SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL OPERA  REVIEW
 

Humperdinck,  Hänsel und Gretel : at the Royal Stockholm Opera, 23.10.2007 (GF)

 

Directed by Werner Pichler

Assistant director: Johan Molander

Sets and costumes: Andrea Hölzl and Anne Marie Legenstein

 

Cast:

Gretel -Johanna E. Martell

Hänsel - Susann Végh

Gertrud - Agneta Lundgren

Peter - Gunnar Lundberg

The Witch - Magnus Kyhle

Sandman - Karin Ingebäck

Dew Fairy - Sara Sandström

Children from  Adolf Fredrik’s Music Classes, The Royal Orchestra/Gregor Bühl

 

Susann Végh (Hansel ) and Johanna E. Martell (Gretel)

 

After the highly successful Ring des Nibelungen in Stockholm, which was completed just a month ago, it was only logical to follow it up with the only work in the Wagnerian mould that has more than fleeting place in the standard repertoire, Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel. “Wagner Light”, said assistant director Johan Molander, responsible for the revival of Werner Pichler’s production from 2001, when we met during the interval. There is some truth in this: – the large Wagnerian orchestra is there, the lush orchestration, the Leifmotif technique – but at the same time Humperdinck has a tonal language all of his own with lightness and melodic accessibility based to a great extent on folk music or at least inspired by it. Since I was unable to see the premiere, due to other engagements, I saw instead a lunchtime performance in the company of  my wife and about 1200 junior and intermediate-level children. We had our misgivings but once the overture was over – and this is undoubtedly the most Wagnerian piece in the opera with its ominous opening wind melody, reminiscent of Götterdämmerung, and its length – the story and the music was still, almost 115 years after the first performance, able to hold young people’s attention for two hours. I sat next to a blonde seven-year-old girl and she was wholly absorbed by the drama.

The opera was sung in Swedish in a translation by the utterly skilled Lasse Zilliacus and even though not all the words reached across the pit – not even to where we sat: on the second row in the stalls – enough could be heard to follow the proceedings and of course children of all ages still know their Grimm.

The sets were imaginative and colourful and created a true fairy-tale atmosphere, while the costumes were present day. The first act took place mainly in and around a big sofa, which also was present off and on in the following acts. The oven, where the witch finally was baked, was a fanciful creation and the whole performance was permeated with funny and thrilling details, like the broom that the witch directed with her witchcraft. Among the most spectacular moments was the sequence with the witch riding her broom high above the stage floor and the terrible explosion of the oven which must have frightened more than one of the children. It made at least one grown-up jump high.

Conducted by Gregor Bühl, who has been busy with the Ring for more than two years, it was a well paced performance where the melodic elements were well to the fore – and certainly this is one of the most hummable of all operas. It can be weighted down by too heavy conducting – Georg Solti on his Decca recording is arguably too Wagnerian, though undoubtedly dramatic, while John Pritchard on a likewise famous CBS recording (the one with Elisabeth Söderström as a priceless witch) is rather too bland – Bühl struck a happy medium.

The cast could hardly be bettered. Successful casting of the children is extremely difficult, if one wants them to look ‘real’. Attempts have been made to cast children as children but then the singing suffers. In this case the Stockholm opera had struck another happy medium. The young Johanna E Martell, still a student in Gothenburg, was a real find: girlish, cute, acting naturally and singing with fresh, unaffected tone. Susann Végh, who certainly is one of the best actors of the Stockholm Opera, was a superbly mischievous Hänsel with a body language that not for a second revealed that this was in fact a woman who started her operatic career ten years ago. That she is also equipped with a splendid voice doesn’t make things any worse and visitors to the Stockholm Opera can look forward to great things the rest of this season: Rheingold and Götterdämmerung, Falstaff and Rosenkavalier, where she will be Octavian.

The parents were well played by the experienced Agneta Lundgren and Gunnar Lundberg, Karin Ingebäck was a cosy Sandman and Sara Sandström, another rising star, still a student, a charming Dew Fairy.

Magnus Kyhle (The Witch)

Magnus Kyhle, who made his operatic debut in 1983 as Bardolpho in Falstaff and will return to this opera in February but now as Dr Cajus, has been a mainstay in Stockholm, especially in a number of character roles. His stupendous Witch, who here appeared as early as Act II, even though she nothing to sing until the last act, stole much of the show through his expressive acting and perfect timing. Dressed in a red suit, with grey hair and chic white handbag he was the emblem of an old bitch. The children from Adolf Fredrik’s Music Classes acted and sang just as well as one has come to expect from them. Many former opera singers and musicians have started their careers as member of this school.

I never saw the original production but this revival was a wholly engrossing experience that will be running until 1st December. Non-Swedish speakers should however study the libretto in advance since there are no surtitles.

 

Göran Forsling

 

Photos © Carl Thorborg & Mats Bäcker