Performer: Ivan Repusic| Date | Event | Composers, Works, Performers |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 9-Oct-13 07:30pm |
 Deutsche Oper, BerlinThe Magic Flute |
Deutsche Oper Berlin Ivan Repusic, Conductor Günter Krämer, Director Andreas Reinhardt, Set Designer Siobhan Stagg, Soprano: Pamina Hulkar Sabirova, Soprano: Queen of the Night Yosep Kang, Tenor: Tamino John Chest, Baritone: Papageno Albert Pesendorfer, Bass: Sarastro Alexandra Hutton, Soprano: Papagena Burkhard Ulrich, Tenor: Monostatos Stephen Bronk, Bass: Speaker (der Sprecher) |
-Bernd-Uhlig.jpg "Image credit: Bernd Uhlig") | ||
| Deutsche Oper, Berlin, Bismarckstraße 35, Berlin, Germany Wednesday 9-Oct-13 07:30pm In German with German surtitles.
Prince Tamino is menaced by a wild dragon. At the last moment he is saved by three mysterious women, who have been sent by the Queen of the Night. When the bird catcher Papageno appears and boasts of his heroic deed as dragon slayer, the three ladies punish him. They present the Prince with a picture of Pamina, the Queen's daughter, who has been imprisoned by Sarastro, Regent of the Sun Temple. Tamino falls in love with her. The Queen appears in person and orders him to join forces with Papageno to save Pamina. They give Tamino a magic flute for protection and the reluctant Pagageno receives a glockenspiel of magical chimes. Led by three boys, the two heroes begin their journey to Sarastro's castle. Tamino is twice prevented from entering by the gatekeepers. At the third attempt they inform him that Sarastro is nothing like the cruel tyrant that the Queen of the Night has made him out to be. Papageno finds Pamina and tries to escape with her. He is able to stall her guard Monostatos with the help of the chimes, but the appearance of Sarastro puts an end to all attempts to flee. Papageno, Pamina and Tamino are compelled to stay in Sarastro's temple and submit to a series of life-threatening trials. First of all they have to learn to be silent, which is especially difficult for Papageno. When an old woman passes, Papageno cannot restrain himself and asks her what her name is. She disappears in a clap of thunder. Papageno consoles himself with the food that is so miraculously served to them. Tamino keeps silent, playing on his flute. Pamina appears, in deep despair that Tamino is no longer talking to her. Her mother has already entreated her in vain to murder Sarastro. When she decides to end her life the three boys seize her dagger and lead her to Tamino. Protected by the flute, both of them pass the ordeals of fire and water, and have now successfully completed all the trials. Meanwhile Papageno, in his great loneliness, conjures up the old woman again and promises to marry her, »if there's nothing better to be had«. All of a sudden she is transformed into a beautiful young girl, but their time has not yet come and she is taken from him again. In his despair he decides to end his life, but the three boys remind him of the magic chimes. Their tinkling brings back Papagena, and the reunion sets them both dreaming of a happy future together. The other pair is happy, too: Tamino and Pamina are inducted into the Society of the Enlightened, which celebrates the ideals of Nature, Wisdom and Reason. Only for the Queen of the Night does the story take a turn for the worse: when she attempts to enter the temple along with her entourage she is devoured by the spirits of darkness. Mozart's MAGIC FLUTE is the most frequently performed opera in the German-speaking world. This variegated masterpiece straddling Viennese popular theatre, fairytale, myth and the mystery of freemasonry is a puzzle even today: did Mozart and his librettist Schikaneder switch horses in mid-stream, changing allegiance from the Queen of the Night to Sarastro? Should one not distrust the holier-than-thou world of the priests and an ideology that divides the world into good and evil? Are there not traces, even, of discrepancies between text and music, as many a Mozart expert has suggested? Whatever the facts of the matter, it is the music that smooths the contradictions of the plot, elevating them to a worldly realism. The music does not denounce the characters but rather confers on the conflicts an existential dimension. Without this dimension the opera would come over as an irrational fairytale. Image credit: Bernd Uhlig Ivan Repusic, Conductor Günter Krämer, Director Andreas Reinhardt, Set Designer Siobhan Stagg, Soprano: Pamina Hulkar Sabirova, Soprano: Queen of the Night Yosep Kang, Tenor: Tamino John Chest, Baritone: Papageno Albert Pesendorfer, Bass: Sarastro Alexandra Hutton, Soprano: Papagena Burkhard Ulrich, Tenor: Monostatos Stephen Bronk, Bass: Speaker (der Sprecher) | ||
| Friday 13-Dec-13 07:30pm |
Deutsche Oper, Berlin Tosca |
Deutsche Oper Berlin Ivan Repusic, Conductor Boleslaw Barlog, Director Filippo Sanjust, Set Designer Hui He, Soprano: Floria Tosca Marco Berti, Tenor: Mario Cavaradossi John Lundgren, Baritone: Baron Scarpia Jörg Schörner, Tenor: Spoletta Ben Wager, Bass: Cesare Angelotti Seth Carico, Bass-baritone: Sacristan Andrew Harris, Bass: Sciarrone |
-Bettina-Stöß.jpg "Image credit: © Bettina Stoss") | ||
| Deutsche Oper, Berlin, Bismarckstraße 35, Berlin, Germany Friday 13-Dec-13 07:30pm In Italian with German surtitles.
Puccini's "Torture Opera", as Oskar Bie dubbed it, was based on LA TOSCA, the well received play by Victorien Sardou [1831–1908], which premiered in Paris in 1887 with Sarah Bernhardt in the title role. Puccini attended a performance of the play in Milan during an 1889 tour and found the subject matter interesting, although the Tosca project was to remain dormant for another six years. Puccini's interest in the work grew, doubtless prompted by another viewing of the Sardou play in Florence and by Luigi Illica's work on a TOSCA libretto for composer Alberto Franchetti [1860–1942]. Following a "conspiracy" between Puccini, Illica and Ricordi, the publisher successfully persuaded Franchetti to abandon his TOSCA project and to surrender the scoring rights to Puccini.
As in all other Puccini operas TOSCA amply demonstrates the mutual causality between humane attentiveness and culinary pleasure when the composer's artistic intention becomes the benchmark for interpretations. The outcry and resignation are the two fundamental prerequisites for the human attention paid by Puccini: The empathy reflected in his composition, far from contenting itself with abstract gestures, aims to disturb and transform. The "small things" - Puccini refers to them with modern understatement as his preferred focus of attention – become "large issues", provided that we want this to happen.
In view of the connection between Puccini's choice of subject matter (directly and indirectly inspired by Zola, Hauptmann and Gorki) and his method of composition it is natural that we crown him Verdi's successor and confer on him the badge of "verismo". He is known to have been a great admirer of Wagner and anything but a second-rate imitator. He created a very personal bond with Verdi and Wagner by taking his inspiration from both masters. He took all their harmony refinements and subtleties of instrumentation and managed to detach the voice somewhat from the orchestra, all the while giving it a far more fragmented and melodically sensitive accompagnato in the orchestra than the radical and laconic Verdi ever had. This is also mirrored in the aesthetic theme of Tosca. Puccini's musical statement is as brutal as it is tender, as intelligent as it is sentimental, as precise as it is dreamy. Puccini's watchwords are authenticity, precision of musical detail, social awareness, the poetic sound of the ostensibly mundane, heroism coupled with shrewdness, the contrast between passionate commitment and cold remoteness.
