salzburg festival theodora on dvd

Theodora. DVD. Salzburg Festival 2009. Production: Christof Loy. Conductor: Ivor Bolton with the Freiburger Barockorchester. Cast: Christine Schäfer (Theodora), Bejun Mehta (Didymus), Johannes Martin Krängle (Valens), Bernarda Fink (Irene), Joseph Kaiser (Septimus).

The story of Händel´s late (1750) oratorio "Theodora" in brief, is that of the Christian woman Theodora, who, persecuted by the Romans ultimately becomes a martyr for her faith with her lover Didymus.

With this staging, Christof Loy does not attempt to invite the audiences to identify with the characters but “exploring and experiencing the music and the works religious themes” in what he calls “almost like an installation” or a “performance process”. To achieve this, he lets the entire, massive stage of the Salzburg Festspielhaus depict the interior of a church and the staging unfolds as a rehearsal for a performance of Theodora. Not unlike his Frau Ohne Schatten from last years Salzburg Festival. But significantly more successful, though at times the singers almost seems to drown at the massive stage..

For me the real stand-outs in the cast were Joseph Kaiser´s dignified Septimus (= a main with a troubled conscience), Johannes Martin Krängle´s very believable Valens (=the villain). and Bernarda Fink´s wonderfully dignified Irene. For my tastes, Bejun Mehta´s Didymus is a tad too sentimental and feminine, and Christine Schäfer, despite dignified singing and great musician-ship, seems occasionally rather dry-voiced as Theodora.

However, the contrast of performing a small-sized baroque work in the massive Salzburg Festspielhaus is not at all interesting and most Händel admirers will love Ivor Bolton´s stylish performance with the Freiburger Barockorchester.
Despite not being created with a staged performance in mind, it is not, however the only Theodora on DVD and I must admit to vastly preferring Peter Sellars updated 1996 Glyndebourne production, infinitely more dynamic in addition to having the wonderful Lorraine Hunt as Irene.

Bejun Mehta and Christine Schäfer:

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

Christine Schäfer: 5
Bejun Mehta: 4
Bernarda Fink: 5
Joseph Kaiser: 5
Johannes Martin Krängle: 4

Christof Loy:3
Ivor Bolton: 5

Overall impression: 4

benvenuto cellini

Benvenuto Cellini. DVD. Salzburg Festival 2007. Production: Stölzl. Cond: Valery Gergiev. Cast: Burkhard Fritz (Cellini), Maija Kovalevska (Teresa), Laurent Naouri (Fieramosca), Brindley Sherratt (Giacomo Balducci), Mikhail Petrenko (Pope Clemens VII), Kate Aldrich (Ascanio).


I saw this production in Salzburg in 2007 and was impressed, but as the Salzburger Festspielhaus is massive, even if my seat was good, I now see how many details I missed.
Director Philipp Stölzl is mainly known as a video director, having worked both with Rammstein and Madonna (American Pie) and the James Bond titel song The world is not enough. He directs opera as he does music videos - fast-paced, colorful, aesthetic. I remember some found him superficial in Salzburg. I think it is outstanding.

In brief we are somewhere in a future city, on top of a roof, the skyline constantly visible. Key elements include: Robots, a helicopter (in which Cellini makes his arrival), the Pope as a rockstar and so on. The special effects are stunning, and apparently Stölzl and his team spent a week in the Festival House to design the light effects. Gotham City I called it when I saw it in Salzburg.

Vesselina Kasarova sprained an ankle during Alcina in Munich and cancelled, as did Neil Schicoff, allegedly due to some controversy over the appointment of the new intendant of the Vienna State Opera (a post he didn´t get). While Kate Aldrich was a great replacement for Kasarova, less so for Burkhard Fritz, who was somewhat less than ordinary. Committed performance also from Valery Gergiev and the Vienna Philharmonics.

Highly recommended.

Trailer:

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

Burkhard Fritz: 3
Maija Kovalevska: 4
Laurent Naouri: 3-4
Mikhail Petrenko: 3-4
Kate Aldrich: 4

Stölzl´s staging: 5
Valery Gergiev: 5

Overall impression: 5

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: Magnificent Elektra with Theorin, Westbroek, Meier, Pape

Elektra. DVD. Prod: Lehnhoff, cond: Gatti with the Vienna Philharmonics. Salzburg, 2010. Cast: Irene Theorin (Elektra), Eva-Maria Westbroek (Chrysothemis), Waltraud Meier (Klytemnestra), René Pape (Orest).

They really did assemble the best cast imaginable last years Elektra in Salzburg. Eva-Maria Westbroek, superb neurotic acting and vocally blooming delivers a Chrysothemis in the league of Karita Mattila and Cheryl Studer. Waltraud Meier as luxury casting in this role often taken by singers well into retirement, here, for the first time, you hear how this role may be sung. These two formidable ladies almost tend to oversing Irene Theorin, who by all means delivers a great performance, dramatically as well as vocally. The only question mark I´d place after her Elektra is the almost permanent wobble she has in the middle register. After all, now that her interpretation is preserved on DVD, I hope she will not sing this part too often. In fact, as Eva-Maria Westbroek will take on Isolde in 2012, we here have an Elektra trio where all three singers currently sing Isolde on the major stages.

René Pape is easily the finest Orest available on DVD, and if a finer is available on CD we will have to look at recordings before the area of stereo recordings.

