Copenhagen: Die Frau Ohne Schatten

Die Frau Ohne Schatten. Copenhagen Royal Opera, March 10th 2012. Production: Kasper Holten. Conductor: Michael Boder. Cast: Marion Ammann (Kaiserin), Johnny Van Hal (Kaiser), Johan Reuter (Barak), Linda Watson (His Wife), Susanne Resmark (Amme), Henning von Shulman (Messenger).

This production marked the ending of Kasper Holten and Michael Schønwandt´s 11-year tenure as artistic resp. music director at the Royal Danish Opera when it opened last Spring. And considering the massive problems with budget cuts which recently led to the resignation of newly appointed artistic director Keith Warner and music director Jakub Hrusa (neither has been replaced yet), Holten and Schønwandt certainly chose the right moment to leave. Especially Kasper Holten, who moved to the London Royal Opera House.
In any case, Kasper Holten certainly ended his tenure with perhaps his best production to date: A visually arresting production, with ample use of video projections tells the story of the two couples, who cannot have children, in a relatively straightforward manner. Entertained from start to end, a major feature is the vertical division of the stage into several chambers, thus showing several pieces of action simultaneously. A concept also used to great effect by Dmitri Tcherniakov in his Munich staging of Khovanschchina. With video projections helping to establish the moods: A tear, a sleeping pill dissolved in a glass of water etc. There is hardly a dull moment in this production, a great relief after having seen Christof Loy´s immensely boring production in Salzburg last summer.
The orchestra received rave reviews last year with Michael Schønwandt. Now, the conductor is Michael Boder, and yes, the orchestra plays well, and nuanced but with Christian Thielemanns mightly Vienna Philharmonics very present in memory it is hard to give them 5-stars. That said, Boder seems to have difficulty grasping the overall structure of the piece.
As for the singers, Johan Reuter is simply the best Barak I have ever heard with a wonderful warm voice, and such a welcome change to have a singer in his prime for this part. Equally a strong turnout for Linda Watson, who still has a very beautiful middle register, which is where most of her part lies. In comparison with her, Susanne Resmark seemed somewhat bleak. Marion Amman, a late substitution for Ann Petersen, was no more memorable than her husband.

A production very well suited for DVD release.

Production trailer:

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

Johnny Van Hal: 2
Marion Ammann: 2

Johan Reuter: 5

Susanne Resmark: 3
Linda Watson: 4

Michael Boder: 3-4
Kasper Holtens staging: 4

Overall impression: 4

DVD: Copenhagen Tannhäuser

DVD. Tannhäuser. 2010. Prod: Kasper Holten, cond: Friedemann Layer with the Royal Danish Orchestra. Cast: Stig Andersen (Tannhäuser), Tina Kiberg (Elisabeth), Susanne Resmark (Venus), Tommi Hakala (Wolfram), Stephen Milling (Landgraf).

The Royal Danish Opera had the choice between releasing Konwitschny´s unforgettable production of Elektra and this present Tannhäuser on DVD. For reasons unbeknownst to me, they chose then opera intendant Kasper Holten´s production of Tannhäuser.

Admittedly, the production received rave reviews in  the Danish press, which immediately puts me in the minority as I immensely disliked the production when seeing it in the theater. Also, I had trouble understanding it. Now, I am better prepared, having read bunches of review as well as the thoughts of the production team, which is still more interesting than actually watching the show, that is: The DVD.

Kasper Holten has creasted a Tannhäuser centered around the artists conflict of creation. It could be Richard Wagner, we see, but it is not necessarily so. This Tannhäuser is married to Elisabeth, has a child and is split between family and the process of creastion, personifized by Venus.
He struggles for recognition, but achieves this only after his own death, predeceded by the suicide of Elisabeth. "Zur erinnerung am Tannhäuser, der grossen poet und singer" we see at the end.
Much of Venus´ world is literally turned upside-down, to emphasize the contrast to Tannhäusers daily routines, and Venus lurks around, present in most scenes.