The Chief of Police Scarpia, the singer Floria Tosca and the artist Cavaradossi in their different ways, all insist on their personal freedom to act as they please - Scarpia as a condition of his claim to power, Cavaradossi in his rebellious urge to bring about change and Tosca as an expression of a plain, unlimited love.
At a time of momentous change such attitudes take on an exemplary significance. Depending on how we view Puccini and ourselves today, we can approach TOSCA as a romantic schlocker or as a bad omen for freedom. Whatever our attitude, each of these very different individuals in the triangular relationship pays the ultimate price for his or her actions. Their deaths are not accompanied by a glorious halo marked Redemption; they are bitter, horrific, definitive.Image credit: © Bettina Stoss Ivan Repusic, Conductor Boleslaw Barlog, Director Filippo Sanjust, Set Designer Hui He, Soprano: Floria Tosca Marco Berti, Tenor: Mario Cavaradossi John Lundgren, Baritone: Baron Scarpia Jörg Schörner, Tenor: Spoletta Ben Wager, Bass: Cesare Angelotti Seth Carico, Bass-baritone: Sacristan Andrew Harris, Bass: Sciarrone | ||
| Monday 16-Dec-13 07:30pm |
Deutsche Oper, Berlin Tosca |
Deutsche Oper Berlin Ivan Repusic, Conductor Boleslaw Barlog, Director Filippo Sanjust, Set Designer Hui He, Soprano: Floria Tosca Marco Berti, Tenor: Mario Cavaradossi John Lundgren, Baritone: Baron Scarpia Jörg Schörner, Tenor: Spoletta Ben Wager, Bass: Cesare Angelotti Seth Carico, Bass-baritone: Sacristan Andrew Harris, Bass: Sciarrone |
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| Deutsche Oper, Berlin, Bismarckstraße 35, Berlin, Germany Monday 16-Dec-13 07:30pm In Italian with German surtitles.
Puccini's "Torture Opera", as Oskar Bie dubbed it, was based on LA TOSCA, the well received play by Victorien Sardou [1831–1908], which premiered in Paris in 1887 with Sarah Bernhardt in the title role. Puccini attended a performance of the play in Milan during an 1889 tour and found the subject matter interesting, although the Tosca project was to remain dormant for another six years. Puccini's interest in the work grew, doubtless prompted by another viewing of the Sardou play in Florence and by Luigi Illica's work on a TOSCA libretto for composer Alberto Franchetti [1860–1942]. Following a "conspiracy" between Puccini, Illica and Ricordi, the publisher successfully persuaded Franchetti to abandon his TOSCA project and to surrender the scoring rights to Puccini. As in all other Puccini operas TOSCA amply demonstrates the mutual causality between humane attentiveness and culinary pleasure when the composer's artistic intention becomes the benchmark for interpretations. The outcry and resignation are the two fundamental prerequisites for the human attention paid by Puccini: The empathy reflected in his composition, far from contenting itself with abstract gestures, aims to disturb and transform. The "small things" - Puccini refers to them with modern understatement as his preferred focus of attention – become "large issues", provided that we want this to happen. In view of the connection between Puccini's choice of subject matter (directly and indirectly inspired by Zola, Hauptmann and Gorki) and his method of composition it is natural that we crown him Verdi's successor and confer on him the badge of "verismo". He is known to have been a great admirer of Wagner and anything but a second-rate imitator. He created a very personal bond with Verdi and Wagner by taking his inspiration from both masters. He took all their harmony refinements and subtleties of instrumentation and managed to detach the voice somewhat from the orchestra, all the while giving it a far more fragmented and melodically sensitive accompagnato in the orchestra than the radical and laconic Verdi ever had. This is also mirrored in the aesthetic theme of Tosca. Puccini's musical statement is as brutal as it is tender, as intelligent as it is sentimental, as precise as it is dreamy. Puccini's watchwords are authenticity, precision of musical detail, social awareness, the poetic sound of the ostensibly mundane, heroism coupled with shrewdness, the contrast between passionate commitment and cold remoteness. The Chief of Police Scarpia, the singer Floria Tosca and the artist Cavaradossi in their different ways, all insist on their personal freedom to act as they please - Scarpia as a condition of his claim to power, Cavaradossi in his rebellious urge to bring about change and Tosca as an expression of a plain, unlimited love. At a time of momentous change such attitudes take on an exemplary significance. Depending on how we view Puccini and ourselves today, we can approach TOSCA as a romantic schlocker or as a bad omen for freedom. Whatever our attitude, each of these very different individuals in the triangular relationship pays the ultimate price for his or her actions. Their deaths are not accompanied by a glorious halo marked Redemption; they are bitter, horrific, definitive. Image credit: © Bettina Stoss Ivan Repusic, Conductor Boleslaw Barlog, Director Filippo Sanjust, Set Designer Hui He, Soprano: Floria Tosca Marco Berti, Tenor: Mario Cavaradossi John Lundgren, Baritone: Baron Scarpia Jörg Schörner, Tenor: Spoletta Ben Wager, Bass: Cesare Angelotti Seth Carico, Bass-baritone: Sacristan Andrew Harris, Bass: Sciarrone | ||
| Friday 20-Dec-13 07:30pm |
Deutsche Oper, Berlin The Magic Flute |
Deutsche Oper Berlin Ivan Repusic, Conductor Günter Krämer, Director Andreas Reinhardt, Set Designer Martina Welschenbach, Soprano: Pamina Hulkar Sabirova, Soprano: Queen of the Night Alvaro Zambrano, Tenor: Tamino Simon Pauly, Baritone: Papageno Ante Jerkunica, Bass: Sarastro Alexandra Hutton, Soprano: Papagena Burkhard Ulrich, Tenor: Monostatos Stephen Bronk, Bass: Speaker (der Sprecher) |
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| Deutsche Oper, Berlin, Bismarckstraße 35, Berlin, Germany Friday 20-Dec-13 07:30pm In German with German surtitles.