Gatti´s slow, broad conducting does not leave much to be desired. Nikolaus Lehnhoff, well known for his minimalistic, dark, brooding Wagnerian interpretations, lived up to expectations with an equally minimalistic, dark, brooding Straussian interpreation.
Among the commercially Eletra DVD´s available, I shall put this at the top, narrowly defeating the Abbado/Kupfer production from the Vienna State Opera, an even darker staging. But for those with patience, it may be worth seeing what comes out of Patrice Chéreau´s production at the Met in a couple of seasons. Because Chéreau has what Lehnhoff doesn´t - the ability to make the interpersonal drama com alive.

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

Irene Theorin: 4

Eva-Maria Westbroek: 5

René Pape: 5

Waltraud Meier: 5

Daniele Gatti: 5

Lehnhoff: 4

Overall impression: 4-5

Wonderful Christian Thielemann in Salzburg Die Frau Ohne Schatten



© Monika Rittershaus for Salzburger Festspiele

Die Frau Ohne Schatten. Grosses Festspielhaus, August 17th, 2011, Salzburg Festival. Christian Thielemann conducts the Vienna Philharmonics. Director: Christoph Loy. Soloists: Anne Schwanewilms (Kaiserin), Stephen Gould (Kaiser), Wolfgang Koch (Barak), Evelyn Herlitzius (his wife), Michaela Schuster (Amme).

• Maximum points to Christian Thielemann for a marvellously conducted performance, powerful and detailed and with the uncut version.
• Minimum points to Christof Loy for his non-staging, placing the action in the famous recording studio Sofiensaal at the time of the first recording of the opera (1955), creating a static and ineffective staging adding no more to the opera than a concert performance. And, for some obscure reason, the end takes place in the middle of a Christmas concert. Or indeed, adding less, as the secondary daily day drama between the characters singing Barak and his Wife is both annoying and redundant. To reduce Richard Strauss´ epic fairy-tale to this is simply a shame. Christof Loy is well-known for his static stagings (among the recent a rather superb Lucio Silla), but this is by far the most extreme he has taken his directorial approach. The next step would indeed be a concert performance. A golden opportunity for a magnificent DVD thus wasted, as Die Frau really is a conductors opera and some may well feel that Thielemann surpasses both Sawallisch and Solti on previous DVDs (Sawallisch perhaps but not Solti, imho....)
• All singers were good, but none were real standouts. Anne Schwanewilms, who originally trained as a mezzo, has a simply wonderful voice and etwas altmodisch way of singing almost vibratoless in the middle register, though the voice may be in the smaller range for the Empress. Always dramatically effective, though not overly nuanced vocally was Michaela Schuster, while Stephen Gould delivered the best I have heard him do and in any respect ways above his rather dismal Siegfried in Bayreuth a couple of seasons ago. Evelyn Herlitzius received the second biggest ovation (after Thielemann) for a Wife of Barak (a somewhat vocally tired Wolfgang Koch), probably not to be seen much better today, despite occasional straining especially in the upper register. And I must admit to simply not really liking her voice.

Opening of Act 3:

The bottom line (scale of 1-5, 3=average):
Christian Thielemann: 5
Christof Loy: 1
Stephen Gould: 3
Evelyn Herlitzius: 3
Anne Schwanewilms: 4
Michaela Schuster: 3-4
Wolfgang Koch: 3
Overall impression: 4 (because the conductor is really the crucial point in this opera)

Salzburg Iolanta and Rossignol with Anna Netrebko and plenty of Russian talents

Rossignol/Iolanta double bill. Concert performance. August 15th, Grosses Festspielhaus, Salzburg.
Ivar Bolton conducts the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg. Performers: Julia Novikova, Julia Lezhneva, Antonio Poli, Andrei Bondarenko (all Rossignol), Anna Netrebko, Piotr Beczala, Alexei Markov, Evgeni Nikitin, John Relyea u.a.

What most will not find surprising:

• That Iolanta is a role perfectly suited to Anna Netrebko´s darkly coloured soprano, and Tchaikovsky´s somewhat squared phrases suit her perfectly
• Though Piotr Beczala by all means did well, he was pulverized by Netrebko, both dramatically and vocally, especially in the duet. That he used the score, as opposed to her, did not help either

Otherwise:

• Alexei Markov (Robert in Iolanta) was stunning and deservedly received the biggest ovation of the evening (Netrebko excluded)
• Also in live concerts(as opposed to on DVDs) John Relyea comes off as wobbly and shaky, but he gets point for his acting and for having learned the part by heart
• Julia Novikova (the nightingale) has a too big vibrato especially in the middle register, preventlng the Nightingale from sounding truly beautiful
• On the other hand Julia Lezhneva was impressive as the cook
• Andrei Bondarenko, the newly appointed winner of the Song prize at the Cardiff Singer of the World competition, whom many felt should also have won the main prize, used his warm lyrical barytone to portray the Emperor of China.
• Both Evgeni Nikitin and Antonio Poli mad the most of their relatively small parts

Muti with the Verdi Requiem in Salzburg

Verdi Requiem. Grosses Feststpielhaus, Salzburg Festival. August 15th. Riccardo Muti conducts the Vienna Philharmonics. Soloists: Krassimira Stoyanova, Olga Borodina, Saimir Pirgu, Ildar Abdrazakov.

