though a fine actress, was wobbly and frankly unpleasant to listen to. Could Barenboim not have called Waltraud Meier for this, really?

The Scala orchestra plays formidable for Barenboim. As I noticed some years ago when he conducted Tristan and Isolde here, there is a particular expansive sound to the orchestra, not heard when he conducts his Berlin hometown orchestra.

Official production trailer:

The bottom line (scale of 1-5, 3=average):

Jonas Kaufmann: 5
Annette Dasch: 4
René Pape: 5
Tomas Tomasson: 3
Evelyn Herlitzius: 3

Claus Guth: 4
Daniel Barenboim: 5

Overall impression: 4

Bayreuth Lohengrin - A rat experiment

Lohengrin, DVD. Bayreuth 2011. Production: Hans Neuenfels. Conductor: Andris Nelsenos. Cast: Klaus Florian Vogt (Lohengrin), Georg Zeppenfeld (Heinrich der Vogler), Annette Dasch (Elsa von Brabant), Jukka Rasilainen (Friedrich von Telramund), Petra Lang (Ortrud), Samuel Youn (Der Heerrufer des Königs).

Lohengrin as a laboratory rat experiment. Not as silly as it may sound. In fact, director Hans Neuenfels has created a vastly interesting as well as moving production of Lohengrin – conceptually by far the most interesting available on DVD and probably the overall most interesting I have yet seen.

We are inside a white laboratory. The people are rats. The protagonists seem to be super-rats. Or perhaps not all of them. Lohengrin, who struggles in vain to enter the lab during the vorspiel, and Telramund, whose narration is accompanied by a projection of “wahrheit” may have be placed in the lab as part of the experiment to see what reactions they provoke. Or maybe not. Because nothing is entirely clear in this challenging production. The lab technicians seem to be always in control, entering and exiting the laboratory manipulating with the rats.
Black-white, action-reaction, the people are rats and they are followers. And they chose to follow Lohengrin, gradually changing their rat-like appearance into human shape. And who should Elsa follow? Brought in by the rats, covered in arrows, she takes shape according to her surroundings – rats, swan, Lohengrin. Love is not an ingredience in this experiment.
A tilted wagon, a dead horse, rats escapint with gold bars and money: Ortrud and Telramund are caught by the rats when trying to escape.  But why exactly Telramud becomes a rat after his failed attempt to kill Lohengrin is less clear to me. And who is this Schützer von Braband? An embryon capping his umbilical chord. As a reaction to the experiment, perhaps?

Lohengrin as an experiment of how we react to authorities. Not at all uninterersting, as a matter of fact probably the conceptually most interesting Lohengrin I have seen to date as it captures the primitive action-reaction, hero-antihero as well as black-white patterns somehow inherent in the plot. The sets are aesthetic, the colours are clear and beautiful. The answers are by no means obvious and this multilayered production probably requires repeated viewings by most to capture the essence. Whatever that may be perceived to be.

When the production opened in 2009 Jonas Kaufmann was Lohengrin. In 2010 Klaus Florian Vogt took over the role and this is thus his second Lohengrin on DVD. With clear ringing notes Klaus Florian Vogt is superb, a “tenorial” Lohengrin far from the sound we have been used to from Plácido Domingo as well as Jonas Kaufmann, and both vocally and physically perfectly suited to this production. He may even have lost some of his eeriness these past few years giving place for a rather human interpretation.

Unfortunately Annette Dasch is by no means a first-rate Elsa. Unable to sustain a legato line, often out of breath, shrill and with no bloom and warmth in her tone. That she looks fabulous capturing the essence of eery passivity that Neuenfels undoubtedly wanted does unfortunately not outweigh her vocal short-comings.

As Telramund Jukka Rasilainen has the appearance but not quite the voice, while Petra Lang is a better Ortrud than almost anyone else I can think of today.