Prince Tamino is menaced by a wild dragon. At the last moment he is saved by three mysterious women, who have been sent by the Queen of the Night. When the bird catcher Papageno appears and boasts of his heroic deed as dragon slayer, the three ladies punish him. They present the Prince with a picture of Pamina, the Queen's daughter, who has been imprisoned by Sarastro, Regent of the Sun Temple. Tamino falls in love with her. The Queen appears in person and orders him to join forces with Papageno to save Pamina. They give Tamino a magic flute for protection and the reluctant Pagageno receives a glockenspiel of magical chimes. Led by three boys, the two heroes begin their journey to Sarastro's castle. Tamino is twice prevented from entering by the gatekeepers. At the third attempt they inform him that Sarastro is nothing like the cruel tyrant that the Queen of the Night has made him out to be. Papageno finds Pamina and tries to escape with her. He is able to stall her guard Monostatos with the help of the chimes, but the appearance of Sarastro puts an end to all attempts to flee. Papageno, Pamina and Tamino are compelled to stay in Sarastro's temple and submit to a series of life-threatening trials. First of all they have to learn to be silent, which is especially difficult for Papageno. When an old woman passes, Papageno cannot restrain himself and asks her what her name is. She disappears in a clap of thunder. Papageno consoles himself with the food that is so miraculously served to them. Tamino keeps silent, playing on his flute. Pamina appears, in deep despair that Tamino is no longer talking to her. Her mother has already entreated her in vain to murder Sarastro. When she decides to end her life the three boys seize her dagger and lead her to Tamino. Protected by the flute, both of them pass the ordeals of fire and water, and have now successfully completed all the trials. Meanwhile Papageno, in his great loneliness, conjures up the old woman again and promises to marry her, »if there's nothing better to be had«. All of a sudden she is transformed into a beautiful young girl, but their time has not yet come and she is taken from him again. In his despair he decides to end his life, but the three boys remind him of the magic chimes. Their tinkling brings back Papagena, and the reunion sets them both dreaming of a happy future together. The other pair is happy, too: Tamino and Pamina are inducted into the Society of the Enlightened, which celebrates the ideals of Nature, Wisdom and Reason. Only for the Queen of the Night does the story take a turn for the worse: when she attempts to enter the temple along with her entourage she is devoured by the spirits of darkness. Mozart's MAGIC FLUTE is the most frequently performed opera in the German-speaking world. This variegated masterpiece straddling Viennese popular theatre, fairytale, myth and the mystery of freemasonry is a puzzle even today: did Mozart and his librettist Schikaneder switch horses in mid-stream, changing allegiance from the Queen of the Night to Sarastro? Should one not distrust the holier-than-thou world of the priests and an ideology that divides the world into good and evil? Are there not traces, even, of discrepancies between text and music, as many a Mozart expert has suggested? Whatever the facts of the matter, it is the music that smooths the contradictions of the plot, elevating them to a worldly realism. The music does not denounce the characters but rather confers on the conflicts an existential dimension. Without this dimension the opera would come over as an irrational fairytale. Image credit: Bernd Uhlig Ivan Repusic, Conductor Günter Krämer, Director Andreas Reinhardt, Set Designer Martina Welschenbach, Soprano: Pamina Hulkar Sabirova, Soprano: Queen of the Night Alvaro Zambrano, Tenor: Tamino Simon Pauly, Baritone: Papageno Ante Jerkunica, Bass: Sarastro Alexandra Hutton, Soprano: Papagena Burkhard Ulrich, Tenor: Monostatos Stephen Bronk, Bass: Speaker (der Sprecher) | ||
| Tuesday 31-Dec-13 03:00pm |
Deutsche Oper, Berlin La Bohème |
Deutsche Oper Berlin Ivan Repusic, Conductor Götz Friedrich, Director Peter Sykora, Set Designer Anita Hartig, Soprano: Mimì Martina Welschenbach, Soprano: Musetta Teodor Ilincai, Tenor: Rodolfo Markus Brück, Baritone: Marcello Matthew Newlin, Tenor: Parpignol Simon Pauly, Baritone: Schaunard Jörg Schörner, Tenor: Benoît Tobias Kehrer, Bass: Colline |
-Bettina-Stöß.jpg "Image credit: Bettina-Stöß") | ||
| Deutsche Oper, Berlin, Bismarckstraße 35, Berlin, Germany Tuesday 31-Dec-13 03:00pm In Italian with German surtitles.
Puccini had already proved his ability as a brilliant musical colourist with EDGAR (1889) and MANON LESCAUT, but it was only with LA BOHÈME that a perfect marriage of subject matter and musical interpretation was finally achieved: Claude Debussy enthusiastically commented, "no one has described the Paris of these days as aptly as Puccini in his LA BOHÈME". Puccini's impressionistic sound artistry combines subjective emotion with objective tone painting. His tonal elements, his musical descriptions of the ambience and the local colour of his aural tapestry begin to work their magic from the very first scene, when Rodolfo and Marcello set fire to their manuscript and the poet sprinkles drops of water on the face of the unconscious Mimi, and in the second scene, when the chorus, in its role as crowd, is contrasted with the stage orchestra as military parade, and also in the third scene, when economical use is made of carefully selected musical elements to create the atmosphere of a cold winter's morning. A frosty winter´s day in a Paris garret. Rodolfo, the writer, and Marcello, the painter, are trying to work. They are hungry and without fuel for heating or money to pay their rent. Colline, the philosopher has tried and failed to pawn some books. The musician Schaunard has been more fortunate; he arrives with food, firewood, cigarettes and money. Rodolfo wants to work and his friends depart for Café Momus. His work is interrupted by a neighbour, who is searching for a means to light her dwelling. While making her request she faints and loses the keys to her lodgings. So it is that Rodolfo falls in love with Mimi, the embroiderer who is hopelessly ill with tuberculosis. Two months later he deserts her, unable to look helplessly on while Mimi's illness worsens in his poor, cold hovel. Six months later Musetta, the former mistress of Marcello, brings back the dying Mimi. Musetta sacrifices her earrings for the purchase of medicine, Colline donates his coat. Mimi is grateful and happy. Rodolfo believes that she has fallen into a curative sleep, but Mimi is dead. From a dramaturgical viewpoint LA BOHÈME retains the strands of an experiment that has remained unique in Puccini's body of work. Libretto authors Ilica and Giacose formed a libretto out of a loose sequence of episodes from Louis Henri Murger's novel. Their artistic maxim consisted in preserving the protagonists and ambience of the novel while allowing a degree of flexibility in the selection and treatment of episodes. They structured their sourcebook into "quadri", images that are held together only by the love story between Rodolfo and Mimi. The relationship between Musetta and Marcello serves as counterpoint. "LA BOHÈME always addresses and challenges our innermost private feelings - intellectual snobs and frustrated, sniping critics should stay at home! I can only say from my personal point of view: I'm 30 years older now and I have an even stronger desire now to explore hope and despair, the dreams and pain of youth, and to reflect them on stage, in the form of images, action and sound. Coming to this work afresh reflects a kind of pining for one's own youth. I think this is the open secret of Puccini's LA BOHÈME, why it is still so vibrant and topical today." (Götz Friedrich in 1988) Image credit: Bettina-Stöß Ivan Repusic, Conductor Götz Friedrich, Director Peter Sykora, Set Designer Anita Hartig, Soprano: Mimì Martina Welschenbach, Soprano: Musetta Teodor Ilincai, Tenor: Rodolfo Markus Brück, Baritone: Marcello Matthew Newlin, Tenor: Parpignol Simon Pauly, Baritone: Schaunard Jörg Schörner, Tenor: Benoît Tobias Kehrer, Bass: Colline | ||
| Sunday 16-Feb-14 06:00pm |
Deutsche Oper, Berlin The Magic Flute |
Deutsche Oper Berlin Ivan Repusic, Conductor Günter Krämer, Director Andreas Reinhardt, Set Designer Heidi Stober, Soprano: Pamina Hulkar Sabirova, Soprano: Queen of the Night Matthew Newlin, Tenor: Tamino Simon Pauly, Baritone: Papageno Ante Jerkunica, Bass: Sarastro Alexandra Hutton, Soprano: Papagena Burkhard Ulrich, Tenor: Monostatos Seth Carico, Bass-baritone: Speaker (der Sprecher) |
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| Deutsche Oper, Berlin, Bismarckstraße 35, Berlin, Germany Sunday 16-Feb-14 06:00pm In German with German surtitles.