• Muti conducted not without nuance, but his version of the Verdi Requiem is still mainly brisk and powerful
• I still wonder to what extent the Vienna Philharmonics could actually play this piece without a conductor, though obviously someone has to coordinate between orchestra and choir
• Olga Borodina was in booming voice, seemingly oblivious to fellow colleagues as well as the conductor and absolutely NOT blending in with Krassimira Stoyanova´s distinctly different vocalism and significantly smaller voice.
• Well done by Saimir Pirgu, while Abdrazakov did not have an exceptional day
• I spotted a total of 5 women in the orchestra (one concert master, the rest strings). This does not indicate all five are members of the Vienna Philharmonics as the orchestra often hire "seasonal employers" for the Salzburg Festival.
• After the soprano´s initial "libera me", in the orchestral pause a cell phone went off...
• Grosses Festspielhaus was sold out despite the distinctly antisocial hour of this concert (11 am). Later I found out that this day is a national holiday in Austria, which does not influence the hour of the concert as the Vienna Philharmonics traditionally play several series of concerts at this hour.

Salzburg 2011 - Claus Guth Cosi Fan Tutte in a major revision

@ MonikaRittershaus for Salzburger Festspiele

Cosí fan tutte. August 16th, Haus für Mozart, Salzburg Festival. Prod: Claus Guth. Cond: Marc Minkowski with Musiciens du Louvre. Cast: Maria Bengtsson (Fiordiligi), Michele Losier (Dorabella), Anna Prohaska (Despina), Alek Shrader (Ferrando), Christopher Maltman (Guglielmo), Bo Skovhus (Alfonso).

It is a major revision of his 2009 staging of Cosi Fan Tutte presented by Claus Guth at this years
Salzburg Festival. A pity really, that the 2009 version is already preserved on DVD, as this "new" version is more closely related to the rest of Guth´s Da Ponte trilogy (Nozze di Figaro, 2006 on DVD and Don Giovanni from 2008).
In 2011 we see the plain interior of a white house, complete with the staircase from Nozze di Figaro. The party from 2009 is over and now all excesses have been dispersed with leaving a pure psychoanalytical room, the looming pine forest (also seen in Don Giovanni) gradually dominating the house, while the two girls are increasingly covered in  (symbolical) dirt, as the two black-clad angels of Alfonso and Despina lurk around and occasionally freezes the action. Those familiar with his Nozze di Figaro will immediately nod in recognition. However, really touching, it is never. And though the theatrical assemblances to both Nozze and Don G are obvious, it is not so obvious exactly what to make of them.
But a major revision it certainly is - I don´t remember having seen such fundamental changes in the conception and execution of a work between seasons before, compared to what is on the DVD this is a substantially different production.

As always with Guth, those prefering a bubbly comedy should look elsewhere, but judging from the big applause (as opposed to the booing when this production opened in 2009), the Salzburger audience seems to have learned  this lesson - after all Claus Guth initiated his Da Ponte cycle in 2006, which is now completed and all three Da Ponte operas may be seen at this years festival.
Curiously, a Japanese tourist continued to take photographs using his flash during the performance, which was quite annoying - I could see exactly who it was, and where he was seated (on the balcony, while I was on the parterre). Why someone didn´t stop this, I simply fail to understand. Germans/Austrians are not exactly known to restrain themselves when it comes to operatic etiquette. But perhaps too many tourists were present..

This time, it was not the Vienna Philharmonics playing, instead Marc Minkowski brought his Musiciens du Louvre in a fresh take on the score.

Vocally, Maria Bengtsson was disappointing - a slim voice with a nasal sound, shaky coloratura, strange shifts in tempo and seeming to hold somewhat back. Michele Losier, who will perform in Faust later this year in both London and New York, was a fine Dorabella, however the standout of the female cast was clearly Anna Prohaska, with superb Mozartean style and sense of characterization and crystal-clear singing. My guess: In five years she will be singing the Mozartean repertoire everywhere.

Among the males, both Bo Skovhus and Christopher Maltman brings weighty stage presence, though Maltman occasionally acts more than he sings. Also Alek Shrader seems on his way to more major assignments with convincing acting and unstrained vocalism.

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

Christopher Maltman: 4
Bo Skovhus: 4
Alek Shrader: 4
Maria Bengtsson: 3
Michele Losier: 4
Anna Prohaska: 5

Marc Minkowski: 4

Claus Guth: 3-4

Overall impression: 4

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

Salzburg 2009: Claus Guth with Cosí fan tutte

Cosi Fan Tutte. Salzburg Festival 2009. Production: Claus Guth. Conductor: Adam Fischer with the Vienna Philharmonics. Cast: Miah Persson (Fiordiligi), Isabel Leonard (Dorabella), Topi Lehtipuu (Ferrando), Florian Boesch (Guglielmo), Bo Skovhus (Don Alfonso), Patricia Petibon (Despina)

German director Claus Guth´s Mozart-Da Ponte trilogy was concluded at the 2009 Salzburg Festival with Cosí fan tutte featuring a starry cast including Miah Persson, Bo Skovhus, Isabel Leonard as well as Patricia Petibon. Adam Fischer conducts the Vienna Philharmonics.

Those familiar with Claus Guth´s previous work such as the psychoanalytic Nozze di Figaro, the Don Giovanni set amongst junkies in a wood in the middle of the night, the Ariadne who commits suicide on Naxos, Richard Wagners Tristan in love with Mathilde Wesendonck and a Walküre set in a miniature dolls house will know better than to expect a bubbly Mozartian comedy.

We are at the end of a party at the girls rather fancy loft apartment - all in white with the occasional African mask. Bo Skovhus´ menacing Don Alfonso sets the tone immediately: This is not comedy, but rather Claus Guth shows us the personal consequences of the partner swapping resulting in four disoriented people at the end and as the action gets darker a certain recycling of the 2008 Don Giovanni forest, which progressively enter the house.

