Watching the great Kna on video: Hans Knappertsbusch conducts Wagner in Vienna.

Few of the great Wagner conductors of the past have left some videos of their wagnerian performances: Sawallisch, Böhm, Karajan left some filmed complete performances. The master of Bayreuth and one of the doyens of Wagner conducting, Hans Knappertsbusch, left only three filmed concert performances, all of them filmed during the Wiener Festwochen, in 1962 and 1963, conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. The pieces filmed were Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde, the Siegfried-Idyll and the Act I from Die Walküre. A scarce legacy comparing all his audio recordings at Bayreuth of the complete operas by Wagner, most of them unsurpassable references.

Knappertsbusch was able to do wonders with the orchestra. His old-school style, with his particular slow tempi,  was so opulent, majestic, with all musicians in full performance; was able to make feel the  beauty of the wagnerian drama, without being boring or annoying. With the VPO he stablished a prodigious collaboration, as gifted as his one with Bayreuth Festival. In these videos he appears old, somehow sturdy but also a bit tired. Nevertheless, he is still able to give unsurpassable and unforgettable performances.

His slow tempi came from the famous "Bayreuth style", what he learned from conductors like Hans Richter, who worked with Wagner himself. Listening to the old recordings by Muck and Von Hoesslin, it could sound old-fashioned, though wonderful, to a modern listener. This doesn't happen with Kna: in his case, that slowness means Wagner's grandeur at his best: every detail, every instrument has the chance to shine magnificently. Every individual musician is part, of the inmense score, and Kna's tempi and style makes them to sound always epic.

In 1962, the filmed concert was devoted to Beethoven and Wagner, the latter represented by the Tristan's most famous excerpts. Here, the brilliant sound of the orchestra helps Kna's baton to perform an enchanting, intense rendition of the Prelude. The famous chord is performed slow, but energically. The famous Liebestod is sung by Birgit Nilsson, who was at her peak of her voice, with her powerful, thunder-like high notes and big-volumed voice, even when she would still have to reach her plenitude in Böhm's recording.  

The 1963 concert was entirely devoted to Wagner. The first part was the Siegfried-Idyll, whose version sounds more in the style of a big symphony than the original chamber style. This version is more familiar, tender, intimate, despite the bombastic sound of the orchestra.

The second part is the famous Act I from Die Walküre, an usual piece of operatic concerts, such lyrical and quite symphonical at the same time. The prelude begins maybe a bit slow, with the strings reaching the climax little by little, and at the same time reflecting the anxiety of escaping through the forest in the middle of the night. The cello, so important here, shines here when Siegmund takes the drink offered by Sieglinde. And when the hero tells his story, the wind section are elegiac at their best. In the final duet, the orchestra and singers become one, the beauty and theatrical sense of this music raise the listener to a supreme level. At the end, the orchestra plays slowly the final tutti, but in order to lengthen the climax, feeling a supreme joy.

Fritz Uhl, despite his limitations, had a lighter voice than his brilliant contemporaries, indeed his high register seems to be limited, cracking the last note, but despite all he has some beauty in his tone to be still better to many of tenors singing today Siegmund. From his monologue Ein schwert verhiess mir den vater, he gets more and more inspiration.

Claire Watson is the great surprise of this video. She recorded Freia and Gutrune in Solti's Ring, so she was usual in the Viennese stage. Her voice has a proper tone, volume, beauty and she is an accomplished performer. Her Sieglinde is a fragile, but determined and brave woman. Her rendition of Der Männer Sippe is anthological, at the same level of her legendary colleagues. Her delightful voice leaves us wonders as a beautiful pianissimo in mich dünkt, ihre klang, hört ich als Kind. In her day, she had to compete with such contemporaries like Rysanek, Grümmer, Brouwenstijn or Janowitz, but her performance is clearly at their level. Today most of the opera houses would long to listen such a soprano.

Hunding is sung by the legendary bass Josef Greindl, here a veteran, but by far the best singer of the concert. Here is the character as Wagner thought: a very dark basso profondo with perfect tone, diction and volume. His Hunding is brute, fearsome and his expressions are so dramatic that gives a sensation of performance. His last line: "hüte dich wohl!" is really chilling, scary. A true wagnerian, opera legend.