Kasper Holtens staging,  clearly gains from being revisited on DVD and the  unconventional closed-up filming in various angles added some (at times much-needed) dynamics to the piece.

Tina Kibergs voice has deteriorated significantly the past 10 years and is simply not pleasant to listen to anymore, though her committed acting makes somewhat (but not entirely) up for it. Susanne Resmark, a large woman one would not immediately associated with Venus, makes the most of what she got with a commanding stage presence and a willingness to expose herself competely if it serves the role. Many, who saw the Copenhagen Ring still remember her Siegfried-Erda, where she stripped down to a nightdress in a retirement home. Also as Venus, she is compelling and vocally strong.

Stephen Milling, in his second Landgraf-DVD is impressive, whereas Tommi Hakala, a Cardiff Singer of the World winner in 2003, is more anonymous.

And Stig Andersen himself, now 60 years old, generally ages well vocally, and makes a considerably better effort than most of his colleagues on the major stages.

Friedemann Layer, a favourite of the Royal Danish Orchestra, conducts lucidly and fluently.

Is it THE Tannhäuser to own? It could be, depending on preferences. The ultimately traditional Tannhäuser is the one from The Met, alternatively are David Alden´s Munich production or the newer Lehnhoff staging from Baden-Baden.


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

Stig Andersen: 4
Tina Kiberg: 2
Susanne Resmark: 3
Tommi Hakala: 3
Stephen Milling: 4

Kasper Holten: 3-4
Friedemann Layer: 4

Overall impression: 3-4

DVD: Selma Jezkova (Dancer in the Dark)

DVD. Selma Jezkova. Prod: Kasper Holten, cond: Michael Schønwandt with the Royal Danish Orchestra. 2010. Cast: Ylva Kihlberg (Selma)

Poul Ruders adaptation of Dancer in the Dark was met with unaimously negative reviews from the Danish press after the 2010 world premiere. In fact, Dancer in the Dark - the opera is only loosely based on Dancer in the Dark - the move, and in fact Poul Ruders originally suggested the opera to be named Selma Jezkova. A proposition rightly vetoed by Intendant (and director) Kasper Holten for strategic purposes.

Indeed, Selma Jezkova is a very dark work. Where Björks singing occasionally lit up the movie, nothing lightens up the opera, where the story of Selma Jezkova, whose only desire is to save money to pay
for eye surgery for her son, comes to a tragic end. Poul Ruders score mixed the melodic with the abrupt, even incorporation a few musical-style elements.

I am more often than not, not crazy about modern opera, which I feel often fails to transmit emotions to the audience the way (some of) the 80-90+ year old works do. Equally with Ruders. The story is horrible. But I am not moved. It certainly is not the fault of Ylva Kihlberg, who has for long been my favourite soprano at the Royal Danish Opera. She gives everything she has to the character. I am not sure it is the fault of Kasper Holten either, rather realistically telling the Ruders story in 7 scenes and only 70 minutes.

Is it too short? Would it be more moving if we had more time to know the characters? Maybe. Or maybe opera is just not the optimal medium to tell a realistic story of a poor factory worker in the 21th century.

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

Ylva Kihlberg: 4

Kasper Holten: 3

Michael Schønwandt: 4

Overall impression: 2

Operaen: Lastens Vej er intellektuel, pæn og kedelig

Lastens Vej. Operaen, København. Februar 2010. Instruktør: David Radok. Besætning: Michael Kristensen (Tom), John Lundgren (Nick), Gisela Stille (Anne), Tyrkerbaba (Randi Stene). Dirigent: Ion Marin med det Kongelige Kapel. Yderligere information her.

Dydens smalle vej er ofte både møjsommelig og kedelig, men bærer dog lønnen i sig selv, hvad enten i dette liv eller det næste. I modsætning til Lastens Vej, der er både sjov og underholdende, men fører lige ned i helvede. Det er i hvert fald sådan vi har lært det. Men hvad gør man så, når Lastens Vej også er kedelig, men alligevel fører lige ned i helvede? Ja, man føler sig vel først og fremmest snydt, og så keder man sig.
Og drejer det sig om Stravinsky´s 1951 opera Lastens Vej som David Radok netop har iscenesat på Operaen, ja så går en ikke ubetydelig del af meningen med værket også tabt. Nemlig at den unge Tom er doven, vil hellere feste end arbejde (hvilket dog desværre leder til hans undergang) og det burde man jo nok kunne forstå. I teorien, altså.

