a fine bromance
Some of you cher public will no doubt see the pendulum as swinging too far in the other direction, but La Cieca finds this particularly convincing and exciting deptiction of the relationship between Don Giovanni and Leporello a refreshing change of pace after the listless staging of Mozart’s masterpiece currently in the Met’s repertory. The men are Simon Keenlyside and Kyle Ketelsen; they are eventually joined by Veronique Gens as Donna Elvira.
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/rJ9ZkPBV5-A" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]
What a mess! No wonder the European theatre unions are perpetually on strike.
Actually, this Calixto Bieto production from the Liceu and the 2008 Salzburg production by Claus Guth (which share certain similarities in the dramaturgy) may prove to be landmark stagings for modern adult audiences from which one cannot easily return to traditional conceptions. These are NOT Eurotrash.
“Eccellente Marzimino” out of a carton! Genius!
I saw this at ENO a while ago, and found it not only convincing, but also quite moving at times.
Where is this from? Keenlyside, Ketelsen, and Gens are very good, but the interpreters at ENO, though far inferior singers, were better at giving the impression of suburban degradation. These are a tad too patrician. At ENO the Elvira was a fat, short teenager with an obvious eating disorder: during “Mi tradi’” she stuffed her face with candies, which looked more convinving with that singer (forget the name) than with tall, elegant Gens.
Ah, Liceu, thanks Quanto, we were posting together. I agree, this is not Eurotrash (though there are many so-called innovative productions from European houses which are boringly repetitive). Zeffirelli is far trashier…
Great to see V̩ronique Gens in this РI love her beautiful, romantic, nineteenth century look, even in trousers, and the voice is still gorgeous. Thanks for posting!
I just don’t get it/ why? These stories work as told. Why this animal house frat party?
In the case of this production, one should see the whole thing to understand that it is very well thought out, shocking at times and performed with total commitment to the concept. There are also appropriate and interesting ornaments and appoggiaturas throughout.
For example, from this clip one has no idea why Leporello is looking in the trunk of the Mercedes.
And if you think Veronique Gens is beautiful, wait untl you see the Donna Anna in this production.
Giorgio Tozzi should be very proud of his student Kyle Kettleson, who is building such a beautiful international career
I find it boring and ponderous. This is certainly nothing new as this kind of staging has been attempted elsewhere many times. The music is having to take a back seat to the presentation which is never a good thing and the voices clearly do not get presented well. Keenlyside doesn’t sound as if he should be singing Giovanni from this clip. I don’t think this production does him any favors.
Seconded, T1. I’m all in favour of updatings if they’re tough and focused – viz Deborah Warner’s Don G at Glyndebourne – but this was tedious. I left after the first act at ENO, when it was badly cast and conducted first time around. The finale, which far from differentiating between three groups as the supposedly onstage orchestras do, had the crowd jigging listlessly around in a drugged haze, seemed to go on forever. Don G Act 1 Finale dull? Something wrong there.
Besides, Bieito is tiresomely contemptuous about opera and doesn’t understand or care about the music. A far cry from the likes of Richard Jones, love him or hate him.
PS Ich bin der Regie Goodfornought, kein Hoody – mein Schuld.