Guillermo García Calvo / Reviews

Most crucial to the evening’s success was Diego Martin-Etxebarria, Chemnitz’s principal resident conductor, who expertly marshalled Verdi’s marches and choruses while highlighting subtleties of orchestration in between. The Met’s monumental, literal-minded “Aida” has accustomed me not to think too much about Verdi’s final grand opera; the team in Chemnitz goes considerably deeper.

Ein Ring, vier Regisseurinnen: Verena Stoiber überzeugt zum Auftakt mit einem durchdachten und zutiefst menschlichen „Rheingold“. (...) Nur theoretisch macht es skeptisch: Will man als Frau engagiert werden, weil man eine Frau ist? Will man als Zuschauerin darauf gestoßen werden, dass der „weibliche“ Blick ein anderer ist, der männliche hingegen der Normalfall? Praktisch ist es offenbar sinnvoll und erforderlich, und der Chemnitzer Auftakt gab dem dortigen Intendanten Christoph Dittrich ohnehin recht. Lange kein so durchdachtes, gewitztes und ausgefeiltes „Rheingold“ gesehen wie das von Verena Stoiber.

The Chemnitz Opera and Richard Wagner have long had a close connection. There were spectacular productions of the "Ring of the Nibelung", which were sometimes more historical, sometimes with very feminine connotations and were staged exclusively by female directors. This so-called women's “Ring” was almost crowned with a “Götterdämmerung” directed by Elisabeth Stöppler , who was honored with the “Faust” theater prize for her view. It's no wonder that the director, who lives in Dresden, has now been invited back to Chemnitz for a Wagner production, in order to do a completely different major work by the master: "Tristan and Isolde". So from world fire to love drama - where exactly Elisabeth Stöppler's direction should lead this time, however, remained open for the time being. In any case, it didn't go to the locations specified in Wagner's libretto, not to Cornwall, not to Kareol and actually not to the high Irish Sea. But for the first act in the closed narrows a submarine, then in the drawing room of a noble country house, which should of course represent the court of King Marke, and finally in Tristan's death room, which looked much more like his boyhood pad with posters from Rambo and Rocky on the walls, with a shelf full of knick-knacks, including ship models and war toys, even a tank, and of course the film poster for "Das Boot", which visually closed the circle at the beginning and said a lot about the character of this Tristan . reinterpretation of the piece Chemnitz was given a new interpretation of this material about the king's daughter Isolde, who Tristan is supposed to bring to his master, King Marke, as a bride, but beforehand she has fallen for her because of a love potion they had shared together. Above all, Elisabeth Stöppler has delivered a highly interesting psychological reinterpretation of the characters. The play has an important prehistory, the duel between Tristan and Morold, Isolde's first fiancé. When she learns that Tristan killed him, of all people, whom she nursed back to health because she didn't know the story, she swears deadly revenge on him. A death potion should help to kill Tristan and thus avoid marriage to King Marke himself. So murder and suicide. But Brangäne, Isolde's confidante, prevents this by giving the two a love potion. And then fate takes its course. Tristan and Isolde have fallen for each other, Marke feels betrayed, his confidante Melot betrays Tristan, who has to flee badly injured, is cared for by his friend Kurwenal and finally dies after a last reunion with Isolde. Interesting possible interpretations Here, however, the question remains open as to whether there really was a physical reunion or whether everything was going on insanely in Tristan's head? Elisabeth Stöppler tried to interpret the opera and its staff very psychologically, thereby asking the audience more questions than they answered. However, it did offer interesting possible interpretations. An interpretation that is always more impressive and lasting because it will be remembered. Of course, some inconsistent details should also contribute to this, which of course cannot be resolved. True to the text, the submarine sang about setting sails and pistols were played everywhere, and then shots were fired, although Wagner always talks about swords. In addition, one could be amazed that "Melot struck the wound", which Tristan inflicted himself with a pistol shot. Last but not least, his constant preoccupation with a yo-yo seemed strange, questionable - or freely interpretable. What should be expressed or even compensated for? The ups and downs of human life, the transience of time? Anyone who sees this as contradictory could certainly have a problem with this way of dealing. But an artistic freedom can also be seen in it, which has been implemented quite magnificently by all the soloists. The director drew very precise personality profiles.