Essential to the success of this production, singer-actors are cast in all parts, with not even one weak link. The girls take centre stage and both girls look and act fabulously with a genuine interaction not always seen. The velvety sound of Isabel Leonard mixes well with Miah Perssons elegant soprano. The boys are more anonymous, but still competent. Bo Skovhus neurotic style and commanding presence is just right for Don Alfonso combined with Patricia Petibon´s in every way excellent Despina completes an outstanding cast.

Adam Fischer conducts the Vienna Philharmonics and as always we are far from the period-inspired performances some (not me though) may prefer.

Report from New York Times.

Miah Persson and Isabel Leonard "Ah, guarda sorella":

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

Miah Persson: 5
Isabel Leonard: 5
Bo Skovhus: 5
Topi Lehtipuu: 4
Florian Boesch: 4

Adam Fischer: 4
Claus Guth: 5

Overall impression: 5

DVD: Salzburg Idomeneo with Harteros, Kozena, Siurina, Vargas

Idomeneo. Salzburg Festival 2006. Production: Ursel and Karl-Ernst Herrmann. Cast: Ramón Vargas (Idomeneo), Magdalena Kozena (Idamante), Ekaterina Siurina (Ilia), Anja Harteros (Elettra). Conductor: Sir Roger Norrington witht the Salzburger Camerata. Further information here.

Ursel and Karl-Ernst Herrmann has created a minimalistic staging using simple, bright colours, in which he stage extends in front of the orchestra. Thus the singers continually circle the stage appearing on all sides of the orchestra located in the middle. These sorts of minimalistic setting obviously leave ample space for the music to shine, however when as loosely directed as seems the case here, they also place great demands on the artists, as they are basically up there, entirely naked.

And in that respect, the protagonists range between fine and excellent.
Magdalena Kozena is vocally ideal as Idamante with her smooth and light, agile mezzo. On stage, however, she seems uncomfortable and her Idamante appears a hyperactive neurotic. Though, who know, he perhaps is a hyperactive neurotic? And in her scenes with Ekaterina Siurinas beautifully sung and stylishly acted Ilia they did appear convincingly in love. Notwithstanding the intrigues from Anja Harteros mightily impressive Elettra, to be heard below in her mad scene. As the only one, Ramón Vargas disappointed somewhat as a rather dry-sounding Idomeneo.

Vivacious accompaniment from Sir Roger Norrington and the Salzburger Camerata.

This is part of the Mozart22 collection, the DVD-recordings of Mozart´s entire operatic output to celebrate the 250th year of his birth at the 2006 Salzburg Festival.

Idamante (Magdalena Kozena), Non ho colpa:

Anja Harteros: D´Oreste, d´Ajace

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

Magdalena Kozena: 4
Ramón Vargas: 3
Anja Harteros: 4-5
Ekaterina Siurina: 5

Ursel and Karl-Ernst Herrmann´s staging: 4

Sir Roger Norrington: 4

Overall impression: 4

Posted by terezqa on YouTube

Salzburg 2006: A Mozart Gala

A Mozart gala. Salzburg Festival 2006. Soloists: René Pape, Michael Schade, Ekaterina Siurina, Thomas Hampson, Magdelena Kozena, Anna Netrebko, Patricia Petibon. Conductor: Daniel Harding with the Vienna Philharmonics. Further information and detailed programme here.

I suppose this is a case of: If you like this sort of thing, you will most definitely like this DVD..
And by this sort of thing I mean a glitzy gala concert with a bunch of star singers each performing one aria, including some orchestral padding.

The overall quality is impeccably high, however I have to admit, that no matter how perfectly brilliant the individual performances, I find these things tedious to watch.
That said, several of the performances were indeed perfectly brilliant (René Pape with the Catalogue Aria, Magdalena Kozená with "Parto, ma tu ben mio", Ekaterina Siurina with "Se il padre perdei") and none were less than fine. Anna Netrebko finished the singer´s part of the show with an engaging delivery of "D´Oreste, D´Ajace".

All engagingly accompanied by Daniel Harding, who finished the evening with a straight-on delivery of Mozart´s Prague Symphony (personally I would have preferred some more singing, however).

The occasion, of course, was the 250th anniversary of Mozart´s birth, which was celebrated at the Salzburg Festival in 2006 with DVD releases of his entire operatic output. As well as this gala concert from the Felsenreitschule.

Ekaterina Siurina "Il padre perdei" (Idomeneo):

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

If I liked this sort of thing: 5

Video by tenore23 on YouTube

DVD: Marthaler´s Salzburg Katia Kabanova

Katia Kabanova. Salzburg Festival 1998. Production: Christoph Marthaler. Cast: Angela Denoke (Katia Kabanova), David Kuebler (Boris), Jane Henschel (Kabanicha), Dagmar Peckova (Varvara). Conductor: Sylvain Cambreling with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. Further information here.

The trademark of Christoph Marthaler is to stage opera as the desolate stories of everyday life characters. Admittedly, it is a two-edged sword, as much of the appeal of opera is, in my opinion, related to providing contemporary relevance. The occasional problem with Marthaler, however, is that his idea of "everyday life" constitues an endlessly sad grey-shaded world of what looks like a closed Eastern European working class environment 30 years ago. He showed us this world with his Tristan and Isolde in Bayreuth earlier this year. And about a decade earlier, we still are in the same world, this time in his Salzburg Festival production of Janacek´s Katia Kabanova.