På scenen ser vi en smal vej (dydens?), der fortaber sig i det fjerne samt et stiliseret bylandskab hvor alle optræder i rokoko-kostumer. Pænt og nydeligt, med myriader af kulturelle henvisninger og lægger sig dermed op af Stravinsky´s ligeledes stiliserede neoklassiske musik, hvor et modspil havde været væsentligt mere interessant.
Heller ikke personinstruktionen får for alvor nogen op af sæderne og det hele er både pænt og meget intellektuelt. Men komplet ufarligt og i sidste ende både ligegyldigt og kedeligt.

Lidt ærgerligt for Det Kgl Kapel spillede ellers med både tyngde og præcision under Ion Marin og sangerne, hvor jeg nok vil huske John Lundgren´s djævel og Randi Stene´s skæggede tyrk længst, var alle fine.

Efter at have set forestillingen to gange samt nærlæst både programhæfte, de fleste anmeldelser samt diverse baggrundsinterviews på nettet har jeg da lært en del om både engelsk landskabsmaleri i det 17. (eller var det 18. ?) århundrede samt filosofiske tankestrømninger i rokoko-perioden og fransk modernisme. Og det er jo ikke dårligt sådan at udbygge sin (i mit tilfælde åbenlyst mangelfulde) viden om den vestlige kulturarv. Men inspirerende og medrivende musikteater er det ikke. Til gengæld fornærmer det næppe nogen.

Samlet vurdering (skala fra 1-5):

2

Copenhagen: Disappointing Eugene Onegin

Natalya Kreslina and Audun Iversen

Eugene Onegin. Royal Danish Opera, September 6th 2009. Production: Peter Konwitschny. Cast: Audun Iversen (Eugene Onegin), Natalya Kreslina (Tatiana), Jenny Carlsted (Olga), Niels Jørgen Riis (Lenski), Gustav Belacek (Gremin). Conductor: Michael Schønwandt.

I sincerely do not hope, this is what the Royal Danish Opera gets (rather: Has chosen) instead of the originally promised new Peter Konwitschny production of Die Frau Ohne Schatten, which he, most unfortunately, has withdrawn from: His 1995 production of Eugene Onegin, immediately recognizable to train-afficionados as it is modeled on the Leipzig train station in the concrete sense, and the cruelty of rigid social structures in the abstract sense.

Am I unable to love Eugene Onegin outside the context of Tchaikovsky and Pushkin? I hope not. Quite as expected, Peter Konwitschny clearly rejects that universe, and, as always in his stagings, outer circumstances (such as social and political structures) is a major determinant of character outcomes, thus there are neither any entirely good nor entirely evil characters. Konwitschny clearly and intelligently explained this point of view in a local newspaper before the premiere. Based on Konwitschny´s theoretical arguments, this is a both exciting and moving production of Eugene Onegin. Based on actually seeing this production in the theater, unfortunately, it is not.

What is it about then? I am not sure. We see the Leipzig Train Station with people moving in and out (modern dress, obviously). The audience is part of the tale, as Gremin and Tatiana move to a balcony and Onegin in front of the orchestra pit at certain points. Theatre within the theatre. Society makes Onegin and Tatiana what they are, Tatiana ultimately left alone while Onegin returns to the ranks of spectators. All of this leaves me extra-ordinarily non-moved, though I would not be surprised if Audun Iversen goes on to have a major career.

At this point, I would normally say that at least Michael Schønwandt and the Royal Danish Orchestra saved the evening. Unfortunately they did not as Schønwandt chose a very transparent reading of the score cementating this as a rather boring evening.

