Past Production Reviews
4Edgar and Edmund’s father, the Duke of Gloucester, mirrors Lear. He is blind to the true feelings his sons’ have for him, and therefore easy to manipulate. Old age has made him vulnerable. Playing the role was the Turkish baritone, Levent Bakirci, who, again mirroring Skovhus’ Lear, looked and sounded much younger. He made an excellent impression nonetheless. His voice possesses an interesting array of colors, which he projects well, with clear, well-focused intonation,
Dass das dunkle Paar auch live höchst überzeugend seine Intrigen zu spinnen vermag, das war klar. Martin Gantner ist ein ebenso mustergültiger Telramund wie sich Ekatarina Gubanova als eine fulminante Ortrud bewährt, die nicht nur ihr Seherauge, sondern auch das Abgründige leuchten zu lassen vermag. Sie hat zudem für ihren spektakulären letzten Auftritt so viel Kraftreserven, dass kein Zweifel an ihrer Entschlossenheit zur Rache aufkommt. Adam Kutnys etwas mulmige Artikulation passt immerhin zu der Rolle als eine Art Clown, die die Regie dem Heerrufer zumisst. Gábor Bretz ist ein prägnanter, klarer Heinrich mit königlichem Timbre.
Parto subito con il dire che protagonista assoluta di questa recita è stata la fantastica Staatskapelle Berlin, sotto una direzione meravigliosa di Thomas Guggeis. Il direttore tedesco ha guidato con polso sicurissimo l’orchestra di cui è Kapellmeister (giovanissimo, stiamo parlando di un 1993!) in una resa coerente, drammatica, eppure molto sottile ed elegante. Ben lungi dal cadere in pesanti rigonfiamenti e tronfie perorazioni retoriche, Guggeis ha diretto un Lohengrin capace di rifrangersi in colori e languori fin dal meraviglioso Preludio (candido come il cigno che conduce la sua barca), ma senza sdilinquirsi nel lungo duetto tra Lohengrin ed Elsa. L’insieme tra buca e palco non ha mai dato cenni di incertezza, il coro ha offerto una prova eccelsa, solidamente preparato da Martin Wright, e la concitazione ha tenuto incollati alla poltrona in ognuno dei tre atti, senza per questo perdere di profondità nei passaggi più statici e contemplativi. Veramente notevole, rimaniamo a guardare con grande attenzione al percorso di questo giovane musicista che, dopo gli studi a Milano, è fortunatamente stato ospite dell’Orchestra Verdi. Mi auguro davvero di vederlo sempre più spesso anche in altri teatri, se continuerà questo suo percorso.
Bieito’s dark production was staged on an austere but effective set of wooden planks designed by Rebecca Ringst, which opened up for the storm scene. The production was acted with an intensity rarely seen on the opera stage and free of any Regietheater excesses. The division of Lear’s wealth was simply represented by the daughters grabbing their part of a loaf of bread. Goneril and Regan, the sisters from hell, were sung with devastating power by sopranos Ricarda Merbeth and Erika Sunnegårdh on May 23. Both nailed the high tessitura of their roles with exciting accuracy and penetration. The opera is “full on” for much of the evening; vocal climaxes succeed one another with harrowing regularity. The second half of the opera is more reflective, as Lear descends into madness and despair. At fifty-four, Skovhus looked and sounded as young and fit as his daughters. Innocence and reserve come less naturally to the composer’s language, but soprano Annette Dasch achieved glowing beauty as Cordelia. In an evening of remarkable performances, special mention must be made of countertenor Andrew Watts as Edgar, who sang in both chest and head register with outstanding power and stamina, and baritone Lauri Vasar as Gloucester, whose terrifying blinding was managed with consummate skill. This Lear was a big triumph for the entire team and the composer, who were greeted with enthusiasm far beyond the polite reception usually accorded late-twentieth-century works here.