The production of the late Herbert Wernicke is based on a circular platform in the center of which, in "El amor brujo", is the cantaora Esperanza Fernándezand elements of eternal Spain parade: the guitarist, the bullfighter, the Nazarenes and also the fire, through the flares emitted in the magnificent and full of haunting ritual dance, the stones that surround the circular stage. In "La vida breve" the same scenography is maintained that, intelligently, becomes the scene of Carmela and Paco's wedding party where the regista shows skill in scenic movement and good direction of actors. During the interlude prior to act II, the cantaora recites some verses that do not appear in the work and that disturb the enjoyment of Falla's magnificent orchestration. In the end, after Salud's death and the last orchestral chord, flowers rain down and the cantaora reappears to join the other victim of love,

'Katiuska' is the first work for the scene that Pablo Sorozábal composed, thus giving the composer a turn from symphonic to lyric music. His gifts, not only for the orchestra and melody, but also for the stage, made him the center of the last stage in the history of zarzuela. The fineness of the music stands out from the first scene, an elegant orchestration, good concert performers, intense and varied romances, as well as a collection of dance performances and comic or exotic numbers typical of the operetta genre.

Emilio Gutiérrez Caba, belonging to a glorious line of actors and who made the introductions to each act at the height of what can be expected from this actor with a long and glittering career. Maite Beaumont's timbre , clear and sopranil in color, as well as just flow, lacks any particular appeal and rich timbre, but the singer is elegant and musical with a phrasing that is more careful than contrasted. Likewise, the Navarrese singer rightly dodged the agility of bel canto fliación required in many moments on her part, especially in her solo "I'm not a favorite." For her part, Nancy Fabiola Herrera, with a darker color and greater definition of mezzo, it wore well turned phrasing with the usual musical background. One of the great moments of the opera is the great duet between the two mezzo in the second act "I have to talk to you" that seals the break between Farinelli and Beatriz. The timbre of the young Mexican tenor Leonardo Sánchez is attractive, as can be seen in his beautiful romanza of act one sung with the appropriate lyrical effusion and youthful outburst, although apart from the improvement in the technical aspect it is wide and proof of this were those tensions in his promotions to the sharp fringe. The role of Jorge, Farinelli's father, a character who starts out strongly, gradually fades to regain prominence at the end of the play, was played by the Brazilian baritone Rodrigo Esteves - whom I saw another 22 years ago star in the same venue. of the operas of Breton, The Lovers of Teruel - with its genuinely lyrical timbre, but sonorous and well projected, as well as incisive accents.

A huge work by the narrator, the soloists and the orchestra (also the choir, despite the fact that the distance and the mask prevent us from fully enjoying it) is presupposed when one is missing neither costumes nor decorations; and that the libretto, even if it is well written, does not have much in particular. Here there are the usual conflicts, marriageable girls, recalcitrant masturbation, love affairs, heartbreak and, above all, a lot of humor. A pretext, we would say, to make unique and very varied music. Maestro Luna plays many styles, which reminds us of Falla as well as George Gershwin, and takes us from habaneras to cancán, passing through fandango and waltz. The Orchestra of the Community of Madrid is masterful, skilfully commanded by a Guillermo García Calvo with a wide sound and efficient rhythm. The music asked for a stable pulse and a lively rhythm, and most of the time it was Javier Franco's turn to face the songs that were more rhythmically committed. The Galician baritone does not lack tables to come out of the challenge gracefully, and project a rigorous and credible character, even when they were seen with low registers that perhaps would have benefited from a slightly less exultant orchestral accompaniment. Lola Casariego played the widowed Marchioness with correction, and she was solvent and balanced in the interventions with Javier Franco. On the other side, the daughters of the Marquesa, Isabel and Cristina, played by Lucía Tavira and Miren Urbieta-Vega, along with their suitors and sycophants. The tenor Andeka Gorrotxategi caught our attention with his power and self-confidence., who boldly interpreted the rascal Carlos Alberto, undoubtedly a voice without fissures to deal with the power exerted by the orchestra.