What makes this all the more irritating is the fact the Peter Konwitschny really does know how nail it (Michael Schønwandt as well): Their almost-beyond-praise production of Elektra, without doubt the best performance I have seen in my 25 years as a regular visitor to the Royal Danish Opera, will come up this Spring. As they say: Now is the time to look to the future.

The bottom line:

Audun Iversen: 4-5
Natalya Kreslina: 4
Jenny Carlstedt: 3-4
Niels Jørgen Riis: 3-4
Gustav Belacek: 3-4

Peter Konwitschny: 1

Michael Schønwandt: 3-4

Overall impression: 2

Andreas Scholl in Giulio Cesare

Giulio Cesare. Royal Danish Opera 2005. Production: Francisco Negrin. Cast: Andreas Scholl (Giulio Cesare), Inger Dam-Jensen (Cleopatra), Randi Stene (Cornelia), Tuva Semmingsen (Sesto), Christopher Robson (Tolemeo), Palle Knudsen (Achilla), Michael Maniaci (Nireno). Conductor: Lars Ulrik Mortensen with the Concerto Copenhagen. Further information here.

Francisco Negrin´s production of Giulio Cesare was a massive success for the Royal Danish Opera in 2003, resulting in several people queuing overnight for tickets for the 2005 revival, something previously unseen in Copenhagen. On paper Andreas Scholl was the star, but the production proved a genuine team effort, with superb performances from all involved parties, not least the exceptional baroque ensemble Concerto Copenhagen.

First of all, Francisco Negrin´s production is simply superb. Both minimalistic and stylish with appropriate Egyptian paraphernalia, the story is told straight-forward with a wonderfully sly sense of humour. Negrin is furthermore a superb personal director, convincingly conveying the interactions and emotions of the characters. The video clip below provides just one example of how he furthermore manages to make full use of the arias in the characterization of the protagonists.

Andreas Scholl is simply ideal as Cesare. His coloratura technique is fabulous and his voice has the well-known white glow, even througout the entire register. Most importantly, however, he is wonderfully masculine on stage. And a superb stage actor, with considerably comic timing.

Inger Dam-Jensen is a both captivating and elegantly sensual Cleopatra. That she vocally may be slightly on the dry side is rather easy to overlook.

Randi Stene and Tuva Semmingsen make a superb mother-son souple. Randi Stene´s Cornelia is truly tragic and compelling matched by the elegant lightness and committed acting by Tuva Semmingsen.

Christopher Robson Tolomeo looks terrifying and counter-tenor purists may well not take a liking to his singing: Vocally he is rather strange, using chest-voice as a main method of expression and he is probably past his prime. Though as a dramatic portrait, I find him very convincing.
Strong performances also in the smaller parts, such as Palle Knudsen as Achilla and Michael Maniaci as Nireno. Maniaci, by the way is a true male soprano, with no Adams apple (due to a developmental error), but a male in every other way.

Lars Ulrik Mortensen with the period ensemble Concerto Copenhagen are precisely imprecise with an impeccably sense of rhythms and energetic throughout in a performance I cannot imagine bettered.

Andreas Scholl - Va tacito (note the superb stage direction):

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

Andreas Scholl: 5
Inger Dam-Jensen: 4-5
Randi Stene: 5
Tuva Semmingsen: 5
Christopher Robson: 4

Francisco Negrin´s production: 5

Lars Ulrik Mortensen: 5

Overall impression: 5

Andreas Scholl revisited in Partenope

Last Friday (October 24th) I attended Francisco Negrin´s new staging of Partenope at the Royal Danish Opera for the second time, as I also was present at the premiere.

During the entire run, the performances have been plagued by illness - for the first couple of performances Andreas Scholl sang through a cold, and immediately thereafter Tuva Semmingsen was replaced by Trine Bastrup Møller due to illness. Finally on the Friday´s performance (the second-last of the run) all singers were well.

