None other than Oscar-winner Christoph Waltz has been engaged for the stage direction of the new production of Fidelio from the Theater an der Wien. There, at one of the oldest opera houses in Vienna, L.v. Beethoven was what one would call today a composer-in-residence. In his third opera production Waltz brilliantly stages the second version of the opera in the breathtaking set designed by the German-American architectural practice Barkow Leibinger. The abstract staircase landscape in the form of a double helix, symbolizing prison, extends space into the back theatre and is infinitely changeable in the cinematic lighting concept of Hollywood regular Henry Braham. Manfred Honeck at the rostrum of the dynamic Wiener Symphoniker leads a superb and versatile cast of “vocally oustanding“ (Der Standard) singers: Nicole Chevalier bewitches vocally and dramatically on her stage debut as Leonore, Eric Cutler gives Florestan a powerful voice. Christof Fischesser, Gábor Bretz, Mélissa Petit complete the strong ensemble. But the production, which was sold out months before, never saw its stage premiere, as the Theater an der Wien sadly had to shut down due to the Covid 19 pandemic a few days before. Thanks to an incredible effort by all participants, the opera house was converted into a film studio at short notice so that Christoph Waltz’s “convincing production” (Die Zeit) of Beethoven‘s flaming musical plea for freedom and humanity could be preserved for posterity. “An ingenious, enigmatic direction” (Münchner Merkur)
Werther
The lyrical drama Werther, based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s novel, remains Jules Massenet’s best known stage work to this day. Piotr Beczala in the title role “impresses with his bomb-proof technique, free high notes and intelligent interpretation. The tenoral highlight of the evening – “Pourquoi me reveiller” – shone with a palette of tonal colours and offered an ideal combination of power and emotion” (bachtrack.com). Werther’s love Charlotte is sung by Gaëlle Arquez. Her “soulful mezzo is finely timbred, buzzing and blazing” (Wiener Zeitung). “Bertrand de Billy leads the orchestra thrillingly through this wonderful work, dramatic, then delicately lyrical, highly differentiated, full of sound.” (Kurier)
Le nozze di Figaro
Directed by Alfred Dorfer and Kateryna Sokolova, the Theater an der Wien presented an abridged, concentrated Corona version of Mozart’s “Le nozze di Figaro”, the first part of the successful collaboration between Mozart and Da Ponte. Alongside Robert Gleadow as the “outstanding Figaro” (Der Standard) and the “fabulous Austrian bass-baritone Florian Boesch” (nmz.de) as Almaviva, the orchestra, Concentus Musicus Wien, plays the leading role: “This orchestra is ideal for Mozart, because the combination of historical performance practice and the highest interpretative quality is in a class of its own.” (bachtrack.com)
Rusalka
“The public surrenders to Asmik Grigorian”, wrote Spanish newspaper El Español enthusiastically about the premiere of Antonín Dvorák’s lyric fairy tale “Rusalka” and continued: “Fine cinnamon. Unforgettable. What a great Rusalka we have for the future!” Grigorian perfectly embodies the role of the water nymph who becomes a human in order to find love, but then loses all hope when her prince is seduced by a sensual princess. Stage director Christof Loy tells the story as a fascinating journey of a young woman into life. Thanks to Teatro Real’s music director Ivor Bolton, the whole production is of an immense quality, combining the romantic lyricism with a dark and terrifying musical atmosphere.
La cambiale di matrimonio
The Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro brings a delightful new production of Rossini’s early work La cambiale di matrimonio (The Marriage Promissory Note) on stage. Particularly noteworthy is the excellent young cast, mainly young singers from the Pesaro-based Accademia Rossiniana, one of the most successful talent factories in Italy. “Giuliana Gianfaldoni, Carlo Lepore, Davide Giusti, Iurii Samoilov, as well as Pablo Gálvez and Martiniana Antonie in the smaller parts please with lean, profound voices and a mature ensemble performance that can only be achieved with careful rehearsal work”, applauds Der Tagesspiegel. Rossini’s comic farce is stylistically audibly influenced by Mozart, rich in beautiful melodies and ensemble scenes, but with his lively parlando style and several strettas already a typical Rossini. The 42-year-old Russian Dmitry Korchak, who is also a regular Rossini tenor in Pesaro, appeared here for the first time on the conductor’s podium, outstanding above all his handling of the recitatives. Laurence Dale, who came to Pesaro for the first time as a stage director, also provides an appealing aesthetic. “A truly outstanding ensemble” Das Opernglas
Fidelio
Der Rosenkavalier
Multimedia artist André Heller makes his highly anticipated debut as stage director at the Berlin State Opera with Richard Strauss’ tragicomic Rosenkavalier and the critics are full of praise: “With his staging of Rosenkavalier André Heller sets a monument to flawlessness” (Die Zeit). Master conductor Zubin Mehta leads the fantastic orchestra of the Staatskapelle Berlin and a “cast of singers, above all with Camilla Nylund and Günther Groissböck, which is unsurpassable – a Rosenkavalier with a dream cast” (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung). “One has hardly ever seen a more splendid, elegant and opulent Rosenkavalier” (Süddeutsche Zeitung)
The Beethoven Marathon
It was the sensation in the run-up to the Beethoven Year 2020: The complete Beethoven Symphony Cycle with the Danish Chamber Orchestra and its chief conductor Ádám Fischer. Renowned awards followed quickly: The CD set was named International Classical Music Award’s Recording of the Year 2020 and won the Opus Klassik as the best Symphonic recording / music 19th century. With their witty and volatile performances, Fischer and the DCO amaze the audience and set new standards for the critics – and are now available, recorded in Jean Nouvel’s stunning Koncerthuset in Copenhagen.
RCO: Nelsons conducts Beethoven and Skrjabin
Andris Nelsons is leading the Concertgebouworkest in a programme dedicated to the intriguing mythological figure of Prometheus. He is conducting “Prométhée, le poème du feu”, a large-scale symphonic poem by Skrjabin scored not just for symphony orchestra, but also for piano and chorus, while a light organ provides colours to accompany the music. In the only ballet Beethoven ever wrote, “Die Geschöpfe des Prometheus”, Prometheus imparts art and civilisation to mankind. The conflict between the masses and a leader forms the basis of Brett Dean’s trumpet concerto “Dramatis personae”, which culminates in an exciting dialogue between soloist Håkan Hardenberger and the Concertgebouworkest. PROGRAM Beethoven: Die Geschöpfe des Prometheus; Skrjabin: Prométhée, le poème du feu; Dean: Dramatis personae
Sir András Schiff in Weimar
In the classical city of Weimar, where his great compatriot Franz Liszt once worked, Sir András Schiff, who was knighted in 2014, devoted himself to three of his “great loves”: Bach, Beethoven and Schubert. The setting could not have been more fitting: For the first time, it was possible for a production to record a piano recital at the Anna Amalia Library in Weimar. PROGRAM Bach: Capriccio on the departure of a beloved brother in B flat major, BWV 992; Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 15 in D major, Op. 28 “Pastoral”; Schubert: Three Late Piano Pieces , D. 946, Hungarian Melody in B minor, D. 817