This Katia Kabanova takes place in an open interior courtyard in the middle of an apartment complex with nosy neighbours constantly following the action. Set in a desolate brown-grey Eastern-European environment in 30-40 years ago, obviously.
However, what didn´t really work out in Tristan and Isolde, works out rather brilliantly in Katia Kabanova. Isn´t this opera the epitome of desolate everyday life? The inability to break with conventions, even if that means to continue a loveless, desolate life is exactly what Christoph Marthaler captures in this staging.

Angela Denoke is a virtually ideal Katia for this sort of interpretation, looking and acting the part admirably apart from providing engaged, detailed singing. Which also applies to David Kuebler as Boris and Dagmar Peckova as Varvara. Jane Henschel´s Kabanicha would have made a much bigger impact had she had a stronger presence on stage.

Musically, Sylvain Cambreling provides a relative neutral and detailed reading, which I have diffictulty expressing much enthusiasm about, especially when previously exposed to the sumptuous readings of Sir Charles Mackerras.

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

Angela Denoke: 4-5
Dagmar Peckova: 4
David Kuebler: 4
Jane Henschel: 3

Christoph Marthaler´s staging: 5

Sylvain Cambreling: 3-4

Overall impression: 4

Salzburg 2003: David McVicar´s stellar Hoffmann

Les Contes d´Hoffmann. Salzburg Festival 2003. Production: David McVicar. Cast includes: Neil Schicoff (Hoffmann), Angelika Kirchschlager (Muse), Ruggero Raimondi (Villains), Waltraud Meier (Giulietta), Krassimira Stoyanova (Antonia). L´ubica Vargicová (Olympia). Conductor: Kent Nagano.

Unsurprisingly, David McVicar produced a tragic version of Hoffmann´s tales for the 2003 Salzburg Festival. Why write about this event 5 years later? It was shown on television, and if released on DVD, it will be first choice on the market, pushing Robert Carsen´s Paris version down to second place.

It is a very atmospheric staging, one of McVicar´s best. He succeeds brilliantly in capturing the essence of Hoffmann - provided one accepts his view of decadence and tragedy.

According to David McVicar, Hoffmann is an alcoholic and a looser. In the end, this Hoffmann simply dies, and the opera simply follows his death spiral. The imagery are slightly more glitzy aesthetical, but otherwise typical of David McVicar (Manon, Salome, Nozze, Rigoletto) portraying the fading elegance of a decaying society. On a related note, I though the naked muscular man with blood sprayed all over his back was a McVicar invention for his London Salome earlier this year. Not so. This man appears in the beginning of the Giulietta scene 5 years earlier in Salzburg...

Neil Schicoff is the perfect Hofmann for this sort of interpretation capturing the exact essence of desperation and tragedy as well as being vocally on top from. Accompanied by Ruggero Raimondi as the perfect villains, with the exact required undercurrent menacing presence. Vocally he may be past his prime, but not enough to make it matter: He still pulls of a scintillating Scintille Diamant. And looks excactly as I imagine the Villains to look.

Angelika Kirchschlager is quite simply the perfect Muse, here Hoffmann´s lover. As demonstrated by L´ubica Vargicová (surely one of the strangest names on the opera circuit) Olympia is not an easy part to bring off. Krassimira Stoyanova is a straight-foward, unsentimental and stylishly sung Antonia. And Waltraud Meier, though an unusual choice for Giulietta and slightly unusual sounding, nevertheless is entirely captivating as well as in fine voice.

My main reservation of this production, and unfortunately not a negligeable one, is Kent Nagano. Never the conductor of a dense romatic approach he choses a lighter reading, unfortunately not fitting David McVicar´s tragic approach, nor Offenbach´s sumptuous score.

Marjana Lipovsek, Kurt Rydl and Robert Tear had smaller parts in this much-too stellar cast not to warrant a DVD release....

As this is not commercially released, this obviously is no competition to the Carsen Paris DVD.

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

Neil Schicoff: 5
Angelika Kirchschlager: 5
Ruggero Raimondi: 5
L´ubica Vargicová: 3
Krassimira Stoyanova: 4
Waltraud Meier: 5

David McVicar: 5

Kent Nagano: 3-4

Overall impression: 4-5

DVD: Salzburg 2006 Don Giovanni

Don Giovanni. Grosses Festspielhaus, Salzburg Festival 2006. Production: Martin Kusej. Cast: Thomas Hampson (Don G), Ildebrando d´Arcangelo (Leporello), Christine Schäfer (Donna Anna), Melanie Diener (Donna Elvira), Isabel Bayrakdarian (Zerlina), Piotr Beczala (Don Ottavio), Luca Pisaroni (Masetto). Conductor: Daniel Harding with the Vienna Philharmonics. Further information here.

When Martin Kusej´s Don Giovanni opened in Salzburg, Anna Netrebko was Donna Anna with Nikolaus Harnoncourt on the podium. However, in 2006, Anna Netrebko and Nikolaus Harnoncourt performed in Nozze di Figaro next door, leaving the Donna Anna to Christine Schäfer and the podium to Daniel Harding in the Grosses Festspielhaus.