Accompanied by a swift and spirited performance from Andris Nelsons, this DVD is a must for those interested in contemporary performances of Richard Wagner´s work. Though for those less familiar with the work probably Lehnhoff´s aesthetic, rather straight-forward production from 2006 may be an all-round better choice. Or even the Claudio Abbado conducted 1990 production from Vienna - visually dreary but musically superb.

Elsa´s call and the appearance of the Swan:

The bottom line (scale of 1-5, 3=average):

Klaus Florian Vogt: 5
Annette Dasch: 2
Petra Lang: 4
Jukka Rasilainen: 4
Georg Zeppenfeld: 4

Andris Nelsons: 4
Neuenfels production: 5

Overall impression: 4

DVD Salzburg Don Giovanni 2008

DVD. Don Giovanni. Salzburger Festspiele 2008. Prod: Claus Guth, cond: Bertrand De Billy with the Vienna Philharmonic. Cast: Christopher Maltman (Don G), Erwin Schrott (Leporello), Annette Dasch (Donna A), Dorothea Röschmann (Donna E), Alex Esposito (Masetto), Ekaterina Siurina (Zerlina).

When I saw this production in Salzburg in 2008, I found it to be a masterpiece only marred by non-inventive playing from the Vienna Philharmonics under Bertrand De Billy. Though the DVD was recorded within 2 weeks of my visit, I find the playing on the DVD considerably more interesting, though De Billy is certainly no Barenboim in this repertoire.

The concept still holds to an extent that I without doubt find this the most interesting Don Giovanni DVD on the market: Described in detail in my 2008 report, Don Giovanni is a man fighting his own demons, a somewhat rootless character on his way to destruction. Here, the women are the strong ones.

On top, the circular set used throughout the opera is wonderfully surreal and uneasy: A dark, hilly pine wood + a bus stop. Clearly among the best stagings I have seen from Claus Guth.

Based on her recent performances as Elsa (Lohengrin) in Bayreuth, I wonder if Annette Dasch´s  voice is already beginning to decline (she is in her early thirties), but this Donna Anna she delivers. Dorothea Röschmann´s classically sung Donna Elvira leaves almost nothing to be desired, except perhaps a bit more radiance. Christopher Maltman convinces as the desperate Don alongside Erwin Schrott, a superbly acted, and slightly less superbly sung Leporello as he is sometimes criticised for not actually singing the notes, which he doesnt. Matthew Polenzani makes the best of the rather boring part as Don Ottavio, while Ekaterina Siurina and Alex Esposito are charming as Zerlina/Massetto.

In the pine wood:

The bottom line (scale of 1-5, 3=average):

Christopher Maltman: 4
Erwin Schrott: 4
Annette Dasch: 4
Dorothea Röschmann: 4
Matthew Polenzani: 4
Ekaterina Siurina: 4
Alex Esposito: 4


Claus Guth: 5
Bertrand De Billy: 4

Overall impression: 5

DVD: Il re pastore

Il re pastore. Salzburg 2006. Production and conductor: Thomas Hengelbrock. Cast: Kresimir Spicer (Alessandro), Annette Dasch (Aminta), Marlis Petersen (Elisa), Arpiné Rahdijan (Tamiri), Andreas Karasiak (Agenore). Balthasar-Neumann-Ensemble. Further information here.

Not exactly a standard work in the repertoire, Mozart´s two-act serenata from 1775 (he was 19) Il re pastore, libretto by Metastasio and previously used by several other composers, such as Gluck. A story including the usual ingredients of fidelity, love and a benevolent ruler, whose element of rigid opera seria are emphasized by director-and-conductor Thomas Hengelbrock in this stylized set-up.
Creating a stage within the stage, with present-day characters surrounding the black-and-white pantomine look-a-likes of the shepherd/king-to be (wonderfully played and sung with a dark, silvery timbre by Annette Dasch) and her beloved Elisa (in Marlis Petersen´s crystal clear high notes), Hengelbrock creates a play within-a-play:
Initially all characteres meet in front of the stage in modern dress, play a game of cards, where Aminta and Elisa draw two hearts prompting them to quickly change into pantomime dress to enter the second stage to let the play begin..
Interchanging between characterized pantomimes and modern-day real characters Hengelbrock emphasizes the duality of this piece. Not a masterpiece, perhaps, but a highly entertaining staging.

Annette Dasch as the shepherd (future king) on the stage-within-the stage "Aer tranquillo":

The bottom line (scale of 1-5, 3=average):

All singers: 4-5

Thomas Hengelbrock: 5

Overall impression: 5

Annette Dasch: Armida

Annette Dasch: Armida. Arias by Gluck, Händel, Jommelli and Haydn. David Syrus conducts the Bayerische Kammerphilharmonie. Sony, 2007.

This disc of various representations of the sorceress Armida, is Annette Dasch´s first solo disc under her exclusive Sony contract. It dates from 2007 and won her an Echo klassik award (major German award) as best opera album 2008.

Coincidentally (or perhaps not?), Annette Dasch´s major breakthrough came in Salzburg in 2007 with Armida in Christof Loy´s staging, a portrait she will repeat in Salzburg 2009. Hereafter she has by many been considered one of the most promising lyrisch/jugendlich-dramatische sopranos around, an assessment with which I agree.

First of all, contrary to most other sopranos her age, Annette Dasch (born 1976) has personality. She infuses these baroque arias - from Gluck to Haydn, with individuality and drama. Her strongest assets are her dramatic expression and her solid middle voice. Her weakest points are her top-notes, which sound metallic and strained. Futhermore she doesn´t seem completely at ease with the coloratura. But she should be able to choose her future repertoire as to suit her considerable strenghts. Perhaps most impressively, she manages to avoid the sameness, that more than occasionally makes such recital discs rather tedious affairs.

She was a rather superb Donna Elvira last season at the Berlin State opera while she got mixed reviews for her Salzburg Donna Anna earlier this season, a part I would intuitively think too high for her (she was sick for a large part of the run, including the evening I was there). Next season will see her debut at the Metropolitan Opera as the Figaro-Countess and in 2010 she will be Elsa in the new Lohengrin in Bayreuth.

In October 2008, her second disc (Mozart arias) was released by Sony.

Annette Dasch: Odio, furor, dispetto (audio):

Posted by leporello89 on YouTube

Overall impression (scale of 1-5, 3=average):

4-5

Berlin Don Giovanni with René Pape: My final words...

Don Giovanni, Berlin State Opera, April 25th and 27th 2008. Director: Peter Mussbach. Cast for both performances: René Pape (Don Giovanni), Annette Dasch (Donna Elvira), Anna Samuil (Donna Anna), Jeremy Ovenden (Don Ottavio), Hanno Müller-Brachmann (Leporello), Arttu Kataja (Masetto), Sylvia Schwartz (Zerlina). Conductor: Asher Fish. Further details here.

I have now attended four performances of this Peter Mussbach production of Don Giovanni at the Berlin State Opera including the first two back in December. So, until further notice, these are my final words:

While René Pape was sleepwalking his way through the performance on Friday in addition to using the first 20 minutes to warm up his voice, he was right on spot and from the beginning as well in Sunday´s performance. Otherwise, not much may be added to my previous postings on his Don Giovanni: I still find him the ideal interpreter of the Don, though clearly among the heavy interpreters, both regarding voice (he is a high bass) and presence. However, there is something strange about René Pape in this production, which he does not seem to be at ease with, a fact I strongly suspect may be attributed to Peter Mussbach´s production concept, or rather: Lack of concept, as I´ve decribed previously.

Of the remaining singers, Annette Dasch was truly grandiose. What a voice and what a dramatic presence. She seemed an entirely different singer compared to the initial performances in December, whether due to a genuine change or an initial oversight on my part is obviously not for me to say. I wouldn´t be surprised if she goes on to have a major career. She will, by the way sing Donna Anna in the new Salzburg Don Giovanni production this summer.

Jeremy Ovenden was also fine in the thankless part of Don Ottavio and the others were largely as I remembered them from December´s performances (where they varied between fine and excellent).