Prince Tamino is menaced by a wild dragon. At the last moment he is saved by three mysterious women, who have been sent by the Queen of the Night. When the bird catcher Papageno appears and boasts of his heroic deed as dragon slayer, the three ladies punish him. They present the Prince with a picture of Pamina, the Queen's daughter, who has been imprisoned by Sarastro, Regent of the Sun Temple. Tamino falls in love with her. The Queen appears in person and orders him to join forces with Papageno to save Pamina. They give Tamino a magic flute for protection and the reluctant Pagageno receives a glockenspiel of magical chimes. Led by three boys, the two heroes begin their journey to Sarastro's castle. Tamino is twice prevented from entering by the gatekeepers. At the third attempt they inform him that Sarastro is nothing like the cruel tyrant that the Queen of the Night has made him out to be. Papageno finds Pamina and tries to escape with her. He is able to stall her guard Monostatos with the help of the chimes, but the appearance of Sarastro puts an end to all attempts to flee. Papageno, Pamina and Tamino are compelled to stay in Sarastro's temple and submit to a series of life-threatening trials. First of all they have to learn to be silent, which is especially difficult for Papageno. When an old woman passes, Papageno cannot restrain himself and asks her what her name is. She disappears in a clap of thunder. Papageno consoles himself with the food that is so miraculously served to them. Tamino keeps silent, playing on his flute. Pamina appears, in deep despair that Tamino is no longer talking to her. Her mother has already entreated her in vain to murder Sarastro. When she decides to end her life the three boys seize her dagger and lead her to Tamino. Protected by the flute, both of them pass the ordeals of fire and water, and have now successfully completed all the trials. Meanwhile Papageno, in his great loneliness, conjures up the old woman again and promises to marry her, »if there's nothing better to be had«. All of a sudden she is transformed into a beautiful young girl, but their time has not yet come and she is taken from him again. In his despair he decides to end his life, but the three boys remind him of the magic chimes. Their tinkling brings back Papagena, and the reunion sets them both dreaming of a happy future together. The other pair is happy, too: Tamino and Pamina are inducted into the Society of the Enlightened, which celebrates the ideals of Nature, Wisdom and Reason. Only for the Queen of the Night does the story take a turn for the worse: when she attempts to enter the temple along with her entourage she is devoured by the spirits of darkness. Mozart's MAGIC FLUTE is the most frequently performed opera in the German-speaking world. This variegated masterpiece straddling Viennese popular theatre, fairytale, myth and the mystery of freemasonry is a puzzle even today: did Mozart and his librettist Schikaneder switch horses in mid-stream, changing allegiance from the Queen of the Night to Sarastro? Should one not distrust the holier-than-thou world of the priests and an ideology that divides the world into good and evil? Are there not traces, even, of discrepancies between text and music, as many a Mozart expert has suggested? Whatever the facts of the matter, it is the music that smooths the contradictions of the plot, elevating them to a worldly realism. The music does not denounce the characters but rather confers on the conflicts an existential dimension. Without this dimension the opera would come over as an irrational fairytale. Image credit: Bernd Uhlig Ivan Repusic, Conductor Günter Krämer, Director Andreas Reinhardt, Set Designer Heidi Stober, Soprano: Pamina Hulkar Sabirova, Soprano: Queen of the Night Matthew Newlin, Tenor: Tamino Simon Pauly, Baritone: Papageno Ante Jerkunica, Bass: Sarastro Alexandra Hutton, Soprano: Papagena Burkhard Ulrich, Tenor: Monostatos Seth Carico, Bass-baritone: Speaker (der Sprecher) | ||
| Friday 11-Apr-14 07:30pm |
Deutsche Oper, Berlin The Magic Flute |
Deutsche Oper Berlin Ivan Repusic, Conductor Günter Krämer, Director Andreas Reinhardt, Set Designer Elena Tsallagova, Soprano: Pamina Hulkar Sabirova, Soprano: Queen of the Night Yosep Kang, Tenor: Tamino Simon Pauly, Baritone: Papageno Tobias Kehrer, Bass: Sarastro Alexandra Hutton, Soprano: Papagena Gideon Poppe, Tenor: Monostatos Stephen Bronk, Bass: Speaker (der Sprecher) |
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| Deutsche Oper, Berlin, Bismarckstraße 35, Berlin, Germany Friday 11-Apr-14 07:30pm In German with German surtitles.
Prince Tamino is menaced by a wild dragon. At the last moment he is saved by three mysterious women, who have been sent by the Queen of the Night. When the bird catcher Papageno appears and boasts of his heroic deed as dragon slayer, the three ladies punish him. They present the Prince with a picture of Pamina, the Queen's daughter, who has been imprisoned by Sarastro, Regent of the Sun Temple. Tamino falls in love with her. The Queen appears in person and orders him to join forces with Papageno to save Pamina. They give Tamino a magic flute for protection and the reluctant Pagageno receives a glockenspiel of magical chimes. Led by three boys, the two heroes begin their journey to Sarastro's castle. Tamino is twice prevented from entering by the gatekeepers. At the third attempt they inform him that Sarastro is nothing like the cruel tyrant that the Queen of the Night has made him out to be. Papageno finds Pamina and tries to escape with her. He is able to stall her guard Monostatos with the help of the chimes, but the appearance of Sarastro puts an end to all attempts to flee. Papageno, Pamina and Tamino are compelled to stay in Sarastro's temple and submit to a series of life-threatening trials. First of all they have to learn to be silent, which is especially difficult for Papageno. When an old woman passes, Papageno cannot restrain himself and asks her what her name is. She disappears in a clap of thunder. Papageno consoles himself with the food that is so miraculously served to them. Tamino keeps silent, playing on his flute. Pamina appears, in deep despair that Tamino is no longer talking to her. Her mother has already entreated her in vain to murder Sarastro. When she decides to end her life the three boys seize her dagger and lead her to Tamino. Protected by the flute, both of them pass the ordeals of fire and water, and have now successfully completed all the trials. Meanwhile Papageno, in his great loneliness, conjures up the old woman again and promises to marry her, »if there's nothing better to be had«. All of a sudden she is transformed into a beautiful young girl, but their time has not yet come and she is taken from him again. In his despair he decides to end his life, but the three boys remind him of the magic chimes. Their tinkling brings back Papagena, and the reunion sets them both dreaming of a happy future together. The other pair is happy, too: Tamino and Pamina are inducted into the Society of the Enlightened, which celebrates the ideals of Nature, Wisdom and Reason. Only for the Queen of the Night does the story take a turn for the worse: when she attempts to enter the temple along with her entourage she is devoured by the spirits of darkness. Mozart's MAGIC FLUTE is the most frequently performed opera in the German-speaking world. This variegated masterpiece straddling Viennese popular theatre, fairytale, myth and the mystery of freemasonry is a puzzle even today: did Mozart and his librettist Schikaneder switch horses in mid-stream, changing allegiance from the Queen of the Night to Sarastro? Should one not distrust the holier-than-thou world of the priests and an ideology that divides the world into good and evil? Are there not traces, even, of discrepancies between text and music, as many a Mozart expert has suggested? Whatever the facts of the matter, it is the music that smooths the contradictions of the plot, elevating them to a worldly realism. The music does not denounce the characters but rather confers on the conflicts an existential dimension. Without this dimension the opera would come over as an irrational fairytale. Image credit: Bernd Uhlig Ivan Repusic, Conductor Günter Krämer, Director Andreas Reinhardt, Set Designer Elena Tsallagova, Soprano: Pamina Hulkar Sabirova, Soprano: Queen of the Night Yosep Kang, Tenor: Tamino Simon Pauly, Baritone: Papageno Tobias Kehrer, Bass: Sarastro Alexandra Hutton, Soprano: Papagena Gideon Poppe, Tenor: Monostatos Stephen Bronk, Bass: Speaker (der Sprecher) | ||
| Saturday 19-Apr-14 07:30pm |
Deutsche Oper, Berlin La Traviata |
Deutsche Oper Berlin Ivan Repusic, Conductor Götz Friedrich, Director Frank Philipp Schlössmann, Set Designer Marina Rebeka, Soprano: Violetta Valéry Dmytro Popov, Tenor: Alfredo Germont Markus Brück, Baritone: Giorgio Germont Alexandra Hutton, Soprano: Annina Christina Sidak, Mezzo-soprano: Flora Bervoix Gideon Poppe, Tenor: Gaston Stephen Bronk, Bass: Baron Douphol |
-Marcus-Lieberenz.jpg "Image credit: Marcus Lieberenz") | ||
| Deutsche Oper, Berlin, Bismarckstraße 35, Berlin, Germany Saturday 19-Apr-14 07:30pm In Italian with German surtitles.