Set on a revolving white stage with multiple rooms, this Don Giovanni is about existential loneliness, emptiness, superficial sexuality and death. Don Giovanni is "a living hurricane of chaos and anarchy" who must "devour other people´s existence to prove his own worth" (Thomas Hampson). Semi-naked models parade as an amorphous mass. Very appropriately the "Deh vieni" is adressed to no-one (originally Don G sings this to Elvira´s maid) and when the song is over, the stage goes dark.
Such existence is not compatible within modern society, which is why Leporello kills him in the end, about 10 seconds before he would have died anyway, though. This Don Giovanni is someone you simply want to diesappear. However Leporello and Don Giovanni change recitatives as well as clothes - two of the same sort obviously.

Apart from the fact that I prefer a basso cantante as opposed to Thomas Hampson´s lyrical baritone, Don Giovanni is one of his best roles. While I find his work in repertoire such as Macbeth, Simon Boccanegra and Amfortas downright irritating, he seems much closer to his artistic core in this repertoire, also more suitable for his voice. Furthermore he is a superb actor and commands the stage.
Ildebrando D'Arcangelo as Leporello is energetic and looks great onstage, both of which goes a long way to compensate for the fact that his voice is not very pleasant.

Christine Schäfer is lighter than usual as Donna Anna, but very stylish. Melanie Diener was in more trouble as Donna Elvira, but neverthess fine. Isabel Bayrakdarian was superb as Zerlina, while Robert Lloyd was slightly more irritating than usual as the Commendatore. Piotr Beczala gets away with Don Ottavio without being irritating - not a small accomplishment.

Upon repeated viewing I must admit to tire of Daniel Harding´s reading - initially I found it dynamic, now I cannot help feeling he competes with Bertrand De Billy in presenting a Salzburg Don Giovanni with as few ideas as possible. You may not like all of Nikolaus Harnoncourt´s ideas. But at least he has plenty to chose from.

Musically, the best DVD is the Furtwängler performance, if one is up for watching the old film. If not, this is not a bad choice at all.

Thomas Hampson, Ildebrando D´Arcangelo: Orsu, spicciato presto

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

Thomas Hampson: 4
Ildebrando D´Arcangelo: 4
Christine Schäfer: 4
Melanie Diener: 3-4
Isabel Bayrakdarian: 4
Piotr Beczala: 4
Luca Pisaroni: 4

Martin Kusej´s production: 4
Daniel Harding: 3

Overall impression: 4

DVD: Solti Die Frau ohne Schatten

Die Frau Ohne Schatten. Salzburg Festival 1992. Director: Götz Friedrich. Cast: Cheryl Studer (Kaiserin), Thomas Moser (Kaiser), Robert Hale (Barak), Eva Marton (His Wife), Marjana Lipovsek (Amme), Bryn Terfel (Spirit Messenger). Conductor: Sir Georg Solti with the Vienna Philharmonics. Further information here.

If you ever consider buying a DVD solely for the sake of the conductor, this could be the one.

One may argue it doesn´t make sense as Sir Georg Solti has recorded Die Frau Ohne Schatten on CD with virtually the same cast. However, it does make a difference. The intensity of Sir Georg Solti and the Vienna Philharmonics in this live Salzburg Festival performance of Die Frau Ohne Schatten is simply unbeatable. His way with this score is unreal. The contrapuncts of the initial kei-ko-bad chords - one of the greatest opera openings of all time - immediately signal the greatness to come. Perhaps this is Sir Georg Solti´s finest achievement. I would not rule it out. The contrpunctual elements are emphasized as are the brass section, the energy level is immense throughout and as always with Sir Georg Solti: Straight-on and never sentimental. One of the truly great interpretations of any opera. Or rather: Of any work.

That said, Götz Friedrichs´s staging may offend very few, though neither traiditional or particularly inventive. The sets are abstract, but the story is told relatively straight-forward, with emphasis on the the parallel fantasy and human planes of the storyline.

Cheryl Studer, here in her prime, surely is the greates Empress since Leonie Rysanek and most unfortunately is replaced by Julia Varady (though fine) on the CD recording. Cheryl Studer has some fabulously floating high notes, though perhaps she may not be the most intense actress. Superb also Marjana Lipovsek as the Nurse. Eva Marton is seen in the early phases of her vocal breakdown. Barak´s Wife is one of the last recoredings she gets away with reasonably well. But no more than that.
Robert Hale, rather peculiar looking, is for once a true dramatic barytone and not the dramatic bass-barytone often seen in this part. He inhibits Barak´s character in a strange way, perhaps helped by him being so thin his collar bones are very prominent, rather fitting for a poor dyer having to carry his stuff to the market every day. Thomas Moser´s Kaiser (replaced by Plácido Domingo on the CD recording) is more forgettable. Furthermore, Bryn Terfel, at the beginning of his career, is seen in the small part of the Spirit Mesenger.

The only current alternative to this DVD is the curious Kabuki staging conducted by the superb (though not equally superb, in my opinion) Wolfgang Sawallisch.

This is Sir Georg Solti´s show.

Empress "Ach wehe mir":

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

Cheryl Studer: 5
Thomas Moser: 3
Marjana Lipovsek: 5
Eva Marton: 3
Robert Hale: 4

Götz Friedrich´s production: 5

Sir Georg Solti: 6

Overall impression: 4-5

DVD: Clemenza di Tito

Clemenza di Tito. Felsenreitschule, Salzburg Festival 2003. Director: Martin Kusej: Cast: Dorothea Röschmann (Vitellia), Michael Schade (Tito), Vesselina Kasarova (Sesto), Elina Garanca, Barbara Bonney. Conductor: Nikolaus Harnoncourt with the Vienna Philharmonics. Further information here.