These videos, even in a limited black and white image, are wonderful examples of the artistry of Hans Knappertsbusch, and a must for every fan of Wagner's works to watch, to have both pleasures: to see and hear the greatest wagnerian conductor of all time.

My reviews are not professional and express only my opinions. As a non English native speaker I apologise for any mistake.

Most of the photographs are from the internet and belong to its authors. My use of them is only cultural. If someone is uncomfortable with their use, just notify it to me.

 

El más grande, en vídeo: Hans Knappertsbusch interpreta a Wagner en Viena.

                  

De los grandísimos directores wagnerianos del pasado, casi no existen grabaciones en vídeo de sus más importantes interpretaciones. Quizá entre los que grabaron alguna ópera completa del maestro estarían Sawallisch , Böhm o Karajan. Del decano de la dirección wagneriana, Hans Knappertsbusch, solo existen registros en vídeo de conciertos junto a la Orquesta Filarmónica de Viena, además del famoso vídeo en Bayreuth dirigiendo un fragmento de Parsifal en el foso. 

Durante las famosas Festwochen vienesas de 1962 y 1963, Knappertsbusch filmó dos conciertos, con obras de Beethoven y Wagner, siendo las últimas las que interesan a esta crítica: Acto primero de La Valquiria, Preludio y Muerte de Isolda y el Idilio de Sigfrido. 

El famosísimo primer acto de La Valquiria, (filmado en 1963) tan habitual de las salas de conciertos, tan lírico, tan psicológico y tan sinfónico a la vez, es lo más parecido a una ópera dirigida por el gran Kna en vídeo, y especialmente del Anillo, del que dejó tres versiones en disco consideradas como las mejores de la discografía. Las limitaciones de filmación en directo, especialmente para la televisión, no favorecían la filmación de óperas completas, por eso muchas de ellas eran películas, y de las mismas un gran número eran versiones reducidas de las obras originales. En este caso los conciertos estaban filmados en el emblemático Theater an der Wien, y todos en blanco y negro y calidad limitada de imagen, comparado con diez o veinte años más tarde. 

Knappertsbusch hacía maravillas con la orquesta. Dentro de su estilo vieja escuela, tan opulento, tan mayestático, con la orquesta al máximo rendimiento, era capaz de hacer sentir la grandeza y la belleza del drama wagneriano, capaz de llegar al espectador (y al oyente en sus grabaciones), sin sobrecargarlo. Con la Filarmónica de Viena estableció un vínculo artístico tan prodigioso como el que tenía con el Festival de Bayreuth, y en este sentido todas sus interpretaciones wagnerianas con los wiener son referenciales. En estas filmaciones aparece, aunque todavía recio, ya anciano y aparentemente fatigado, pero aún es capaz de ofrecernos momentos para el recuerdo y absolutamente difíciles de superar.

Los tempi de Kna eran lentos, en el famoso estilo "Bayreuth" que aprendió de directores como su maestro Hans Richter, que habían trabajado con el compositor. A veces estos tiempos podrían resultar cargantes, si escuchamos las viejas grabaciones de Muck o Von Hoesslin, pero los del director de Elberfeld aguantan y superan el paso del tiempo. Esta lentitud, este estilo de grandeza hace que cada detalle, cada instrumento, sea percibible, disfrutable y eleve al oyente, puesto que da la sensación de que cada músico es parte de la epopeya musical wagneriana. Cada sección brilla majestuosamente. El preludio de este primer acto empieza lento: la tormenta y la sensación de huida de Siegmund se sienten quizá más rústicos que la violencia y sensación de agitación de un Solti, pero las cuerdas y la orquesta que se incorporan progresivamente  tampoco dejan lugar al sosiego. Por otro lado, el sonido tan característico y especial de la orquesta le viene a este estilo como Anillo al dedo. Durante la primera parte, la más teatral, Kna saca momentos mágicos de los detalles más nimios. El cello mientras Siegmund bebe agua brilla con luz propia, el viento es elegíaco a más no poder cuando el héroe cuenta su vida. Durante la segunda parte, la más conocida y la más rica y musical, la orquesta alcanza su cénit, sobrepasando en belleza a los cantantes, y a la vez complementándose con ellos para conformar el drama. La escena de cuando Siegmund descubre la espada es simplemente memorable, y en los momentos finales la apoteosis orquestal quizá se alargue más que con otras batutas, pero nos consigue transmitir la excitación, la victoria de los hermanos y amantes, con esas cuerdas brillantes y el tutti orquestal final a golpe perfecto de bombo, propio de la perfecta percusión de esta orquesta.