Violetta Valery is kept in luxury by her admirer Baron Douphol. Seemingly recovered from a serious illness, she hosts a glittering party at which she meets and falls in love with Alfredo Germont. The world in which Violetta lives cannot countenance such a love affair and so she abandons her old existence and seeks happiness with Alfredo in the countryside. Soon, however, Alfredo's father Giorgio beseeches Violetta to end the relationship, fearing that Violetta's dubious reputation will jeopardise the wedding of Alfredo's younger sister. In despair, Violetta concedes and writes a farewell letter to Alfredo. At a ball given by her friend Flora Alfredo and Violetta clash: Violetta has taken it upon herself to convince Alfredo that she is in love with Baron Douphol. Alfredo has won a large sum of money at the gambling tables. Overcome by jealousy, he hurls his winnings at Violetta's feet, publicly declaring this to be the "fee" for her "favours". One month later, with Paris in the grip of carnival fever, Violetta is at death's door, having suffered a relapse. Now that his father has revealed the true reasons for her actions, Alfredo hurries back. Violetta forgives Alfredo for his conduct, releases him and dies. La Traviata was Verdi's only opera to be set among the Parisian middle classes of the day. It is based on the acclaimed novel The Lady of the Camellias by Alexandre Dumas fils, which is a critical portrayal of the Parisian demi-monde and charts the story of Marie Duplessis, a noble courtesan who died from consumption in 1847 at the age of 23. While Dumas paid considerable attention to social networks and relationships, Verdi and his librettist Francesco Maria Piave focused entirely on the conflict between Violetta, Alfredo and his father Giorgio. Their drama concerns itself only with internal conflicts and focuses on the three phases in the fortunes of Violetta Valery - love, renunciation and death. By presenting Violetta's tribulations in the form of a retrospective narrative Götz Friedrich has given his tragedy the atmosphere of a requiem. No sooner has the opera begun than we see the protagonist on her deathbed, surrounded by the dark vastness of the stage, which resembles a gigantic tomb. As the ball begins Violetta, now in ballroom attire, rises from the bed, which has become a divan. Suddenly the doors burst open and in pours the frolicking Parisian crowd, intent on its frivolous entertainment. The flashback begins. Shunning sentimentality and trivial frankness, Friedrich's production reaches deep into the characters, laying bare the inner drama and bringing the gloom and fatalism of the piece to the fore. Image credit: Marcus Lieberenz Ivan Repusic, Conductor Götz Friedrich, Director Frank Philipp Schlössmann, Set Designer Marina Rebeka, Soprano: Violetta Valéry Dmytro Popov, Tenor: Alfredo Germont Markus Brück, Baritone: Giorgio Germont Alexandra Hutton, Soprano: Annina Christina Sidak, Mezzo-soprano: Flora Bervoix Gideon Poppe, Tenor: Gaston Stephen Bronk, Bass: Baron Douphol | ||
| Sunday 27-Apr-14 06:00pm |
Deutsche Oper, Berlin La Traviata |
Deutsche Oper Berlin Ivan Repusic, Conductor Götz Friedrich, Director Frank Philipp Schlössmann, Set Designer Marina Rebeka, Soprano: Violetta Valéry Dmytro Popov, Tenor: Alfredo Germont Markus Brück, Baritone: Giorgio Germont Alexandra Hutton, Soprano: Annina Christina Sidak, Mezzo-soprano: Flora Bervoix Gideon Poppe, Tenor: Gaston Stephen Bronk, Bass: Baron Douphol |
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| Deutsche Oper, Berlin, Bismarckstraße 35, Berlin, Germany Sunday 27-Apr-14 06:00pm In Italian with German surtitles.
Violetta Valery is kept in luxury by her admirer Baron Douphol. Seemingly recovered from a serious illness, she hosts a glittering party at which she meets and falls in love with Alfredo Germont. The world in which Violetta lives cannot countenance such a love affair and so she abandons her old existence and seeks happiness with Alfredo in the countryside. Soon, however, Alfredo's father Giorgio beseeches Violetta to end the relationship, fearing that Violetta's dubious reputation will jeopardise the wedding of Alfredo's younger sister. In despair, Violetta concedes and writes a farewell letter to Alfredo. At a ball given by her friend Flora Alfredo and Violetta clash: Violetta has taken it upon herself to convince Alfredo that she is in love with Baron Douphol. Alfredo has won a large sum of money at the gambling tables. Overcome by jealousy, he hurls his winnings at Violetta's feet, publicly declaring this to be the "fee" for her "favours". One month later, with Paris in the grip of carnival fever, Violetta is at death's door, having suffered a relapse. Now that his father has revealed the true reasons for her actions, Alfredo hurries back. Violetta forgives Alfredo for his conduct, releases him and dies. La Traviata was Verdi's only opera to be set among the Parisian middle classes of the day. It is based on the acclaimed novel The Lady of the Camellias by Alexandre Dumas fils, which is a critical portrayal of the Parisian demi-monde and charts the story of Marie Duplessis, a noble courtesan who died from consumption in 1847 at the age of 23. While Dumas paid considerable attention to social networks and relationships, Verdi and his librettist Francesco Maria Piave focused entirely on the conflict between Violetta, Alfredo and his father Giorgio. Their drama concerns itself only with internal conflicts and focuses on the three phases in the fortunes of Violetta Valery - love, renunciation and death. By presenting Violetta's tribulations in the form of a retrospective narrative Götz Friedrich has given his tragedy the atmosphere of a requiem. No sooner has the opera begun than we see the protagonist on her deathbed, surrounded by the dark vastness of the stage, which resembles a gigantic tomb. As the ball begins Violetta, now in ballroom attire, rises from the bed, which has become a divan. Suddenly the doors burst open and in pours the frolicking Parisian crowd, intent on its frivolous entertainment. The flashback begins. Shunning sentimentality and trivial frankness, Friedrich's production reaches deep into the characters, laying bare the inner drama and bringing the gloom and fatalism of the piece to the fore. Image credit: Marcus Lieberenz Ivan Repusic, Conductor Götz Friedrich, Director Frank Philipp Schlössmann, Set Designer Marina Rebeka, Soprano: Violetta Valéry Dmytro Popov, Tenor: Alfredo Germont Markus Brück, Baritone: Giorgio Germont Alexandra Hutton, Soprano: Annina Christina Sidak, Mezzo-soprano: Flora Bervoix Gideon Poppe, Tenor: Gaston Stephen Bronk, Bass: Baron Douphol | ||
| Friday 2-May-14 07:30pm |
Deutsche Oper, Berlin The Magic Flute |
Deutsche Oper Berlin Ivan Repusic, Conductor Günter Krämer, Director Andreas Reinhardt, Set Designer Elena Tsallagova, Soprano: Pamina Hulkar Sabirova, Soprano: Queen of the Night Yosep Kang, Tenor: Tamino Simon Pauly, Baritone: Papageno Albert Pesendorfer, Bass: Sarastro Alexandra Hutton, Soprano: Papagena Gideon Poppe, Tenor: Monostatos Seth Carico, Bass-baritone: Speaker (der Sprecher) |
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| Deutsche Oper, Berlin, Bismarckstraße 35, Berlin, Germany Friday 2-May-14 07:30pm In German with German surtitles.