Martin Kusej created a close to ideal staging of Mozart´s opera La clemenza di Tito for the Salzburg Festival 2003. Even those looking for a traditional Tito (which this is certainly not), I wouldn´t advise immediately to look elsewhere as the vocal performances are simply superb, in particular the casting of the central trio of Dorothea Röschmann-Vesselina Kasarova-Elina Garanca, which may stand any test of time.

Martin Kusej imaginatively incorporates the intrinsic stone arches of Salzburg´s Felsenreitschule in the sets as small spaces inhabited by the various characters, emphasizing the dark aspects of the work, such as isolation and betrayal. Otherwise the stage is virtually naked, to be lightened up by some spectacular light effects surrounding the fire/assassination attempt on Tito, predicably deemed superficial by the Austrian press.

Nikolaus Harnoncourt´s ideas may not be for everyone, but once you have heard a Mozart opera conducted by a conductor without ideas, most will come to appreciate any idea at all. As it is, I rather like Harnoncourt´s ideas, relatively slow tempi, though diverging from the norm to the degree of his Nozze di Figaro a couple of years later. The recitatives are exciting, not least due to the superb singing-actors.

Personally, I´ve never taken to trouser-roles in opera, however it´s hardly something to blame on the production or the artists. Nor that the second act seems to drag on quite a bit...

All six soloists are simply excellent: I cannot imagine a better pair of friends than Vesselina Kasarova and Elina Garanca. Elina Garanca sings mainly in the lower ranges as Annio and she is a very convincing trouser-role artist (as Octavian as well). The slight androgynity of Vesselina Kasarova I´ve always found curiously intriguing in trouser roles, and vocally she is nothing short of perfect. Dorothea Röschmann is the over-wrought Vitellia in a performance I simply cannot imagine being bettered. The chemistry between these three are unbeatable. In comparison with these great ladies, Michael Schade´s Tito seems slightly less exceptional, though it seems like he is supposed to be insane, which may obviously explain a bit.

I cannot imagine a better performance of Tito on DVD.

Sesto-Vitellia duet with Vesselina Kasarova and Dorothea Röschmann:

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

Dorothea Röschmann: 5
Vesselina Kasarova: 5
Michael Schade: 4
Elina Garanca: 5
Barbara Bonney: 3-4
Luca Pisaroni: 4-5

Martin Kusej´s production: 5

Nikolaus Harnoncourt: 5

Overall impression: 5

DVD: Pountney and Gergiev Turandot from Salzburg

Turandot. Grosses Festspielhaus, Salzburg Festival 2002. Director: David Pountney. Cast: Gabriele Schnaut (Turandot), Johan Botha (Calaf), Cristina Gallardo-Domas (Liu), Paata Burchuladze (Timur), Robert Tear (Emperor). Conductor: Valery Gergiev with the Vienna Philharmonics. Further information here.

In brief, director David Pountney dismisses of all kitsch in a spectacular staging of Turandot created for the 2002 Salzburg Festival.

David Pountney elaborates on the widespread fear of the 1920´s that technical advances would spin out of control resulting in the swallowing of individual into a massive grey mass.

The spectacular sets by Johan Engels gradually transforms an "inhuman state only capable of murdering" (Pountney) to one of humanity. Cogweels in motion span the entire stage width as well as the side of the orchestra pit. A technical world populated with robots and mechanical humans. Grotesque chinese mask represent the local colorite.
Turandot, trying to expel all human thoughts and feelings, hides on top of a 9 meter veil within a gigantic golden human head. This obviously crashes and brings her to stage level when Calaf solves the third riddle, frail-looking and in a white cloth.

The riddle scene is spectacular with Turandot placed high above a blood-red graveyard within the golden head an with the almost equally high positioned robots of the Emperor and the Mandarin, his mouth piece at the front. Turandot´s change to compassionate human being seems finally complete upon washing the dead body of Líu. It all ends in social utopia - everyone shred their masks and the instruments of torture are discarded.

As most will know, Puccini didn´t complete the opera before his death and here Berio´s new 2001 ending is used, which has the major advantage of Berio not trying to adopt a pseudo-Puccini language not his. A very and sincere ending to Turandot, vastly preferably to Alfano´s version, in my opinion.

Gabriele Schnaut gets reasonably away with Turandot. That Johan Botha is not really suited to staged theatre is not new and here he seems strained in the top as well. Cristina Gallardo-Domas is a very sincere Líu, who unfortunately comes with a rather unpleasant vibrato. Paata Burchuladze gets away with Timur only because the part is not very challenging.

Valery Gergiev is most of all very loud. There is not much else to say about him in what is far from his finest hour.

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

Gabriele Schnaut: 4
Johan Botha: 2
Cristian Gallardo-Domas: 3

David Pountney´s staging: 5

Valery Gergiev: 3

Overall impression: 4

DVD: Damnation de Faust from Salzburg with Fura del Baus

Le damnation de Faust. Salzburg Festival, Felsenreitschule 2ooo. Director: Fura del Baus. Cast: Paul Groves (Faust), Willard White (Méphistophéles), Vesselina Kasarova (Marguerite). Conductor: Sylvain Cambreling with the Staatskapelle Berlin. Further information here.

When this staging of Berlioz´ Damnation de Faust by the Catalán theater troupe Fura del Baus opened at the 1999 Salzburg Festival it was rapturously received by press and audiences alike.

And indeed Fura del Baus has created a staggeringly spectacular and grandiose production, in in one of the best operatic stagings I have encountered.