Lejos de la gloriosa pareja protagonista de su disco de 1957, el reparto, cuenta con una leyenda, una soprano solventísima y un tenor que pese a sus limitaciones consigue ser notable. 

Como Siegmund, Fritz Uhl tiene una voz de tenor que parece ligera comparada con sus legendarios contemporáneos. De hecho tiende a abrirse mucho en la zona aguda, mostrando sus carencias y falta de autoridad vocal, pero aún así tiene la suficiente solvencia como parecer mejor que muchas voces actuales, pese a que sus dos compañeros le anulan y del enorme gallo en el agudo final. Con todo, desde la escena final del acto logra estar inspirado, especialmente en su monólogo Ein schwert verhiess mir den vater.

Claire Watson realiza aquí una Sieglinde inolvidable. La voz no solo está en su sitio, tiene una dicción exquisita, y es de gran belleza, sino que como intérprete es sobresaliente. Su interpretación de la protaginista es la de una mujer frágil, tierna, pero decidida. Su interpretación del aria Der Männer Sippe es de antología, a la altura de sus históricas compañeras, con una pronunciación dramática y un bello registro grave, unos agudos bellísimos al final de Du bist der Lenz, que canta con una voz deliciosa, sino que también es capaz de dar una preciosísima nota en casi pianissimo en "mich dünkt, ihre klang, hört ich als Kind". Watson grabó Freia y Gutrune en el Anillo de Solti, además de ser Ellen Orford en el legendario Peter Grimes de Pears y Britten. En su tiempo, tenía que competir con las históricas Rysanek, Crespin, Brouwenstijn o Grümmer, pero lo que se aprecia aquí es de un nivel tan alto que hoy en día todos los teatros se pelearían por una Siglinda así.

El mítico Josef Greindl es Hunding. Y no decepciona, ya que aun siendo aquí veterano, no se aprecia decadencia ninguna: sigue teniendo esa voz tan oscura, potente, rotunda, que atemoriza e impone. Sus miradas y expresiones hacen que el concierto gane en teatralidad. Y su última frase "hüte dich wohl!" la pronuncia como un auténtico villano, muestra de las tablas que este bajo profundo de raza tiene aún.

Del concierto de 1963, también nos ha llegado su versión del Idilio de Sigfrido, del que realiza una interpretación de nuevo opulenta, más sinfónica que camerística, haciéndonos creer que suena la orquesta al completo en lugar de un pequeño grupo de músicos. En esta ocasión el lento estilo Kna nos recrea una atmósfera familiar, tierna, intima, pese a la sensación de abundancia que viene de la perfecta vivisección de la partitura, donde como siempre con él, cada instrumento tiene su monumental momento de gloria.

Un año antes, en 1962, como colofón a un concierto mayoritariamente dedicado a Beethoven, Kna nos deja en este otro vídeo su inolvidable interpretación del Preludio de Tristán e Isolda, así como el no menos famoso Liebestod, aquí interpretado por nada más ni nada menos que Birgit Nilsson.

Aquí la batuta de este genio lleva a la orquesta a realizar una intensa y hechizante interpretación. El famoso acorde es interpretado enérgicamente. En cuanto al final de la obra, Nilsson está aquí en pleno apogeo de sus facultades, y aunque aún no llega al nivel definitivo de su  disco con Böhm, da una pequeña muestra de su imperial Isolda; con esos agudos tan potentes y tan característicos de su gigantesca voz. 

