The mirror in the man
This production of Der Rosenkavalier (directed by Stefan Herheim for Staatstheater Stuttgart) looks fascinating:
Am Schluss sitzen die Feldmarschallin links, der Faninal rechts in der Loge und schauen milde, verstört, verletzt auf das jugendliche Paar Octavian-Sophie. Sie schicken sich ins Unvermeidliche – sie warten auf den Tod. Andere suchen ihn selbst: Pan an der Rampe schlingt die Splitterreste der silbernen Rose herunter, verblutet zu den für sie symbolhaft stehenden, verschränkten gleißenden Akkorden, die Honeck körperlos starr, eiskalt nebeneinander gesetzt spielen lässt. Ein letztes Zucken zu Strauss’ finalen Scherzotakten besiegelt: Pans Spiel ist aus. Der Sexus tot. [Stuttgareter Zeitung]
According to George Loomis in the New York Times, “bravos easily drowned out a few boos for the production team” for this Rosenkavalier, in contrast to the “essentially traditional Boccanegra” (by Federico Tiezzi, starring Placido Domingo), which “was roundly booed” in Berlin.
What kind of person would see a tenor sing a baritone role and then boo? You get what you pay for. Only someone who actually planned to boo would do that.
Not everyone needs to learn that “less is more”, but I think Herheim definitely does. That said, there’s some very evocative costuming and ideas in there.
Javier, they’re probably booing the production, being as they’re Berliners, and the idea of playing something straight is downright blasphemous to many.
javier, Domingo’s name was mentioned here only to identify the production, which most of us have read about by now. The clear implication in Loomis’s fine review was that the booing was for the production team, not for the tenor.
To be honest I didn’t read it, I skimmed and saw “boo”…”Domingo”.
this looks spec-freakin-tacular.
if Peter Gelb is such a fucking genius and is so committed to urgent, thoughtful theater at the Met he should be hiring this gaudy, brilliant Herheim in NYC
saying this without having actually seen this production, however
I’d want to see the scenes excerpted here in context before writing off (or writing on) this production. This clip, however, leaves me confused and bored.
ha ha ha, rivaled my own rosenkavalier, where i sang the final duett alone
Goodness Wernato – at first I thought it was Imelda Marcos! Love the Izzy look alike in the background though.
Wenarto, your voice is as fearless as your supernumeraries are hot.
Anyone else out there think Stefan Herheim looks kinda cute?? Chances are, he’s probably “one of us”.
George Loomis is gold.
The opening shots look like something from the Cunning Little Rosen-Vixen.
Despite his sporadic successes, here’s one of the original regie bullshitters:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH04Lw3WeJA
oops:
QPF – I am seeing the Konwitschny Salome later this month – with Annalena Persson. I am very curious. His Daphne a few years back was really great.
Is it possible that Domingo is singing all of his Boccanegra lines one octave too high? Drop everything an octave and he’ll sound more like a baritone.
poof! Amen.
Domingo is placing his Boccanegra exactly where it needs to be for HIS voice. He is sounding wonderful during the Berlin run. The George Loomis NYT review of 3 November 2009 tells it like it is: “The rub, of course, is that Boccanegra is a baritone role and Mr. Domingo a tenor. Does this do violence to Verdi’s design? Hardly. Mr. Domingo’s noble performance establishes Boccanegra as one of those rare roles where stature transcends voice type. Purely vocal display is foreign to it; it even lacks a conventional aria. One of Boccanegra’s most arresting moments comes during the great council chamber scene when he addresses the city’s opposing factions. Yes, the sound of a richly resonant baritone is always welcome, but Mr. Domingo’s burnished tone was deeply moving when urging peace and love. In sterling form throughout, he brought a deft touch to the final word, “figlia” (daughter), of the recognition duet with Amelia, a problematic moment for baritones.”
Sophie, I don’t think we are in Kansas anymore.
I imagine being booed in Berlin nowadays is quite a compliment.
One has to admire someone who is such an admirer of the Satyricon, Dante’s Inferno, Midsummernight’s Dream and The Wizard of Oz that he wants to see them all together in the same place.
THIS LOOKS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I´M SOOOOOOOOOOOO GOING TO STUTTGART!!!!!