White Heads On Vagaina

Royal Davis

Π Π (Π)

- London, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, February 9, 2011

- Mozart, Die Zauberflöte , KV . 620

- Lothar Odinius, Tamino; Kate Royal Pamina, Christopher Maltman, Papageno, Franz-Josef Selig, Sarastro, Jessica Pratt, Queen of the Night; Allasdair Elliot Monostatos; Anne Evin Papagena

- Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera Hou is

- Colin Davis, executive

The great irony today, with Sir Colin, is that we continue often to describe him as a wonderful companion and chief pit, by denying his testimony Symphony (Berlioz aside) as critical successes. However, in view of the two benefits that I have been fortunate enough to attend this year, I could almost tell every time Davis and other . During his concert with the LSO to Pleyel this fall, the level had dropped a notch (admittedly unexpectedly) with the debut of Znaider for the Brahms concerto, after a great Scottish . For this Flute, admittedly handicapped by the package that day, Joseph Kaiser, Davis still seemed to be the master architect, and sometimes the full light radius of an evening that otherwise would have been enough anecdotal even dull. It's hard to believe, perched above the pit, to contemplate this beat forever supple, lively, playful and wonderfully lucid, that he who controls what Mozart is the one who replaced Don Giovanni Klemperer in and Beecham in the same Flute, Glyndebourne ... More than half a century. But this is true, however, somewhat more prosaically, the plateau voice that gathered during the original production by David McVicar (2003-2004, documented on DVD by Opus Arte) here recovery has clearly lost its luster. There was then nothing less than Simon Keenlyside, Diana Damrau and Dorothea Roschmann, and majesty Franz Josef Selig is fortunately it stayed true to the position. At the time, the main reservations about this cast had focused on the relatively placid Tamino even anonymous Will Hartmann.

Christopher Maltman

On Wednesday, Kaiser was ill, so this was the replacement for the replacement of Hartmann, who officiated in Tamino: there's more infamous as the title, we must admit. But if the voice of the young Lothar Odinius is not unworthy, the lack of intensity of the line, most of time is frustrating, especially since no slaughter stage comes compensate by radiation voice: his physical presence and charisma are almost ienxistants. The only way he has to deceive, in my view, quite inappropriate, and consists mainly of a characterization of a pretty blue flower Tamino which you'd swear it forms a pair with Papageno booby-nerd, but not in the expected direction. What is more troubling is that throughout most of the opera is being considered evil dreamer shy and retiring well matched with Pamina little vulnerable ... His "Wie stark ist nicht dein Zauberton" including even sweet enough, and how it a chain of total stasis in singing and stagecraft PLC during the recitatives really gives food for thought to those (like me a bit) who think that we would win some singers to produce more versions of concerts as stage productions. And, to temper this harsh decision, I do not think I am right in saying that Odinius sang for the first time a big role on the stage of Covent Garden, and in conditions unfavorable course.

Kate Royal

Fort Fortunately, the rest of the plateau is less problematic. Jessica Pratt, she either did not have the charisma of the Queen that preceded it (Damrau), and probably not the voice, but nothing she does is annoying to the point of questioning his credibility . The new little lyric wife of England, Kate Royal, though holds his rank, whose career she is firing on all cylinders at this time (second recital for EMI with Martineau Resurrection Berlin with Rattle, Dona Elvira at Glyndebourne next ). She played with a real coherence and dramatic vocal performances, a less sensitive and Pamina nunuche bewildered than normal, which is an excellent thing. His mastery of line is impeccable, his diction properly intelligible but certainly not perfect, offset by a homogeneous and extremely pleasant timbre. What is missing is certainly a form of crack, tension inner voice, but it has not finished maturing. It is unfortunate that she may have given his best ("Sterben will ich, weil der Mann, den ich hassen kann nimmermehr, verlassen kann seine Traute") at an unfortunate moment: they never do, and in general the we avoid speaking ill children in a critical but still there, the house of his Gracious Majesty the world a little fun with these spirits intonation to rebel ... Royal is a bit less inspired, maybe facing the very (too?) Sarastro Selig quiet little ambivalent reassurance from one end to another. I must say that I had never heard that in situ Selig in Wagner, and the impact of the sublime seems serious here necessarily more diffuse. This remains the great voice, still technically stunning, still deeply in tune with the nobility of his favorite roles.

