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2The opera two of its best vocal performances, from Štefan Kocán, grave and urgent as the watchman who tries to dissuade Oedipus from his quest, and from Marie-Nicole Lemieux, who takes on the Sphinx’s ferociously difficult lines with aplomb, swooping up and down through the extremes of the range, and creates a real flesh-and-blood character out of the agent of fate. The title role makes extraordinary demands on the baritone, who is the centre of attention almost continually for two and a half hours. Johan Reuter gave a compelling rendering, with plenty of steel in the voice. At his best in the big emotional highs, he couldn’t keep up the highest standard for the whole time – I’m not sure I can think of a singer who could, which might explain why Oedipe isn’t performed more often – so some details were lost in the quieter moments. But this was a performance that reached deep into the heart of the drama and dug out enormous amounts of characterisation. There are no other lead roles. I could mention half a dozen others in an exceptionally strong supporting cast, but I’ll limit myself to one: the blind prophet Tiresias gets two interventions where his pronouncements alter the course of the whole drama. Sir John Tomlinson proved himself still capable of making a dramatic entrance and making us quail in our seats. My one cavil is that Peter van Praet’s lighting will have been too dark for anyone up in the amphitheatre, while blinding anyone in the stalls in the scene of Oedipus’ killing of his father, presented as a road rage incident. But my last word goes to conductor Leo Hussain, starting his Royal Opera career the hard way with a score of exceptional complexity, making it instantly accessible to first-time listeners and delivering colour and power throughout. Oedipe is opera at its most potent – visually, musically, vocally, dramatically. Go see it!
The orchestral contribution was just one the evening’s musical highlights, however. Klaus Florian Vogt sang the role of Lohengrin as if it were bel canto one moment before powering up to Wagnerian full force in the next, all with no audible change of gears. His voice is clear, his delivery so effortless as to suggest that he is not expending more energy than would an ordinary mortal talking. In voice, appearance and dramatic intensity, he’s perfectly cast as the knight summoned from a magical kingdom to rescue the honour of the noblewoman Elsa, only to be betrayed by her curiosity.Sara Jakubiak was an impressive Elsa, easily powering her soprano over the chorus, orchestra and other principals. But the same metallic tinge that allows her voice soar above all others intruded in “Euch Lüften, die mein Klagen” and other passages calling for the softer side of her role. In all though, she was convincing as the noblewoman beset by powerful enemies who, by forcing Lohengrin to reveal his identity, compels him to abandon her and return to his mythical homeland. Also good were Tanja Ariane Baumgartner as Ortrud and Johan Reuter as Telramund, the evil couple who plot Elsa and Lohengrin’s downfall, Kwanchul Youn as King Heinrich, Adrian Eröd as his herald, and the very robust chorus.
