Frühere Produktionsrezensionen
10Peter Bording führt als Josef Bratfisch, Enkel des Leibkutschers von Erzherzog Rudolf, als Erzähler mit Grandezza durch den Abend, und singt mit ebensolcher schmeichlerischer Grandezza in der Stimme.
Dass man als Publikum auch ohne Szenerie stets den Überblick über all die Schauplätze sowie die zahlreichen Irrungen und Wirrungen der Geschichte behält, dafür sorgt überdies die Erzählerfigur, die Kálmán ersonnen hat. Als Josef Bratfisch Junior, seines Zeichens Urenkel des Leibfiakers des Kronprinzen, der ihm natürlich die „wirklich wahre” Geschichte hinter der Mayerling-Affäre familienintern erzählt hatte, führte Peter Bording souverän durch den Abend und ließ dabei einen samtig timbrierten Bariton hören. Ob er nun die nicht ganz so blaue Donau oder die Walzerseligkeit Wiens besang – seine Stimme floss elegant durch die Partie und verströmte in allen Lagen Wohlklang.
Don Giovanni, your memory is almost full! It could be called that at some point. Photos, films, upskirting snapshots of 1800 women, yes, they must first have space on the mobile phone...! Donna Anna poses lasciviously in a corset and suspenders for the stranger's camera in her room. Already in the first scene Elisabeth emphasizes Stöppler: This isn't just about the eternal seducer, it's about eternal seduction, whether by man or woman. The German director shows an over-medialized fun society, illuminated to the last detail, in which everyone has their desires and wants to share of their own free will, from which everyone absolutely wants to take something, take something with them. One, of course, everything: Don Giovanni. As a nobleman from Seville in the 17th or 18th century, he was still allowed to do that. But today? Is he still a rock star, i.e. a smock star?
Ein echtes Highlight waren die beiden Arien des Don Ottavio, die Pavel Petrov ungemein nuancenreich und spannend mit weich dahinströmender Stimme gestaltete.
Broadway is making a guest appearance in Graz: yesterday the Broadway fable Guys and Dolls, based on a template by Joe Swerling and Abe Burrows, with music by Frank Loesser, premiered at the opera. Directed by Henry Mason. Thrilling dances and songs and a magical setting take the audience into the life of New York gamblers. When two meet, then a bet arises. Gambler Nathan Detroit doesn't know where his head is at. On the one hand he has no money to hold his infamous dice game, on the other hand his fiancee Adelaide finally wants to get married. 14 years of engagement are probably enough for her. It's fitting that professional gambler Sky Masterson is in town, known for betting big on creative bets. At the same time, the mission "Save a soul", led by Sarah Brown, tries to save the city's sinners (aka gamblers) from their descent into hell. Safe on his money, Detroit makes a bet with Masterson: if "supersinner" Sky persuades missionary Sarah to fly with him to Havana the next day, Nathan will owe him $1,000. And vice versa.The hustle and bustle takes place on a revolving stage (Hans Kudlich), which alternates between steel scaffolding with flashing neon signs and semi-circular concrete girders. The Broadway-style stage set is framed by a sea of lights – ideal. In fantastic costumes (Daria Kornysheva), which capture the zeitgeist of the musical - from pinstripes to hoop skirts, everything is included - the really well cast ensemble shows its strengths. The dance scenes are particularly eye-catching - the show by the Hot Box Girls exudes nostalgic flair, the men's solo game of dice is terrific and there are hot nights with Spanish rhythms in Cuba. The real star of the evening, however, is singer and long-term fiancé Adelaide, played by Bettina Mönch. Despite constant longing for marriage and a slight Barbie-inclination, there's more to her than a stupid showgirl. Financially independent of the man and with a powerful voice, she sings her way into every heart with wit and charm. And makes you laugh out loud. Rob Pelzer as Nathan Detroit is definitely a worthy partner and is in no way inferior to her, especially when it comes to comedy. A true dream team. Johanna Spantzel convinces as the shy Sarah Brown, whose hand and attitudes change quickly after Cuba - with "If I Were a Bell" she shows her most beautiful sounds. Christof Messner starts off a bit bumpy as Sky Masterson, but quickly develops his full potential and mimics the gambler very well. At the latest with the classic "Luck Be a Lady" he has everyone under his spell. The two henchmen of Nathan also offer great cinema: Christoph Scheeben as Nicely Nicely Johnson and Mathias Schlung as Benny Southstreet. Really nice. Guys and Dolls has everything a good night out needs. The musical scores with catchy tunes, sophistication, humor and varied characters whose drawing is not quite as shallow as in other musicals. And somewhere behind the glitz and glamor of Broadway is hiding a pretty nice message: that love makes all things right. And people can change as a result. Standing ovations and big applause.
At least sparks are flying enough: between the petty criminal Nathan Detroit (a charmingly awkward and humorous Rob Pelzer ) and the nightclub singer Miss Adelaide (a credibly snuffled and lovable Bettina Mönch ) – engaged for fourteen years, but the gentleman is not ready for marriage . But thanks to a bet with Nathan, professional gambler Sky Masterson (a skilfully seductive and authentic Christof Messner ) also lands a stroke of luck with Salvation Army specialist Sarah Brown (a changeable and yet not quite so sinless Johanna Spantzel) and unexpectedly falls in love. The probably predictable romance is joined by illegal dice games, the search for suitable venues, persecution by the police, shrill evening shows and a lot of 50s charm. The charm is particularly noticeable in the fabulously nostalgic costumes by Daria Kornysheva and in the varied stage design by Hans Kudlich , which, in the right light by Guido Petzold , almost makes one believe that one has experienced Broadway in the 1950s at any time of the day. Francesc Abós provides a sophisticated choreography and fully exploits the dancer's potential.But what's a Broadway musical without music? You don't have to rack your brains about that in Guys and Dolls - the Graz Philharmonic lead through the evening with verve, the cast shines with charming voices and conducted by Marcus Merkel they not only perform classics like Luck be a lady . The premiere audience thanks them with thunderous applause and standing ovations.
Every opera lover knows "Carmen", but Georges Bizet's "Pearl Fishermen" are only rarely performed. The Graz Opera presents the early work in an antiquated production, the driving force of the evening is the soprano Tetiana Miyus. If you still own a video recorder and stumble across a couple of old, dusty VHS cassettes with opera recordings in the basement: What you would see on them would be amazingly similar to what the Graz Opera House is now doing with Georges Bizet's "Die Perlenfischer " indicates. Director Ben Baur and the Graz ballet director Beate Vollack bring very old-fashioned music theater to the stage, unfortunately without retro charm and almost parodically. The unbelievable events in Bizet's pseudo-Ceylon take place between fake blood, theater rocks and long-haired wigs. Baur, who had already shown two rather weak works in Graz, remained true to his method of "greasing up" the clothes box, especially towards the end, with a few visual stimuli (here a skeleton, a man on fire and the like), which did not give the impression of being unoriginal weakened, only strengthened. The appearance of Leïla in the first act indicates how attractive such an opera museum could be. Apart from such positive details, this time you have to be content with a rather banal love triangle against the background of a repressive, archaic system (strong as the high priest Nourabad: Daeho Kim). As regrettable as it is not to assign a director to a dramaturgically unsuccessful piece like “The Pearl Fishers” that authenticates the plot, the music of “Les pêcheurs des perles”, which premiered in Paris in 1863, is as astounding. Bizet's imagination did not allow itself to be domesticated by the weak libretto; it is a melodic, impressive work full of poetry, which already testifies to the talents of the great music dramatist. This poetry can be heard above all through Tetiana Miyus as Leïla, who lends lyrical brilliance and suppleness to this evening: she is not one of the coloratura automatons that one has often heard in this role, she sings with imagination, inwardness and rounded coloratura. She is not guilty of the dramatic outbursts in the third act either, in fact she creates them in a downright brilliant way. Miyus moved in her own league that evening. Her two partners in this opera, which is actually designed like a chamber play, are by no means bad: tenor Andrzej Lampert brings a radiant forte with him, but also gives the nadir a tormented, intense expression, whereby some ugly notes in the top register are certainly not intended to be creative. Baritone Dariusz Perczak is somewhat monochromatic, but very cultivated as a “forgiving” and “forgiving” Zurga in the end. In Bizet's work, the fourth main role is not taken on by the aforementioned bass Nourabad, but by the chorus, which boasts massive breadth here (rehearsal: Bernhard Schneider). Conductor Marcus Merkel creates the right mood for this work with its ominous exoticism, he lets the melodies flourish, but keeps the action in the pulse and demonstrates that this music, a sound blend of early Wagner, Grand Opéra and Offenbach, is not sentimental. Those who concentrate on the music will experience an impressive evening, those who look too much at the stage will probably think of the old VHS tapes at home.
Blutiger Wahnsinn in steriler Umgebung: Lucia di Lammermoor an der Oper Graz. (...) Natürlich ist es gewagt, eine so radikal neue Sichtweise auf ein Werk zu präsentieren, aber in Stoibers Inszenierung funktioniert dieses Unterfangen ganz ausgezeichnet. Die Geschichte rund um Lucias Schwangerschaft ist plausibel und liefert auch gleich eine glaubwürdige Begründung ihres tödlichen Wahnsinns; ähnlich verhält es sich mit sämtlichen der Regiekniffe – sie alle fügen sich mit der Musik zu einem stimmigen Ganzen, arbeiten nie gegen Donizettis Komposition.(...) wer spannendes Musiktheater zu schätzen weiß und grandiose Sänger erleben möchte, die mit Stimme und Darstellung zu fesseln vermögen, darf diese Lucia di Lammermoor nicht verpassen.
homas Essl as the butcher Lazar Wolf, whose honor has been offended, Johann Wolfgang Lampl as the sergeant and David McShane as the rabbi, as well as the dancers with their artistic performances as highlights of the wedding celebration (choreography Evamaria Mayer). At the wedding party, Anatevka is already in the process of dissolving: the back of the suitcase has broken off. Before the stage turns, you can only see the hustle and bustle through a veil. A reference to the breaks in tradition that can be stated: broken wedding promises, love marriages and – as a climax – the outrageous, inappropriate dancing. At the end, when the chorus announces the end of Anatevka and the farewell, the suitcase that has kept the residents together for so long and has given them a frame and thus security has long since become a sad ruin.