Prince Tamino is menaced by a wild dragon. At the last moment he is saved by three mysterious women, who have been sent by the Queen of the Night. When the bird catcher Papageno appears and boasts of his heroic deed as dragon slayer, the three ladies punish him. They present the Prince with a picture of Pamina, the Queen's daughter, who has been imprisoned by Sarastro, Regent of the Sun Temple. Tamino falls in love with her. The Queen appears in person and orders him to join forces with Papageno to save Pamina. They give Tamino a magic flute for protection and the reluctant Pagageno receives a glockenspiel of magical chimes. Led by three boys, the two heroes begin their journey to Sarastro's castle. Tamino is twice prevented from entering by the gatekeepers. At the third attempt they inform him that Sarastro is nothing like the cruel tyrant that the Queen of the Night has made him out to be. Papageno finds Pamina and tries to escape with her. He is able to stall her guard Monostatos with the help of the chimes, but the appearance of Sarastro puts an end to all attempts to flee. Papageno, Pamina and Tamino are compelled to stay in Sarastro's temple and submit to a series of life-threatening trials. First of all they have to learn to be silent, which is especially difficult for Papageno. When an old woman passes, Papageno cannot restrain himself and asks her what her name is. She disappears in a clap of thunder. Papageno consoles himself with the food that is so miraculously served to them. Tamino keeps silent, playing on his flute. Pamina appears, in deep despair that Tamino is no longer talking to her. Her mother has already entreated her in vain to murder Sarastro. When she decides to end her life the three boys seize her dagger and lead her to Tamino. Protected by the flute, both of them pass the ordeals of fire and water, and have now successfully completed all the trials. Meanwhile Papageno, in his great loneliness, conjures up the old woman again and promises to marry her, »if there's nothing better to be had«. All of a sudden she is transformed into a beautiful young girl, but their time has not yet come and she is taken from him again. In his despair he decides to end his life, but the three boys remind him of the magic chimes. Their tinkling brings back Papagena, and the reunion sets them both dreaming of a happy future together. The other pair is happy, too: Tamino and Pamina are inducted into the Society of the Enlightened, which celebrates the ideals of Nature, Wisdom and Reason. Only for the Queen of the Night does the story take a turn for the worse: when she attempts to enter the temple along with her entourage she is devoured by the spirits of darkness. Mozart's MAGIC FLUTE is the most frequently performed opera in the German-speaking world. This variegated masterpiece straddling Viennese popular theatre, fairytale, myth and the mystery of freemasonry is a puzzle even today: did Mozart and his librettist Schikaneder switch horses in mid-stream, changing allegiance from the Queen of the Night to Sarastro? Should one not distrust the holier-than-thou world of the priests and an ideology that divides the world into good and evil? Are there not traces, even, of discrepancies between text and music, as many a Mozart expert has suggested? Whatever the facts of the matter, it is the music that smooths the contradictions of the plot, elevating them to a worldly realism. The music does not denounce the characters but rather confers on the conflicts an existential dimension. Without this dimension the opera would come over as an irrational fairytale. Image credit: Bernd Uhlig Ivan Repusic, Conductor Günter Krämer, Director Andreas Reinhardt, Set Designer Elena Tsallagova, Soprano: Pamina Hulkar Sabirova, Soprano: Queen of the Night Yosep Kang, Tenor: Tamino Simon Pauly, Baritone: Papageno Albert Pesendorfer, Bass: Sarastro Alexandra Hutton, Soprano: Papagena Gideon Poppe, Tenor: Monostatos Seth Carico, Bass-baritone: Speaker (der Sprecher) | ||
| Friday 9-May-14 07:30pm |
Deutsche Oper, Berlin Lucia di Lammermoor |
Deutsche Oper Berlin Ivan Repusic, Conductor Filippo Sanjust, Director Hulkar Sabirova, Soprano: Lucia Katarina Bradić, Mezzo-soprano: Alisa Matthew Newlin, Tenor: Arturo Yosep Kang, Tenor: Edgardo Jörg Schörner, Tenor: Normanno Bastiaan Everink, Baritone: Enrico Marko Mimica, Bass: Raimondo |
-Bettina-Stöß.jpg "Image credit: Bettina Stöß") | ||
| Deutsche Oper, Berlin, Bismarckstraße 35, Berlin, Germany Friday 9-May-14 07:30pm In Italian with German surtitles.
