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SEEN AND HEARD UK
OPERA REVIEW
Leonore - Nina Stemme
Florestan - Endrik Wottrich
Rocco - Kurt Rydl
Marzelline - Elizabeth Watts
Jaquino - Steven Ebel
Don Pizarro - John Wegner
Don Fernando - Sir Willard White
First Prisoner - Ji Hyun Kim
Second Prisoner - Dawid Kimberg
Jürgen Flimm (director)
Daniel Dooner (revival director)
Robert Israel (set designs)
Florence von Gerkan (costumes)
Duane Schuler (lighting)
A major attraction to this Fidelio was to have
been the opportunity to hear Kirill Petrenko in the pit, but
unfortunately, back problems rendered him unable to continue
rehearsals. Petrenko has been named the next General Music
Director in Munich and will also lead the 2013 Bayreuth
Ring. Though Covent Garden audiences have had
chance to admire him before, in my case in the
2009 Rosenkavalier and, some time previously, in a
splendid double-bill of Bluebeard's Castle and
Erwartung, his absence was a disappointment. Sir Mark
Elder, in situ for rehearsals of the forthcoming
production of The Tsar's Bride, was his
replacement, though David Syrus will take over the end of
the run.
Elder, known principally for later music, took some time to
find his feet here. The overture married unsteadiness with
charmless adherence to the metronome. Strings sometimes
struggled to make themselves heard, though from a purely
orchestral perspective, horns and woodwind sounded quite
magical. As can often be the case, the Orchestra of the
Royal Opera House outplayed its conductor. The first number
continued along an unsteady path, mixing a somewhat
Italianate lightness - doubtless some would claim to find
this refreshing, though I found it straightforwardly
inappropriate - with arbitrary tempo changes, suggestive
less of Furtwängler than of a caricature of Mengelberg by
someone who has never heard him. Elements of such arbitrary
juxtaposition remained later on, but for the most part it
was a surer Fidelio that emerged. There were,
however, a few too many discrepancies between pit and stage,
none more noticeable than during Don Fernando's music in the
final scene. The orchestra continued to play very well
indeed, certainly far better than it had under the
dispiriting leadership of Antonio Pappano last time
around in 2007. My suspicion would be that Elder's reading
will settle down in subsequent performances, though there
are only three left that he will conduct.
A vocal report must also be mixed. Nina Stemme, though she
did not quite nail the climax of 'O, namenlose Freude,' was
in every other respect very impressive indeed, quite
justifying her reputation, with fine intonation combined
with Classical purity of line, no matter what hurdles
Beethoven placed in her way. She made a relatively plausible
'boy' too, for those who care. Endrik Wottrich, however, was
simply not up to the task. I shall doubtless be forever
spoiled by the
staggering achievement of Jonas Kaufmann as Florestan,
but odious comparisons aside, Wottrich proved both feeble of
tone and unable to hit a startling proportion of his notes.
Kurt Rydl stood out by virtue of credible delivery of his
dialogue; the rest of the cast tended to speak as if in a
foreign-language school play. Unfortunately, Rydl's wobble
became too distracting even for those of us inclined to
charity on account of past glories. Elizabeth Watts,
however, made a sparkling Marzelline and Steven Ebel a
similarly winning Jaquino. John Wegner's Pizarro was darker
and more convincingly malevolent than many of the cartoon
villains we often endure: a significant achievement that.
Willard White's Fernando did little to convince, however,
again showing a singer past his prime. Second Prisoner Dawid
Kimberg shone in his brief moment of glory - not for the
first time. The Royal Opera Chorus was truly excellent, full
of sound, which could yet be withdrawn when necessary, and
startlingly impressive in diction, putting many German
choruses to shame.
As for Jürgen Flimm's production, this time revived by
Daniel Dooner, it remains a depressing affair. Perhaps less
full of arbitrary goings on than last time, it seemed still
more lacking in coherence. Updated to what appears to be a
mid-twentieth century Latin American country, albeit to no
particular purpose, there is little or no focus upon
Beethoven's burning flame of freedom; Marzelline's ironing
makes more of a (tiresome) impression. Far from feeling
enclosed and oppressive, Florestan's cell is vast, so much
so that one can almost understand why Leonore fails to see
him to start with. The final scene simply falls apart,
direction of the characters faltering whilst garishly clad
prisoners' spouses and children parade around. It feels as
aimless as that.
Mark Berry