As I skipped over him at the premiere, where he was indisposed, I´ll just write a couple of words about Andreas Scholl, now where he is well:

First of all, Andreas Scholl really is a remarkable singer, with star quality as only a handful of his colleagues, regardless of voice type. Technically he is superb, with a quite distinguished sound I have heard describe as "white". Furthermore his coloratura technique is simply stunning. Last, but not least, he has a wonderfully masculine presence on stage, despite his part, Arsace, being something of a wimp. And he looks rather dashing, not to forget..

Much praise also to Christophe Dumaux, who has a somewhat deeper and also, it seemed, bigger voice than Andreas Scholl.

And to the rest of the team and the director etc., who performed at the same high level as in the premiere making 3 hours of Händel fly away.

Superb Stephen Milling and Johan Reuter in Copenhagen Don Carlo

Don Carlo (Ital. 4-act). Royal Danish Opera, Copenhagen Opera House, October 9th 2008. Production: Kasper Bech Holten. Cast: Stephen Milling (Filippo), Jean-Pierre Furlan (Carlo), Johan Reuter (Posa), Tina Kiberg (Elisabetta), Susanne Resmark (Eboli). Conductor: Graeme Jenkins. Further information here.


Last year, Morten Messerschmidt, member of the Danish Parliament representing the rightwing party Dansk Folkparti (tr: Party of the Danish People) made the unfortunate decision to become dead-drunk during a party in the Copenhagen Tivoli Gardens and according to some eyewitnesses “make Nazi greetings and sing Nazi songs”. Something Morten Messerschmidt and other eyewitnesses denied (although he admits to being dead-drunk and perhaps not remembering the exact course of events), claiming they only shouted “Deutschland, Deutschland über alles” as a harmless joke. Nevertheless a joke gaining him a considerable amount of negative publicity as well as being expelled from his party, though he was later readmitted.

Now Morten Messserschmidt tries hard to create controversy in areas less related to such leisure-time activities. Such as opera where Morten Messerschmidt attended the premiere of Kasper Bech Holten´s new production of Don Carlo last November at the Royal Danish Opera. So did I.

Subsequently this staging, for rather obscure reasons has been surrounded with controversy. Some of it initiated by Morten Messerschmidt´ letter to a major Danish newspaper, in which he
complained about the allegedly unacceptable (ie. different from his own) political views put forward. Morten Messerschmidt´s main point is that the Royal Danish Opera is financed by the Danish tax-payers (true) and subsequently should refrain from politically flavoured productions. In fact it is a rather non-debate as far as I am concerned. Of course Kasper Bech Holten´s staging discusses the political aspects of Don Carlos. Why else stage it?

I described Kasper Bech Holten´s production in detail after the 2007 premiere, and not much has changed. I still find it one of his most successful productions.

Irrelevant quibble aside. Musically it was a major success.

The Filippo-Posa constellation was just unbelievable. Stephen Milling is simply staggering as Filippo. His voice is rather rough, but his portrait of the ultimately insecure monarch is immensely consistant and nuanced. And ultimately very, very touching. Furthermore the middle and lower register of his voice projects like a loud-speaker with a power exceeding anything I have ever heard in that, or other basso parts, for that matter. Stephen Milling is a very close contender to the throne of Spain. That the Grand Inquisitor was completely overpowered was rather expected.

This high level continued with Danish bass-barytone Johan Reuter, who was quite simply the best Posa I have seen or heard on stage. Currently Johan Reuter is venturing into the dramatic bass-barytone fach with upcoming performances of Orestes and Flying Dutchman, so Posa is actually one of his “easier-for-the-voice” parts. As opposed to most Posa´s, who are overstretched lyrical baritones, Johan Reuter clearly does not dig into his reserves but has the necessary vocal surplus to make the part sound easy. Furthermore he effortless projects his voice evenly throughout the range and he is a great actor completely believably as the nerdy Posa. The confrontation between him and Filippo is the highlight of the opera.

Susanne Resmark, also embarking on an international career, is physically perhaps not the most convincing Eboli, though her stage presence is immense and vocally she negotiates the part as well as anyone. In fact better than anyone I remember having seen live.

The Carlos-Elisabetta pair did not quite perform on this high level, though they were nevertheless more than fine.