Obviously, many in the sold-out house, including myself, were disappointed not to have Daniel Barenboim conduct as he cancelled this run only weeks ago.
While Asher Fish, a both sympathetic and fine conductor, is no match for Barenboim in the heavy-Mozartian respect, he definitely does not serve period-style Mozart light, either.
Som may find Fish´s approach both fresh and exciting. I rather found it too fast, and furthermore Fish does tend to let the tempi carry away with him and accelerate during the fast arias and ensemble pieces, worst during the Champagne Aria - had it been much longer he would have lost René Pape (who tried not to accelerate but eventually had to) completely.

Generally most of the singers set a slower tempo than Fish, which I wish he would adjust to, but obviously that is his call. Only in Deh vieni was he forced to keep the slower tempo set by René Pape, but his eagerness to set a quicker pace was obvious.

Compared to the premiere, the April audiences were much more benign. And, one may add, probably far less critically inclined on average, since many were tourists and all around me people were deeply absorbed in the English translation of the plot summary.
My neighbour initially confused Leporello with the Don, and couldn´t understand why the Don was singing the Catalogue aria (the only piece the knew). The people sitting right behind me had trouble distinguishing Donna Anna from Donna Elvira and while admittedly not helped by the production, it doesn´t exactly reflect on an overly familiarity with the piece either.

However, for what it is worth, the atmosphere in the audience was light and for once it felt like people actually were there to be entertained.

Berlin: René Pape is still a superb Don Giovanni..now also with support from Barenboim

Don Giovanni, Berlin State opera, December 18th 2007. Production: Peter Mussbach. Cast: René Pape (Don Giovanni), Hanno Müller-Brachmann (Leporello), Anna Samuil (Donna Anna), Annette Dasch (Donna Elvira), Pavel Breslik (Don Ottavio), Arttu Kataja (Masetto), Sylvia Schwartz (Zerlina). Conductor: Daniel Barenboim.

After the December 15th premiere of Peter Mussbach´s production of Don Giovanni at the Berlin State Opera, which I reviewed here, this Tuesday performance was the first performance of the run with a cast almost identical to that of the premiere, the only difference being the indisposition of Christoph Fischesser as the Commandant, replaced by Andreas Bauer - both fine.

In brief, this was simply a far superior performance. Especially since the tempi issues between especially Daniel Barenboim and René Pape had been sorted out, and the nervousness of René Pape, which affected the entire cast at Saturdays premiere was gone. Especially Annette Dasch, who disappointed in the premiere, delivered an excellent performance, on a level entirely different compared to four days ago: Vocally secure as well as dramatically captivating.

That these orchestral timing issues, which plagued the premiere, may be fixed so rapidly, confirms my suspicion that this Don Giovanni was indeed under-rehearsed due to Barenboim´s La Scala commitment. Principally I don´t see any problem in having your assistants run the rehearsals, but when the tempi then turn out to be radically different when the maestro is on the podium, then you get the result you got Saturday: An unsynchronized performance. Apart from that, Daniel Barenboim really does conduct the Mozart of my dreams as described in my report from the premiere.

Berlin premiere: Superb René Pape in underrehearsed Don Giovanni

Don Giovanni, Berlin State Opera, December 15th 2007. Production: Peter Mussbach. Cast: René Pape (Don Giovanni), Hanno Müller-Brachmann (Leporello), Anna Samuil (Donna Anna), Annette Dasch (Donna Elvira), Pavel Breslik (Don Ottavio), Arttu Kataja (Masetto), Sylvia Schwartz (Zerlina). Conductor: Daniel Barenboim.

That this Don Giovanni was underrehearsed may surprise few, considering Daniel Barenboim is conducting the La Scala season opening production of Chéreau´s new Tristan and Isolde simultaneous with this Berlin State Opera premiere of Peter Mussbach´s Don Giovanni. That La Scala obviously received the major number of orchestra rehearsals with the maestro is understandable, though to sit through this rather uncoordinated affair in Berlin was nevertheless frustrating.