Naturalmente, estos tres videos son solo unos pocos ejemplos de todo ese insuperable legado artístico que nos ha dejado principalmente en sus grabaciones en disco, donde están sus más grandes interpretaciones. Y aún así son imprescindibles para todo wagneriano porque nos dan la oportunidad, el inmenso placer de no solo oír, sino ver dirigir, en toda su grandeza, al director wagneriano más importante de todos los tiempos. 

Las fotografías no son de mi autoría, si alguien se muestra disconforme con la publicación  de cualquiera de ellas en este blog le pido que me lo haga saber inmediatamente.

Big Scandal at Teatro Real: The audience prevent the performance due to lack of social distancing measures in the hall.

 

Madrid, September 20, 2020.

I was supposed to review yesterday's performance of Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera. I was supposed to see Ramón Vargas in his return to Teatro Real after many years, and for many people under 35, an unique opportunity. However, all those expectations vanished, just to witness the biggest scandal in the modern history of Teatro Real, a consequence of the awful pandemics we are suffering.

Situation on the mezzanine...

Shortly before the performance could have started, a female voice adressed the audience through the loudspeakers, welcoming them and remembering the safety protocol. And at the mention of safety measures, the people in the mezzanine, the cheapest zones, called Paraíso (an equivalent of the Met's Family Circus) , started to yell and boo strongly. The reason was that in their zone most of spectators were seated together, like before Covid, with no social distancing, unlike the lower zones and the parterre, with huge spaces between seats and the safety distance completely guaranteed. Even the signals of "seat unavailable" were seen in the parterre, unlike the upper zone.

And in the Parterre...

                               

While the people started protesting, the people in the parterre was looking completely dumbfounded up. People yelled "Vergüenza (shame on you)", and even when it wasn't clear at that moment, they cried also "suspensión (cancellation)". The female voice on the loudspeakers then spoke again to say: "Due to location problems at the mezzanine, the performance will be delayed in 15 minutes". While saying "location problems", the upper audience started to laugh loudly and continued with their protest, now clapping. Few minutes before the performance started, the loudspeaker voice said that the spectators not agreeing with the situation could leave and note their names for a refund of their money. At this point, some people started to leave the hall.

Suddenly, lights were shut down, and the maestro Nicola Luisotti came to the orchestra pit to conduct the opera. But then, the protest went wilder: the people not only shouted, but also started to clap the floor with their feet and shaking the lights of their mobile phones. The overture couldn't be heard and before the opening chorus, the violins hit their instruments with their archs and the curtain fell. 

Lights were turned on and despite most of the upper zone was empty enough to relocate the remaining people, the audience's outburst of rage was unstoppable. The loudspeaker female voice offered again the refund to the disagreeing people and invited them to leave the hall. The police arrived and entered the hall, but only to talk with some accomodators and leave again, finding the social distancing was fulfilled. At this point, among the audience started some voices of disagree, stating that since the refund was offered, the performance should begin, also as a sign of respect towards the artists. But the protesters refused, and even some of them wanted to be relocated on the parterre and its closest empty balconies. Later it was said this was being done, but since my seat  I couldn't see it.

For a second time, lights went down and Luisotti appeared again, now looking at the audience to talk, and despite the pleas to let him talk, the protesters didn't let him, so he started again to conduct. Despite many people have left the hall, there remained enough people to keep on protesting, and they clapped and shouted again. Someone said: "Respect the artists" and a woman said "Respect the people upstairs!" and another man yelled the woman "You're gonna get it (coronavirus) by shouting so much!" The music could be heard better but still with a big noise. And then, Ramón Vargas entered and the protests went louder, so he couldn't sing. Nevertheless, he could go ahead and sang "La rivedrò nell' estasi"in those circumstances. After his aria, he stopped singing and he looked at the orchestra pit in a gesture of asking what could they do. At this point, Luisotti abandoned the orchestra pit and the curtain fell definitively.