Enrico wishes to marry off his sister Lucia to the mighty Lord Arturo Bucklaw in order to save himself from ruin. Lucia has sworn eternal loyalty to Edgardo Ravenswood, Enrico's mortal foe, who is citing ancient laws in support of his claim as the rightful owner of Enrico's lands. Enrico forges a letter in which Edgardo is accused of infidelity and Lucia held responsible for the family ruin. Enrico manages to persuade Lucia to marry Lord Bucklaw. Edgardo appears at the wedding and curses Lucia. She kills her husband. Edgardo challenges Enrico to a duel. Lucia is stricken by a madness that leads to her death. Upon hearing the death knell Edgardo stabs himself. Based on Sir Walter Scott's famous novel of 1819 The Bride of Lammermoor, this is perhaps Donizetti's most popular tragic opera. In his libretto Salvatore Cammarano has chosen a radical path: not only has he relegated the politics of the conflict between the Ashtons and Ravenswoods to the background, and reduced the preceding events to hints in the dialogue; he has also limited the complex entanglement of relationships in the novel to the conflicts between Enrico Ashton, his sister Lucia and her lover Edgardo. Director and set designer Filippo Sanjust's production is set around the period that the work was written (1835). An interim curtain depicting a billowing royal blue curtain and the ghostly, fluttering dress of a girl is the device used to suggest the romantic theatrical space. The stage images remind us of reprint editions of ancient tomes. The black costumes, red sashes, white collars, plumes and gauntlets of the Scotsmen form an opulent contrast and a befitting frame for one of the major works of Italian bel canto. It was Maria Callas who gave a new lease of life to the works of Donizetti, works that had also been neglected in Italy. We know Callas' intense, vibrato-free expression of feeling from vinyl recordings. Just as she did for many roles in the high dramatic Coloratura genre, Callas set a benchmark for the interpretation of Lucia. Extreme passions dictate the actions of the protagonists - on the one hand Enrico's hatred of Edgardo (Cavatina “Cruda … funesta smania'” Act 1), and of Lucia, who opposes his plans; on the other hand Lucia's love for Edgardo (Cavatina “Regna nel silenzio”, Act 1). That this love will be Lucia's downfall is masterfully portrayed by Donizetti’s music: the same Coloratura that describes how overwhelmed she is by love in Act 1 become indicators of her madness in her insanity aria at the climax of the opera. Another moment of high emotional drama comes in the sextet “Chi mi frena in tal momento” in Act 2. Giacomo Puccini wrote: “In one respect we Italians surpass the German composers: we are capable of expressing immeasurable sadness in the Major Key. Edgardo and Lucia are in despair, so much so that Lucia finally goes mad and Edgardo commits suicide; and what do we find in the vocal part? Sugared plums! Honeyed sweetness! – Although Lucia is singing: “I have been abandoned by heaven and earth! I would cry, but there are no tears for me. Desperation consumes my heart.” This sextet is rightfully seen as the most famous ensemble melody ever written for an opera – it is a polyphonic masterpiece …” Image credit: Bettina Stöß Ivan Repusic, Conductor Filippo Sanjust, Director Hulkar Sabirova, Soprano: Lucia Katarina Bradić, Mezzo-soprano: Alisa Matthew Newlin, Tenor: Arturo Yosep Kang, Tenor: Edgardo Jörg Schörner, Tenor: Normanno Bastiaan Everink, Baritone: Enrico Marko Mimica, Bass: Raimondo | ||
| Friday 16-May-14 07:30pm |
Deutsche Oper, Berlin Lucia di Lammermoor |
Deutsche Oper Berlin Ivan Repusic, Conductor Filippo Sanjust, Director Hulkar Sabirova, Soprano: Lucia Katarina Bradić, Mezzo-soprano: Alisa Matthew Newlin, Tenor: Arturo Yosep Kang, Tenor: Edgardo Jörg Schörner, Tenor: Normanno Bastiaan Everink, Baritone: Enrico Marko Mimica, Bass: Raimondo |
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| Deutsche Oper, Berlin, Bismarckstraße 35, Berlin, Germany Friday 16-May-14 07:30pm In Italian with German surtitles.
Enrico wishes to marry off his sister Lucia to the mighty Lord Arturo Bucklaw in order to save himself from ruin. Lucia has sworn eternal loyalty to Edgardo Ravenswood, Enrico's mortal foe, who is citing ancient laws in support of his claim as the rightful owner of Enrico's lands. Enrico forges a letter in which Edgardo is accused of infidelity and Lucia held responsible for the family ruin. Enrico manages to persuade Lucia to marry Lord Bucklaw. Edgardo appears at the wedding and curses Lucia. She kills her husband. Edgardo challenges Enrico to a duel. Lucia is stricken by a madness that leads to her death. Upon hearing the death knell Edgardo stabs himself. Based on Sir Walter Scott's famous novel of 1819 The Bride of Lammermoor, this is perhaps Donizetti's most popular tragic opera. In his libretto Salvatore Cammarano has chosen a radical path: not only has he relegated the politics of the conflict between the Ashtons and Ravenswoods to the background, and reduced the preceding events to hints in the dialogue; he has also limited the complex entanglement of relationships in the novel to the conflicts between Enrico Ashton, his sister Lucia and her lover Edgardo. Director and set designer Filippo Sanjust's production is set around the period that the work was written (1835). An interim curtain depicting a billowing royal blue curtain and the ghostly, fluttering dress of a girl is the device used to suggest the romantic theatrical space. The stage images remind us of reprint editions of ancient tomes. The black costumes, red sashes, white collars, plumes and gauntlets of the Scotsmen form an opulent contrast and a befitting frame for one of the major works of Italian bel canto. It was Maria Callas who gave a new lease of life to the works of Donizetti, works that had also been neglected in Italy. We know Callas' intense, vibrato-free expression of feeling from vinyl recordings. Just as she did for many roles in the high dramatic Coloratura genre, Callas set a benchmark for the interpretation of Lucia. Extreme passions dictate the actions of the protagonists - on the one hand Enrico's hatred of Edgardo (Cavatina “Cruda … funesta smania'” Act 1), and of Lucia, who opposes his plans; on the other hand Lucia's love for Edgardo (Cavatina “Regna nel silenzio”, Act 1). That this love will be Lucia's downfall is masterfully portrayed by Donizetti’s music: the same Coloratura that describes how overwhelmed she is by love in Act 1 become indicators of her madness in her insanity aria at the climax of the opera. Another moment of high emotional drama comes in the sextet “Chi mi frena in tal momento” in Act 2. Giacomo Puccini wrote: “In one respect we Italians surpass the German composers: we are capable of expressing immeasurable sadness in the Major Key. Edgardo and Lucia are in despair, so much so that Lucia finally goes mad and Edgardo commits suicide; and what do we find in the vocal part? Sugared plums! Honeyed sweetness! – Although Lucia is singing: “I have been abandoned by heaven and earth! I would cry, but there are no tears for me. Desperation consumes my heart.” This sextet is rightfully seen as the most famous ensemble melody ever written for an opera – it is a polyphonic masterpiece …” Image credit: Bettina Stöß Ivan Repusic, Conductor Filippo Sanjust, Director Hulkar Sabirova, Soprano: Lucia Katarina Bradić, Mezzo-soprano: Alisa Matthew Newlin, Tenor: Arturo Yosep Kang, Tenor: Edgardo Jörg Schörner, Tenor: Normanno Bastiaan Everink, Baritone: Enrico Marko Mimica, Bass: Raimondo | ||
| Saturday 17-May-14 07:30pm |
Deutsche Oper, Berlin Tosca |
Deutsche Oper Berlin Ivan Repusic, Conductor Boleslaw Barlog, Director Filippo Sanjust, Set Designer Liudmyla Monastyrska, Soprano: Floria Tosca Fabio Sartori, Tenor: Mario Cavaradossi Franck Ferrari, Baritone: Baron Scarpia Jörg Schörner, Tenor: Spoletta Davide Luciano, Bass: Cesare Angelotti Seth Carico, Bass-baritone: Sacristan Andrew Harris, Bass: Sciarrone |
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| Deutsche Oper, Berlin, Bismarckstraße 35, Berlin, Germany Saturday 17-May-14 07:30pm In Italian with German surtitles.
