September & October 2023
Three productions at the Royal Opera House in September and October 2023 which shows the diversity and outstanding nature of the opera shown at a time when all opera is under attack as an art form by Nicholas Serota’s Arts Council. The following three Royal Opera House performances, together with the brilliant English National Opera’s production of Peter Grimes, have produced world class opera performances on a scale of which we should be proud.
Das Rheingold @Royal Opera House 2023
Das Rheingold ▪ Wagner ▪ 17 September 2023
There have been many new Ring Cycles across Europe over the last few years but, in my view, none more excitingly anticipated than the current Ring Cycle by the Australian director, Barrie Kosky, for Covent Garden. The opening visuals are quite stunning – a complicated World Ash Tree with built-in tunnels allowing entrance and exit seamlessly together with a naked Earth Mother/Erda, outstandingly played by 80-year-old Rose Knox-Peebles. The set designer Rufus Didwiszus produces a spherically monochrome set, saved by the lighting designer Alessandro Carlett and it is the lighting that turns the visual effects into a reality scene. This was particularly remarkable at the point of Alberich’s humiliation as a result of his treatment by the Rhinemaidens who strip him naked as liquid gold seeps from the base of the tree. Alberich however gets his revenge and steals the gold for himself. All three Rhinemaidens sparkle in this scene, but it is the remarkable bass-baritone of the Englishman Christopher Purves who provides a magnetic Alberich. The World Ash Tree is retained for each of the scenes.
The British baritone Christopher Maltman is a substantial Wotan of quality sound and stature. He has a great upper and middle register but occasionally missed some heft in the lower range. He made up for that in spades with his emotional weight and dramatic interpretation. He had an elegant wife in his Frika sung by the Russian mezzo soprano Marina Prudenskaya. However, it was the Loge of Sean Panikkar who stole the show. His tenor voice was electric in its intensity particularly in his interaction with Wotan and Alberich and his dealings with The Giants. The costume designer, Victoria Behr allowed a lot of modern suited classy interpretations – particularly The Giants who were gun slinging mafia types.
Everything was brought together beautifully by the magnificent Antonio Pappano whose conducting of the score was sublime, and whose relationship with Kosky shone throughout the evening in an incredible intensity of sound and vision.
La forza del destino @Royal Opera House 2023
La forza del destino ▪ Verdi ▪ 27 September 2023
The revival of Christof Loy’s 2019 production of Verdi’s great opera La forza del destino was a resounding success. However interesting the production, it is the singing, the music and indeed the conducting that are the winners here. Mark Elder was impeccable in his interpretation of the score, always clear about the mix between drama and music and clearly thrilling in the moments of tension. He provides a kaleidoscope of colour to the music and as a result the orchestra and chorus were superb throughout.
But then Elder had singers to match. Sondra Radvanovsky was a terrific Leonora. This American soprano has huge vocal output, but she also has the ability to softly and delicately meet the needs of Verdi’s score particularly in the aria ‘Pace, pace mio Dio’. Her Alvaro was the American tenor, Brian Jagde. Even though he was announced as indisposed, he showed that he had a big voice to match Radvanovsky. His dramatic virile tone and overwhelming sound reflected the sheer size of his vocal output. No prisoners taken by him! The Don Carlo di Vargas was the Russian baritone Aleksei Isaev who was more subtle in his singing than his acting. His voice was sophisticated with great textural detail. James Creswell was an intellectual Marquis of Calatrava and the Padre of Evgeny Stavinsky and the Melitone of Rodion Pogossov were comically paired until Stavinsky let loose with plush sound in his last act aria with Radvanovsky. But it was Elder who held it all together.
L’elisir d’amore @Royal Opera House 2023
L'elisir d’amore ▪ Donizetti ▪ 3 October 2023
The revival of Laurent Pelly’s production of L’elisir d’amore was such fun and was the perfect occasion for the American soprano Nadine Sierra to delight the house on her debut. She can act, dance and above all sing. She brought a hilarious skittishness to her role but by the time she made her mind up to marry the farm worker Nemorino, she was personified with serious intent. Her Nemorino was the Armenian born tenor Liparit Avetisyan who always sang with boyish charm, constantly in love with the woman that he couldn’t get. Until of course he met Doctor Dulcamara, who was meant to be sung Bryn Terfel but because of indisposition was replaced by the Italian baritone Giulio Mastrototaro. He might not have the heft of Bryn Terfel, but he has sung this role at La Scala and was excellent in this production. The conductor was Italian, Sesto Quatrini, who seemed to be enjoying the evening particularly with the outstanding chorus and orchestra.
The Arts Council’s attempt to destroy these operatic endeavours has seriously failed and must be seen to fail. Nicholas Serota should resign and so should his lackies and cohorts that are working so hard to support his intentions. Let’s move on with an Arts Council that works to support opera and classical music rather than try to destroy it. London has always been known as a great European capital city for the Arts. Let’s keep it that way.
David Buchler
