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SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL
OPERA REVIEW
Production: Zürich Oper
Direction: Katharina Thalbag
Sets and Costumes: Ezio Toffolutti
Lighting: Hans-Rudolf Kunz
Cast:
Leonore: Ricarda Merbeth
Florestan: Michael König
Rocco: Alfred Muff
Pizarro: Laurent Naouri
Marzelline: Sandra Trattnigg
Jaquino: Christoph Strehl
Don Fernando: Martin Gantner
Production Picture ©
Suzanne Schwiertz
I had not been at the Zurich opera since January of 2009, when
I had the opportunity to attend some spectacular opera
performances during a single weekend: Simon Boccanegra
with Leo Nucci, Semele with Cecilia Bartoli and
Tristan und Isolde with Nina Stemme
-s omething that may not be
possible in any other city besides Zurich. It is not
surprising, therefore, that I am once again back in Zurich,
although the program this time was not quite as attractive.
This Katharina Thalbag production of Fidelio was
premiered in October 2008 and raised high expectations-at
least with me, but ultimately her work here succumbs to
routine. The stage in the first act is a semicircular space
surrounded by massive walls, reminding me of the Jürgen Flimm
production two years ago at Barcelona's Liceu. The second Act
offers us a huge underground wall to which Florestan is
chained: Nothing that could offend even the most
traditionalist opera-goers. Costumes reflect more modern
tastes... perhaps set around the 50s, but offer nothing of
particular interest, except perhaps for the sulphur coloured
uniforms of the prisoners. Nothing strikes as remarkable in
Mrs. Thalbag's stage direction, the characters are
predictable, particularly Pizarro, and the direction of the
actors simplistic... something that may have been exacerbated
by this being a new cast, not supervised by the director.
When this production was premiered the conductor was Bernard
Haitink. In this revival Daniele Gatti has taken on the
musical direction. Fidelio with Gatti was one of the great
attractions of this trip to Zurich but here, too, the result
was somewhat uneven. I found his reading of the first Act
third rate: The tempi too sluggish, the orchestra too loud,
and the whole music too darn dull. In short: all the
ingredients of a boring performance. Fortunately things
changed considerably for the better in the second Act, showing
from the start dramatic tension, as if Mr. Gatti had decided
to conduct with his heart and not with his baton. In the end,
Daniele Gatti redeemed himself with an excellent Leonore 3 and
a final scene that contained all the strength and the emotion
that had been missing in the first act. The Chorus was not
particularly inspired in the Prisoners scene, but they, too,
got better in time for the final chorus.
Ricarda Merbeth as Leonore was a surprising cast choice for
me, but her clean and well projected performance was
remarkable, especially at the top of the range. The voice
lacks some vocal weight for the character, and her low notes
could be stronger, but-true to the story-she came out a winner
in the end.
Michael König was Florestan and he had to struggle against the
cruel tessitura that Beethoven wrote for this character, as
impossible to sing as Bacchus in Richard Strauss. Michael
König has a wide and well suited voice for the character and I
would say that he came out even, if close to losing it near
the end.
French Laurent Naouri was vocally insufficient as Pizarro,
having neither the necessary vocal heft for the character nor
any color in it. Being a good actor is not enough for a
satisfactory Pizarro.
Swiss bass-baritone Alfred Muff is an institution at the
Zurich theatre where he has sang for so many years. His Rocco
seemed too modest in vocal terms and his vocal shape leaves
much to be desired, which is, alas, not surprising at almost
62. He is and continues to be more baritone than bass and this
does not work in a character like Rocco. Sandra Trattnigg was
an excellent Marzelline, well suited in vocal terms and with a
pleasant timbre. Martin Gantner lacked the depth and power for
Don Fernando and ended up inaudible at the bottom of the
range.
José Mª Irurzun