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AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL OPERA REVIEW
Enescu, Oedipe: Soloists,
Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse. Chorus: Capitole Toulouse and
Bordeaux. Conductor. Pinchas Steinberg. Théatre du Capitole de
Toulouse. 10.10.2008. (JMI)
These last two years of Nicolas Joel’s direction in Toulouse have
produced several new operas of great importance. Last year Le
Roi d' Ys opened the season and this year the choice was
Enescu’s Oedipus. The Romanian composer, who was based in
France for many years, had this, his only opera, premiered in Paris
in 1936 where it was very well received by the critics. In spite of
this, the opera fell into almost complete oblivion, except in
Bucharest, where it is performed almost every year and is now
considered to be Romania’s national opera.
New Production.
Director: Nicolas Joel
Substitute Director: Stephane Roche
Sets: Ezio Frigerio
Costumes: Franca Squarciapino
Lighting: Vinicio Cheli.
Cast:
Oedipe: Franck Ferrari
Jocaste: Sylvie Brunet
Tiresias: Arutjun Kotchinian
Creon: Vincent Le Texier
Sphinx: Marie-Nicole Lemieux
Antigone: Amel Brahim.Delloul
Merope: Maria José Montiel
Berger: Emiliano Gonzalez Toro
Phorbas: Harry Peeters
Laios:
Leonard Pezzino
Thesée: Andrew Schroeder
This Oedipus was a real discovery, since it is very well constructed
with gorgeous music, splendid orchestration and spectacular choral
passages, mainly at the end of Act II, after the death of the
Sphinx. It is most surprising therefore that it is such a rarity in
the operatic world especially because - although it is not the best
of solutions for it –the opera could very easily be performed in
concert versions.
In Toulouse, it is now custom for new season to open with a new
production, directed by Nicolas Joel in collaboration with his
regular creative team, Ezio Frigerio, Franca Squarciapino and
Vinicio Cheli. It seems that a health problem affecting Mr. Joel
required the actual stage direction of the production to be carried
by Stéphane Roche - although it looks as though that Nicolas Joel
is fortunately recovering now. The stage set displays semicircular
steps, on top of which were either the façade of a Greek temple or
else simply a number of large columns. These sets become more and
more convincing as the opera advances, helped also by original
costumes always in grey. There is a particularly good work in
directing the leading singers, most spectacularly in the scene
showing the confrontation between Oedipus and the Sphinx.
Musically, this opera is a challenge for conductors. Not only is
there a large orchestra, but on stage there is also a substantial
chorus including a second children’s chorus some of the time.
Pinchas Steinberg, a very familiar conductor in Toulouse, did a
wonderful job which was for me the great success of the evening. He
achieved a very good performance from the Capitole Orchestra and
also from the choirs from Toulouse and Bordeaux.
In this opera there is one main protagonist and many secondary
characters; something similar to the casting in Cherubini’s
Medea. Oedipus was French baritone Franck Ferrari, who gave
possibly the most complete performance of his career. The intensity
with which he interpreted the ill-fated Oedipus was compelling;. in
fact he was better as an interpreter in this role than as a singer.
The rest of the characters go from minor relevance to episodic
appearances. Among the first, I should mention the ample voice of
Sylvie Brunet as Jocaste and the Canadian mezzo Marie-Nicole
Lemieux, who gave an outstanding interpretation of the Sphinx.
Arutjun Kotchinian was a onorous Tiresias and Vincent Le Texier was
an acceptable Creon..
For the
inauguration of the Toulouse season there was a full theatre. The
audience gave warm receptions to all the artists, especially to
Ferrari, Lemieux and Pinchas Steinberg.
José M. Irurzun
Picture © Théatre du Capitole de Toulouse
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