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Weill,  Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny: Soloists, Orchestre National du Capitole, Choeur du Capitole. Conductor: Ilan Volkov. Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse . 28.11.2010. (JMI)

New Production

Direction: Laurent Pelly

Sets: Barbara de Limburg

Costumes: Laurent Pelly

Lighting: Joël Adam

Cast:

Jim Mahoney: Nikolai Schukoff

Jenny Hill: Valentina Farcas

Leocadia Begbick: Marjana Lipovsek

Fatty: Chris Merritt

Trinity Moses: Gregg Baker

Jack O’Brien: Roger Padullés

Joe: Harry Peeters

Bill: Tommi Hakala

Production Picture Courtesy of Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse

Kurt Weill’s “Mahagonny” is steadily gaining a foothold in the repertoire of opera houses. Just last month the Madrid Teatro Real had it on its program (review here), and now it showed at the Théâtre du Capitole Toulouse. Comparison between the two becomes inevitable—apart from the Toulouse production being in the original version in German, unlike Madrid, which used the English version. My executive summary: musically—especially orchestrally—Madrid was better, but as a whole, both productions are on par.

The Capitole has commissioned a new production from Laurent Pelly, currently the Director of TNT (Théâtre National de Toulouse). Pelly has become one of the most interesting stage directors and I have seen some of his productions in Spain, including a very funny La Fille du régiment at Barcelona’s Liceu with Juan Diego Florez. My many previous experiences with Pelly have always been positive, and this Magagonny didn’t change his track record.

The production by La Fura dels Baus in Madrid was more spectacular with the mountains of (literally) rubbish, but it left little room for the development of the action. In stark contrast, Pelly offers an almost naked stage, with attractive, mobile props that give make to the change of scenes seem easy and agile. The costumes are attractive and fun, updated modern, and well lit throughout. Mr. Pelly’s stage direction aims for satire and humor. Some ideas—like starting the opera with video projections of a Police chase on a highway—work particularly well. The 4 scenes of the final goals of life in Mahagonny (food, sex, violence, and alcohol), too, were very successful; the sexual life in the city imaginative and uproarious treatment. Less convincing is the conception of the character of Jenny, who appears more a shy and innocent youngster than a real prostitute. I don’t know whether Mr. Pelly will go down the same route with a different Jenny.

The Israeli conductor Ilan Volkov (34), until last year the chief conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, ably navigated the score—even if it didn’t quite match what Pablo Heras Casado had achieved in Madrid. On occasion, I found the orchestra too loud and the performance from the chorus impressive.

The best vocal performance came from Austrian tenor Nikolai Schukoff as Jim Mahoney, who was excellent. This is an attractive voice, powerful and well pitched. He delivered an outstanding arioso in the prison scene that opens Act III... in fact he was so good from beginning to end that I considered the result better than what we got with either Christopher Ventris or Michael König in Madrid.

Romanian soprano Valentina Farcas was miscast as Jenny. She is a young soprano with a most attractive figure and a good actress, but her voice is not enough for the character, even for a theatre of the size of the relatively small Capitole. She is rather a soubrette and with such a small voice it is impossible to convince in the part of Jenny.

The fugitives from justice were not particularly entertaining. Slovenian mezzo soprano Marjana Lipovsek is not precisely at her peak (anymore). Her Leocadia Begvbick was interesting on stage, but quite weak vocally. American baritone Gregg Baker as Trinity Moses cut a remarkable figure, but with a poorly projected voice. The once important tenor Chris Merritt gave life to Fatty in a compelling interpretation. The woodcutters from Alaska were made up of a fine trio consisting of Catalan tenor Roger Padullés (Jack O'Brien), Dutch Harry Peeters (Joe), and (most remarkably) Finnish baritone Tommi Hakala (Bill). The presence of the narrator on stage was questionable, as it always is, when included.

The Capitole was almost sold out and there was a warm reception for all artists, particularly Nikolai Schukoff.


José M Irurzun

 

 

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