Puccini's "Torture Opera", as Oskar Bie dubbed it, was based on LA TOSCA, the well received play by Victorien Sardou [1831–1908], which premiered in Paris in 1887 with Sarah Bernhardt in the title role. Puccini attended a performance of the play in Milan during an 1889 tour and found the subject matter interesting, although the Tosca project was to remain dormant for another six years. Puccini's interest in the work grew, doubtless prompted by another viewing of the Sardou play in Florence and by Luigi Illica's work on a TOSCA libretto for composer Alberto Franchetti [1860–1942]. Following a "conspiracy" between Puccini, Illica and Ricordi, the publisher successfully persuaded Franchetti to abandon his TOSCA project and to surrender the scoring rights to Puccini. As in all other Puccini operas TOSCA amply demonstrates the mutual causality between humane attentiveness and culinary pleasure when the composer's artistic intention becomes the benchmark for interpretations. The outcry and resignation are the two fundamental prerequisites for the human attention paid by Puccini: The empathy reflected in his composition, far from contenting itself with abstract gestures, aims to disturb and transform. The "small things" - Puccini refers to them with modern understatement as his preferred focus of attention – become "large issues", provided that we want this to happen. In view of the connection between Puccini's choice of subject matter (directly and indirectly inspired by Zola, Hauptmann and Gorki) and his method of composition it is natural that we crown him Verdi's successor and confer on him the badge of "verismo". He is known to have been a great admirer of Wagner and anything but a second-rate imitator. He created a very personal bond with Verdi and Wagner by taking his inspiration from both masters. He took all their harmony refinements and subtleties of instrumentation and managed to detach the voice somewhat from the orchestra, all the while giving it a far more fragmented and melodically sensitive accompagnato in the orchestra than the radical and laconic Verdi ever had. This is also mirrored in the aesthetic theme of Tosca. Puccini's musical statement is as brutal as it is tender, as intelligent as it is sentimental, as precise as it is dreamy. Puccini's watchwords are authenticity, precision of musical detail, social awareness, the poetic sound of the ostensibly mundane, heroism coupled with shrewdness, the contrast between passionate commitment and cold remoteness. The Chief of Police Scarpia, the singer Floria Tosca and the artist Cavaradossi in their different ways, all insist on their personal freedom to act as they please - Scarpia as a condition of his claim to power, Cavaradossi in his rebellious urge to bring about change and Tosca as an expression of a plain, unlimited love. At a time of momentous change such attitudes take on an exemplary significance. Depending on how we view Puccini and ourselves today, we can approach TOSCA as a romantic schlocker or as a bad omen for freedom. Whatever our attitude, each of these very different individuals in the triangular relationship pays the ultimate price for his or her actions. Their deaths are not accompanied by a glorious halo marked Redemption; they are bitter, horrific, definitive. Image credit: © Bettina Stoss Ivan Repusic, Conductor Boleslaw Barlog, Director Filippo Sanjust, Set Designer Liudmyla Monastyrska, Soprano: Floria Tosca Fabio Sartori, Tenor: Mario Cavaradossi Franck Ferrari, Baritone: Baron Scarpia Jörg Schörner, Tenor: Spoletta Davide Luciano, Bass: Cesare Angelotti Seth Carico, Bass-baritone: Sacristan Andrew Harris, Bass: Sciarrone | ||
| Wednesday 21-May-14 07:30pm |
Deutsche Oper, Berlin Tosca |
Deutsche Oper Berlin Ivan Repusic, Conductor Boleslaw Barlog, Director Filippo Sanjust, Set Designer Liudmyla Monastyrska, Soprano: Floria Tosca Fabio Sartori, Tenor: Mario Cavaradossi Franck Ferrari, Baritone: Baron Scarpia Jörg Schörner, Tenor: Spoletta Davide Luciano, Bass: Cesare Angelotti Seth Carico, Bass-baritone: Sacristan Andrew Harris, Bass: Sciarrone |
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| Deutsche Oper, Berlin, Bismarckstraße 35, Berlin, Germany Wednesday 21-May-14 07:30pm In Italian with German surtitles.
Puccini's "Torture Opera", as Oskar Bie dubbed it, was based on LA TOSCA, the well received play by Victorien Sardou [1831–1908], which premiered in Paris in 1887 with Sarah Bernhardt in the title role. Puccini attended a performance of the play in Milan during an 1889 tour and found the subject matter interesting, although the Tosca project was to remain dormant for another six years. Puccini's interest in the work grew, doubtless prompted by another viewing of the Sardou play in Florence and by Luigi Illica's work on a TOSCA libretto for composer Alberto Franchetti [1860–1942]. Following a "conspiracy" between Puccini, Illica and Ricordi, the publisher successfully persuaded Franchetti to abandon his TOSCA project and to surrender the scoring rights to Puccini. As in all other Puccini operas TOSCA amply demonstrates the mutual causality between humane attentiveness and culinary pleasure when the composer's artistic intention becomes the benchmark for interpretations. The outcry and resignation are the two fundamental prerequisites for the human attention paid by Puccini: The empathy reflected in his composition, far from contenting itself with abstract gestures, aims to disturb and transform. The "small things" - Puccini refers to them with modern understatement as his preferred focus of attention – become "large issues", provided that we want this to happen. In view of the connection between Puccini's choice of subject matter (directly and indirectly inspired by Zola, Hauptmann and Gorki) and his method of composition it is natural that we crown him Verdi's successor and confer on him the badge of "verismo". He is known to have been a great admirer of Wagner and anything but a second-rate imitator. He created a very personal bond with Verdi and Wagner by taking his inspiration from both masters. He took all their harmony refinements and subtleties of instrumentation and managed to detach the voice somewhat from the orchestra, all the while giving it a far more fragmented and melodically sensitive accompagnato in the orchestra than the radical and laconic Verdi ever had. This is also mirrored in the aesthetic theme of Tosca. Puccini's musical statement is as brutal as it is tender, as intelligent as it is sentimental, as precise as it is dreamy. Puccini's watchwords are authenticity, precision of musical detail, social awareness, the poetic sound of the ostensibly mundane, heroism coupled with shrewdness, the contrast between passionate commitment and cold remoteness. The Chief of Police Scarpia, the singer Floria Tosca and the artist Cavaradossi in their different ways, all insist on their personal freedom to act as they please - Scarpia as a condition of his claim to power, Cavaradossi in his rebellious urge to bring about change and Tosca as an expression of a plain, unlimited love. At a time of momentous change such attitudes take on an exemplary significance. Depending on how we view Puccini and ourselves today, we can approach TOSCA as a romantic schlocker or as a bad omen for freedom. Whatever our attitude, each of these very different individuals in the triangular relationship pays the ultimate price for his or her actions. Their deaths are not accompanied by a glorious halo marked Redemption; they are bitter, horrific, definitive. Image credit: © Bettina Stoss Ivan Repusic, Conductor Boleslaw Barlog, Director Filippo Sanjust, Set Designer Liudmyla Monastyrska, Soprano: Floria Tosca Fabio Sartori, Tenor: Mario Cavaradossi Franck Ferrari, Baritone: Baron Scarpia Jörg Schörner, Tenor: Spoletta Davide Luciano, Bass: Cesare Angelotti Seth Carico, Bass-baritone: Sacristan Andrew Harris, Bass: Sciarrone | ||