The orchestra conducted by Graeme Jenkins also sounded great..

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

Stephen Milling: 5
Johan Reuter: 5
Susanne Resmark: 4
Tina Kiberg: 3
Jean-Pierre Furlan: 3

Kasper Bech Holten´s production: 4

Graeme Jenkins: 4

Overall impression: 4-5

Copenhagen Opera House

The Copenhagen Opera House is the main stage of the Royal Danish Opera.

Designed by Danish architect Henning Larsen , the Copenhagen Opera House is located at the Copenhagen waterfront directly in front of Amalienborg Castle (the residence of the Royal Family).

Constructed 2001-04 and inaugurated in 2005 the Copenhagen Opera House replaces The Old Stage, now primarily used for baroque opera and concerts.

Technical specifications of the Copenhagen Opera House here.

The Copenhagen Opera House contains two stages - The Main Stage and the experimantal stage Takkelloftet.

The Main Stage has 1500 seats and 56 standing room spaces. Takkelloftet has app. 200 seats.

The cost of the construction was approximately 340 million Euro, all privately donated by the A.P. Møller and Chastine Mc-Kinney Møller Foundation (the de facto benefactor being Maersk McKinney Møller, de facto chief executive and owner of the Maersk shipping empire).

The curtain, seen below, is designed by Per Arnoldi and Per Kirkeby has created four bronze reliefs for the foyer. Olafur Eliasson, Danish-Icelandic artist, has created three light sculptures (crystal light bulbs) for the foyer seen on most photographs below.

My only criticism of the design relates to the metal grid covering the see-faced windows, prohibing a completely unobstructed view of the harbour. That apart, the Copenhagen Opera is the over-all most sophisticated and elegant opera house I have yet visisted.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Transportation:
Detailed information on public transportation and parking facilities here - the best option is to take a public ferry from Nyhavn (in the old city center of Copenhagen), which crosses the harbour to the Copenhagen Opera House in 5 minutes, departing contiuously in conjunction with performances.

Tickets:

A ticket office is located at the Copenhagen Opera House as well as next to The Old Stage (the main office). A certain number of seats and standing room spaces are only available for purchase on the day of performance.

In my more than 20 years of attending opera in Copenhagen, I have never experienced not being able to secure tickets on the day of performance, one way or the other. Shows may well appear sold out in advance, however tickets eventually become available..

Website (in English) of the Copenhagen Opera House here.

Website of the Royal Danish Opera

All above photographs from October 5th 2008. Below a few professional photographs from http://www.operaen.dk/:

Royal Danish Opera - The Old Stage

Until 2005, The Old Stage served as the main stage of the Royal Danish Opera. After the inauguration of the Copenhagen Opera House, The Old Stage is now primarily used for baroque opera, ballet and concerts.

The Old Stage as it stands today was inaugurated in 1874 and has app. 1600 seats, no standing room spaces. It is located in the center of Copenhagen, on the square Kongens Nytorv, one of the main squares of the city, next to Nyhavn. Further historical information on The Old Stage (in Danish) here.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

The Royal Danish Opera schedule of the day is listed on two electronic blackboards on each side of the entrance to The Old Stage.

Transportation:
Detailed information on public transportation and parking facilities here - The Old Stage is located in the center of Copenhagen, on the famous square Kongens Nytorv, next to a subway station and with plenty of busses right outside.

Tickets:

The box office is located at the Copenhagen Opera House as well as next to The Old Stage (the main box office). A certain number of seats and standing room spaces are only available for purchase on the day of performance.

In my more than 20 years of attending opera in Copenhagen, I have never experienced not being able to secure tickets on the day of performance, one way or the other. Shows may well appear sold out in advance, however tickets eventually become available..

A red light outside The Old Stage (in theory) indicates a sold-out performance - though ticket inquiries at the Box Office may be successful anyway.

Informations (in English) on The Old Stage here.

Seating at The Old Stage here.

Website of the Royal Danish Opera here.

Free drinks at each premiere:

Loge of the Royal Family: