The Arts Desk have picked out Puccini and Carl Maria von Weber as the star players in the world of grand opera this week.
The astonishing grand opera 'Der Freischtz' by Carl Maria von Weber performed at the penultimate night of the BBC Proms instead of the traditional Beethoven's Ninth. With its dark, dramatic Gothicism, the piece was hugely influential in the 19th century and enjoys an impressive reputation but a slightly less grand performance history.
The great classical archaeologist Sir John Eliot Gardiner and his Orchestre Rvolutionnaire et Romantique performed a semi-staged version here, using the score rearranged by Berlioz. The semi-staging was lacking in this respect, but the music is so energetic, so attention-seeking, so packed with masterful orchestration that it did not matter.
For the best opera London proved to be the place to be with Puccini's masterpiece - his triptych of one-act operas, 'Il Trittico' - taking place at the Royal Opera House. A loose trajectory from hell through purgatory to paradise is followed by 'Suor Angelica', 'Il tabarro' and 'Gianni Schicchi'. An emotional roller-coaster ride is formed full of orchestral magic and tough choral writing.
The winning partnership of Royal Opera principal conductor Antonio Pappano and maverick director Richard Jones helped the production. Thanks to Pappano's detailed conducting and Jones's masterstroke of setting the piece in a children's hospital, there were plenty of weepy moments.
In 'Il tabarro', Lucio Gallo was not quite hoary enough as the resentful Michele in this grim take on Parisian barge life, while Eva-Maria Westbroek overplayed the trashy element of his wife Giorgetta. The ensemble comedy that is 'Gianni Schicchi' boasted the perfect line-up and it was kept sharp and detailed, while Puccini's immaculate sense of comic timing was maximised to the full. The audience were left laughing more than they had ever done before in an opera house setting.
The astonishing grand opera 'Der Freischtz' by Carl Maria von Weber performed at the penultimate night of the BBC Proms instead of the traditional Beethoven's Ninth. With its dark, dramatic Gothicism, the piece was hugely influential in the 19th century and enjoys an impressive reputation but a slightly less grand performance history.
The great classical archaeologist Sir John Eliot Gardiner and his Orchestre Rvolutionnaire et Romantique performed a semi-staged version here, using the score rearranged by Berlioz. The semi-staging was lacking in this respect, but the music is so energetic, so attention-seeking, so packed with masterful orchestration that it did not matter.
For the best opera London proved to be the place to be with Puccini's masterpiece - his triptych of one-act operas, 'Il Trittico' - taking place at the Royal Opera House. A loose trajectory from hell through purgatory to paradise is followed by 'Suor Angelica', 'Il tabarro' and 'Gianni Schicchi'. An emotional roller-coaster ride is formed full of orchestral magic and tough choral writing.
The winning partnership of Royal Opera principal conductor Antonio Pappano and maverick director Richard Jones helped the production. Thanks to Pappano's detailed conducting and Jones's masterstroke of setting the piece in a children's hospital, there were plenty of weepy moments.
In 'Il tabarro', Lucio Gallo was not quite hoary enough as the resentful Michele in this grim take on Parisian barge life, while Eva-Maria Westbroek overplayed the trashy element of his wife Giorgetta. The ensemble comedy that is 'Gianni Schicchi' boasted the perfect line-up and it was kept sharp and detailed, while Puccini's immaculate sense of comic timing was maximised to the full. The audience were left laughing more than they had ever done before in an opera house setting.
About the Author:
Steve Alexander works as a writer and has a good knowledge of opera London. For more information and reviews on grand opera in the capital, visit theartsdesk.com.
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