A gigantic transparent cylinder is placed center stage in and around which most of the action takes place. The cylinder is a melting furnace. From the accompanying booklet we learn that Faust, like everyone else, daily empties his psychic substance (the milk cylinder on his back) in the cylinder, advancing to a suicide attempt when he, during a total eclipse throws himself into it. Through a connecting tube of the cylinder the re-forged Faust meets his shadow, Méphistopheles. Méphistopheles and Faust are unseparable, like night and day, confusing Faust´s real and fragile soul (Marguerite). As she is Faust´s soul, Faust is forced to make a pact with Méphistophéles to rescue her, when she flees from the unlikely pair. Méphistophéles and Faust then plunge into the melting furnace - Faust accepts his shadow side - Méphistophéles has won.

State of the art cybertechniques are used to astonishing effects. The backdrop consists the intrinsic arches of the Felsenreitschule, extraordinarily successfully integrated into the stage. Shatteringly beautiful and powerfully symbolic.

Sylvain Cambreling has received much praise for his conducting. Slightly surprising to me, as I find he lacks the powerful and dense reading capable of revealing the full depth of the score.

Willard White is a superb Méphistophéles - if only it had been an acting role. As one of less than a handful of singers around, he has the necessary Méphistophélean authority. Vocally, however, he unfortunately competes with the greatest basso cantantes in history, and while he does the declamatory parts well, I miss the beautiful voice in parade arias such as the Serenade ("Maintenant chantons..) and the Aria ("Voici des Roses").

Paul Groves is a lyrical Faust, appropriately overpowered by Willard White, especially dramatically. Vesselina Kasarova has a sort of androgyne air to her appearance, which makes her particularly intriguing as the black Marguerite, Faust´s soul.

In my opinion, it is simply not possible to mount a better staged production of Damnation de Faust. If only this production could be copied and pasted into Gounod´s Faust it would be absolutely revelatory.

The epilogue (Remonte au ciel ame naive):

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

Paul Groves: 4
Willard White: 4
Vesselina Kasarova: 4

Fura del Baus´ concept: 5

Sylvain Cambreling: 4

Overall impression: 5

DVD: Henze´s L´Upupa

L'Upupa und der Triumph der Sohnesliebe. Salzburg Festival 2003. Production: Dieter Dorn. Cast: John Mark Ainsley (The Demon), Matthias Görne (Kasim), Laura Aikin (Badi´at el-Hosn wal Dschamal), Hanna Schwarz (Malik), Alfred Muff (Kasim´s father). Conductor: Markus Stenz with the Vienna Philharmonics. Further information here.

Hans Werner Henze was primarily inspired by the upupas (hoopoes) flying above his olive grove and furthermore felt very close to Mozart during the composition of what he “knew would be his last work for stage” according to the booklet. Not so, as documented by his Phaedra of last season. L'Upupa and the Triumph of Filial Love was commissioned by the Salzburg Festival 2003.

Hans Werner Henze was also responsible for the libretto for this “German comedy in 11 tableaus” – a mix of 1001 Nights and The Magic Flute based on half-imaginary Arab and Persian legends.

We are introduced to the good Prince Kasim (the oriental Tamino) burdened by two useless brothers. Kasim travels the world to bring his father a golden bird – the hoopoe (upupa in Italian). During his adventures, he falls in love with a princess, Badi´at .. etc. etc. (the oriental Pamina), held captive by Dijab (the oriental Sarastro), to whom the Princess even says “Herr, ich bin zwar Verbrecherin”, when she is caught trying to escape. However, the oriental Sarastro is an even better man than Schikaneder´s and sets the pair of lovers free immediately.
In all this, Kasim has secured the help of a curious Demon (closer to an oriental Papageno than a Méphistopheles). The black-tattoed Demon comes in handy when Prince Kasim´s useless brothers finally throw him and the Princess into a well. Finally justice prevails and the brothers are expelled from their fathers realm after a situation involving a magic chest with malicious gnomes. Prince Kasim is now theoretically able to marry his princess, however to fulfil a promise to the Demon he has to set out again, leaving the Princess behind with his father as well as leaving the end of the story open.

For those looking for deeper meanings, the best bet evolves around Henze´s exploring of the various kinds of love: Between family, friends, spouses and also for the arts (represented by the symbolic bird, which refuses to be held captive).

The Demon is by a considerable margin the most interesting character in the opera and is given a striking portrayal by John Mark Ainsley. Matthias Goerne sings beautifully as the saintly Kasim, an extraordinarily boring character by Henze´s hand. Matched by the slightly less boring Princess Badieat el-Hosn in Laura Aikin´s fine interpretation. The excellent Hanna Schwarz is seen in a small trousers role and Alfred Muff is equally convincing as Prince Kasim´s father.

The staging is by Dieter Dorn, using a virtually naked stage, evoking the Arab wold with very few symbols and bright colours.

Hans Werner Henze´s soundworld is unmistakably his own and despite the massive orchestral apparatus (quadruple wind, seveal pianos, five percussionists) as well as taped sounds of beating wings etc., there is an almost chamber-like clarity to his music and a very slim soundworld is created, perhaps intentionally, mimicking the Singspiel genre. Which is probably the main reason I will never love this work, though I admire it. The music is clearly not simple, though it may seem so on the surface.

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

John Mark Ainsley: 5
Matthias Goerne: 4
Laura Aikin: 4

Dieter Dorn´s staging: 4

Markus Stenz: 4

Overall impression: 4