Particularly as this production has a virtually perfect protagonist in René Pape as Don Giovanni. René Pape has everything a great Don Giovanni needs: Beautiful, unrestrained singing, dramatic punch, semi-diabolic as well as lofty stage appearance and perfect diction. Here, in addition, he was visibly nervous, fully understandable as Daniel Barenboim repeatedly set different tempi than Pape did, worst in the Champagne Aria, where Barenboim was way, way too fast. As it now seems that the La Scala Tristan performance tomorrow (December 16th) is cancelled, may I suggest Barenboim uses this unexpected spare time to sit down with René Pape and agree on the tempi?

Precision issues apart, Daniel Barenboim´s Don Giovanni is shattering. For once, no Mozart light. Instead we are treated to the full-bodied Mozart orchestra in the 1950´s Salzburg tradition of Furtwängler and Böhm complete with heavy strings and slow pace. With the poignant death-scene being the absolute highlight.

Of the remaining singers Hanno Müller-Brachmann´s Leporello was excellently sung as well as providing fine dramatic contrast to Don Giovanni and especially Pavol Breslik stood out as Don Ottavio. Anna Samuil was a fine Donna Anna, with a clear,very distinct soprano and effortless coloratura and Arttu Kataja and Sylvia Schwartz made a fine Masetto/Zerlina constellation. To me, though judged on the audience response I hold a minority opinion, Annette Dasch disappointed as Donna Elvira: I found her sound very nasal, at points shrill and hardly audible in half of her entrances. Though she is a superb, dynamic stage actress.

Peter Mussbach´s production was shown last year at La Scala and the booing and bravos more or less equalled out each other at this Berlin premiere.
Admittedly, Peter Mussbach´s concept is not overly inventive. It is, however, both stylish and simplistic: Black walls moving on a blue background. And nothing further, except for the occasional scooter, on which Donna Elvira makes her entrance.
That the music is not overshadowed by all sorts of irrelevant stage actioni is a definite plus. However, at no point was it clear what exactly Peter Mussbach wanted with the piece as the characters seemed left to their own devices running around the set. Almost like a concert performance. Though it did look great.

In the programme notes you may read that Mussbach´s Don Giovanni is not an evil person. On the contrary this Don has been living an egoistic and thoughtless existence for a long time and his life changes when he (accidentally?) kills the commander, thus entangling himself into more and more complex situations, which in the end lead to his downfall. Somehow, a few additional ideas would have helped lifting the on-stage drama. As well as some additional rehearsing time with Daniel Barenboim.

Photographs from the company website

Salzburg Festival 2008: The programme is out and tickets are now available..

UPDATE July 2008: Detailed information on the 2008 Salzburg Festival opera programme including radio transmissions here.


The programme for the 2008 Salzburg Festival is now available online (as well as tickets..).

Highlights include:

Otello - new production by Langridge, cond. Riccardo Muti, singers a.o. Antonenko (O), Poplavaskaya (D) and Àlvarez (I)

Romeo & Juliette - w/Netrebko&Villazon

Don Giovanni - new production by Claus Guth, cond: Billy, Don G: Christopher Maltman

Duke Bluebeard´s Castle - new production by Simons, cond. Eötvos, w/Struckmann, De Young

Rusalka - new production by Wieler/Morabito with Camilla Nylund and Piotr Beczala

The Magic Flute - Repremiere of Audi´s staging

As usual various concerts and recitals with a.o. Vienna & Berlin Philharmonics, Daniel Barenboim, Pierre Boulez, Kryzstian Zimmermann, Maurizio Pollini, Vesselina Kasarova, Elina Garanca a.o. - more info on the Festival website here

Muti will conduct "A german requiem" and Esa-Pekka Salonen will conduct Mahlers 3rd Symphony, both with the Vienna Philharmonics.

Simon Ratttle will conduct Messiaen´s Turangalila Symphony with the Berlin Philharmonics.

Gustavo Dudamel and the Símon Bolívar Youth Orchestra will be orchestra in residence.