Christopher Maltman, of course, is not Keenlyside, but in his case, at least not happening is little time to regret the original because the quality of the song (perhaps the most perfect vocal performance of the evening) identification very natural role in the killing of actor and do a lot to forget. Much, or too much, with some histrionics, like the Monostatos of Allastair Elliot, hilarious if not serious plied appear? Is the resumption of McVicar staging (directed by Lee Blakeley) who wants that, this production is falsely sophisticated wanting above all invigorating, playful and popular. Of This latter view is certainly successful: the room is sold out almost every night, and much of the public does not stick to the image of the venerable and dusty ultra-bourgeois (but where for 8 £ 20 seats are quite excellent). You can find and hear a lot of young people, released a couple or group of friends, who laugh generously when a chance presents itself (in the long run is a bit boring but has the merit of the recitatives seem shorter especially when Maltman made andouille, he does very well - especially the quintet !...), make the curtain call a moment of enthusiasm surprisingly cool compared to our ceremonial Paris a little stuffy.
Otherwise, many aspects of this staging - it seems unchanged - could make it appear the current productions of the Paris Opera for obvious provocative. I am neither for nor against, I do not care. At least we can blame this generation not to be consistent with itself. The huge snake plush down to squirming about it: if the Masonic symbolism is ubiquitous and also more transparent than it does that we are not there to take seriously, but rather to passively follow the course without disturbing music, with a slight tropism Schikaneder explained to children that has nothing unpleasant, especially when that sweet purr is disturbed by a false Papagena (Anne Evin correct) in the breakaway nympho nursing home.

remains essential, and this is the case to say: Sir Colin at the top of his game. I'm too lazy to list all the productions he has directed the flute for fifty years, but what seems certain is that the pleasure he seems to be the same as ever - in fact It must be even greater. A remark very general necessary for its management: it manages to give all the baroque world a lesson magistralissime Mozart's chamber, detailed, transparent and absolutely alive with means perfectly conservative. It is primarily the dynamic control is absolute and utterly intimate one end to another. If I have at no time spoke in one way or the other singers of the projection is that I'd be unable: almost anyone gifted with an honest voice would net was audible on this exceptionally fine rugs. But almost never devoid of tension: because it is the slightest inflections that Davis raises and gets - with an orchestra for the adequacy sometimes a bit risky but wonderfully responsive - radiates intelligence, and other terms is that everything is simple and everything is full of meaning . Music can do the rest (is not almost always the way it should work?) Against the tendency of outbursts, bellows and large accents become the official fashion, what emerges from this fresh vision of the Patriarch!

In very short, I could say that his leadership is exhibited all the qualities of his superb record in Dresden (for fun and for the memory recently disappeared Margaret Price, I will propose in its entirety below), and almost all of these qualities are increased thirty years later. Except, one suspects, the physical impact of climax: "Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen" from this point of view, is certainly inadequate. Also, the solos are not those of the gleaming polish Staatskapelle at one of its best periods - the flute solo in particular is quite cleared away and its issues. But what is heavenly compared to this openness, this surreal science of listening (the violins in "Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen"!) And countless moments Thanksgiving in the conduct of the strings or the subtlety of alloys which crept into the performance? Whether to retain one, it is shown above (Monostatos, "Alles Liebe Freuden der fühlt"): a small, but not in fact a miracle of immense clarity and vibrant intense delicacy, a small opening at heart of the opera, a small Dream of a Summer Night the middle of the Flute : four pages that are just delighted for all others.