Operas and Singers

In the last 2 months, I have been very lucky to see some amazing opera performances in Vienna and Dresden. I want to blog about them, more for my memory´s benefit than for your interest, so if you don´t care for opera at all, then feel free to skip reading this post! Even though I have already written briefly about the Vienna operas, I want to record the names of some of the performers and something about the productions to help me remember them better (and before I lose the cast list from inside the programmes!)

Firstly, there was Don Giovanni in Vienna at the Volksoper. Not much to say about this (apart from the fact that I missed the first half due to an embarrassing mix up with my ticket). Not a very notable performance. In fact I´m a bit glad I didn´t see it all.

Secondly, there was Rigoletto at the Vienna State Opera. Incredible. The whole city seemed particularly interested in this performance as the tenor playing the Duke was ill and a replacement tenor was making his debut at the State Opera (Unfortunately, I didn´t get his name). He did quite a nice job, too. I saw his second performance which was apparently much more relaxed than his first. The highlights were definitely Paolo Gavanelli as Rigoletto and Desiree Rancatore as Gilda. Both with absolutely magnificent voices. The design of the opera house is circular and has an open pit, meaning the orchestra sound is incredible. The singers must have enormous voices to be heard above the orchestra, though the circular design would help a little (though it doesn´t help the people on the sides see the stage - as mentioned in my previous post, my seat had limited access to the left side of the stage which is where all the action took place). The production itself was very traditional with period costumes and sets.

The final opera in Vienna was Tosca, which I have already raved about. The production was also very traditional with amazing, lavish costumes and sets and it is such a terrific opera. Eszter Sumegi played Tosca and I am fairly sure that this was the best singing I have ever heard live (though it could be rivalled by a more recent experience). Vincenzo La Scola as Cavaradossi had a shaky start (a cracked note in the first act) but sang the third act excellently (especially his big number) and the replacement Scarpia was Lucio Gallo, with a magnificent strong Baritone voice.

This month, I have been living very close to the Dresden Semperoper and was very lucky to get cheap standing room tickets to 3 different operas while here. I had read that you often had to book months ahead for tickets, so was very happy to walk into the box office on the day of performances and be able to get a ticket!

My first Dresden opera was Der Freischutz by Weber (the composer was in charge of the Dresden Semperoper from 1817 which makes it even more significant to see this piece here - though it was premiered in Berlin) I will admit that it´s really not my favourite opera, with a very silly plot about magic bullets and I wasn´t a big fan of the staging which was on a minimalist set with huge religious overtones (a giant cross is given to the hero at the end of this production) As the opera was sung in German with no subtitles or translations available (not even an english synopsis in the programme!) it was quite difficult to follow. It sounded great, though, especially the enormous chorus who shuffled on stage, stood and sang a lot with some funny staged gestures and shuffled off again several times. The visual highlight was the Wolf´s gorge scene which featured a giant smoking skull centre stage. The singing was good, but didn´t stand out as exceptional and I didn´t get the programme with the names of the singers. Possibly most notable was that the girl playing Annchen, who was extremely short (possibly a dwarf) with a huge, bright, appealling voice.

The second Semperoper visit was for Hansel and Gretel on Boxing Day with my friend Rita. Again, the standing room tickets were extremely cheap (5 Euro!!) and there is a quite comfortable rail to lean on and a great view of the stage. The plot was much easier to follow, although again, the production was quite contemporary - a bit of a cross between Into the Woods and a shadow puppet show. The shadow work during the overture was really cool and the dance later in the opera with their "shadows" was also a nice touch. The forest scenes were nightmarish (and similar to the VCA production of Into the Woods last year?!?!) and quite bizarre with Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, Snow White and the 7 Dwarves, lots of angels sliding (literally) in from heaven and a turtle that I really didn´t understand. Maybe the German children in the audience understood better? The singing was again good, though the music is not my favourite (again!) and I suspect (but am not sure) that the same short girl from Freischutz was playing Gretel. Again, I didn´t buy a programme to get the singers´ names.

My most recent night at the opera wasn´t a full performance, unfortunately. Tristan und Isolde by Wagner is one of my favourite operas and, as it is so long, it started at 5pm. I had to work at 9pm, so had to leave in the second interval and missed all of Act 3 which has some of the best moments of the score, so I was disappointed to leave. The production was beautiful, staged on a giant diamond-shape with 2 rear walls that opened in various places to create lots of different interesting shapes on stage and was surrounded by a translucent screen when the lovers drank the potion creating lots of beautiful lighting effects. The other great moment was when the diamond elevated to a steep angle during the love duet in Act 2. By far the highlight, though was Waltraud Meier, a famous Wagnerian soprano, singing Isolde. Her voice is so fresh and appealling, but also strong and dramatic and her singing sounds and looks effortless - remarkable considering the size and volume of the orchestra playing from an open pit! I was blown away by her performance and need to find some of her CDs (this could be the performance that rivals Eszter Sumegi as the best live singing I´ve ever heard). Georg Zeppenfeld playing King Mark was the other outstanding singer. A rich bass voice that filled the opera house with gorgeous sound. Alfons Eberz as Tristan didn´t really appeal to me, but perhaps his epic scenes in the 3rd act would have convinced me had i been able to stay.

Hopefully I will get to the opera in Prague this week also - La Traviata is playing on the 3rd January...