Then, people from the parterre confronted the audience from the upper zones, and interchanged shoutings and insults. For the last time, the woman on the loudspeaker intervened to state that only the 51% of the seats were sold, as established by the law, and since performance cannot be held, it had to be cancelled. The people left then the building with a mixture of sadness and outrage. As we were leaving, we could see the accomodators affected and still very nervous for what they had gone through.

Why this did happen? In a release, Teatro Real has said that safety measures have been strictly followed and the protest came from a reduced group. Yesterday, the differences were visible between up and down: the first ones sitting very close and the second ones sitting more separately. At the beginning of the season, Teatro Real started to sell the 65% of the seats for each performance. However, they found themselves with an obstacle: the alarming increasing number of Covid-19 cases in Spain and particulary in Madrid, again the pandemic focus in the country. And with this handicap they first closed the purchase for most dates and the opening Youth gala (finally hosted on September 16th), to be re-opened some days prior the performances began.

At the beginning, everyone upstairs, supported the protest because we couldn't believe our eyes. However the legitimate protest at such organization fail, turned into an unbereable revenge when the reduced remaining group insisted on boycotting the performance and didn't let the artists, technical and other staff to do their job. They were the real damaged. And many of us wanting to see a magnificent performance with Ramón Vargas of this Verdi classic have been deprived of this. The final sensation is of sadness, because it is not easy to repeat at the opera, due to the high prices, final circumstances and now a terrible new reason.

From today, 37 areas both in Madrid City and Region have entered into a regime of restricted movility due to the incrasing cases of Coronavirus, so around 800,000 people will could be able to leave their neighbourhoods just to the essential, and possibly opera is not included among that "essential".

I really hope that situations like this won't be repeated again, for the sake of audience and above all the Teatro Real staff and artists, who doesn't deserve such a thing. Teatro Real in its release has promised to work to prevent future incidents and to communicate better with audience. We hope so, and the remaining performances could run with spectators properly distanced and without any problem. Even when for many people living in the newly lockdown areas, despite their money will be refund, that opportunity has been gone for a while.

My reviews are not professional and express only my opinions. As a non English native speaker I apologise for any mistake.

Most of the photographs are from the internet and belong to its authors. My use of them is only cultural. If someone is uncomfortable with their use, just notify it to me.

El público derrota al Teatro Real: se suspende la representación prevista ante protestas por falta de distancia de seguridad.

 

Hoy tendría que haber comentado la función prevista de Un Ballo in Maschera con la que el Teatro Real abría temporada. Hoy tendría que haber visto, por primera vez, a Ramón Vargas, el legendario tenor mexicano, quien cantaba en la función prevista para este día. Pero nunca, en 19 años de espectador de ópera me podía imaginar que esas expectativas se podrían hundir debido al mayor escándalo que se ha visto en la historia moderna de este teatro, consecuencia de esta pandemia que está afectando nuestras vidas.

Poco antes de que empezara la función, y con las luces de la sala aún encendidas, una voz grabada por megafonía daba la bienvenida al público y mencionaba el cumplimiento de medidas de seguridad, cuando en ese mismo momento desde la zona del Paraíso (la más alta y la más popular del teatro junto a la Tribuna) empezó a abuchear y gritar con fuerza. La razón se debía a que en esta parte del teatro los espectadores estaban ocupando la mayoría de las butacas, todos juntos, sin las separaciones de seguridad que se llevó hace dos meses en las funciones de La Traviata. Mientras tanto, en las zonas más bajas, y por tanto más caras, la distancia de seguridad se cumplía perfectamente, e incluso con las cintas de "No disponible" que separaban los asientos ocupados de los que no se podían llenar, e incluso había palcos enteros vacíos.

Al mismo tiempo que los espectadores del paraíso aplaudían, abucheaban, pitaban y gritaban fuertemente, la gente de Platea miraba estupefacta. La gente gritaba "vergüenza", pero aunque no se oía, algunos ya gritaban "suspensión". Ya se temía que la función no se realizaría. Aún así, por megafonía una voz femenina dijo que por "problemas de colocación en Paraíso (no se entendía bien)", la función se reanudaría en quince minutos". En la zona mencionada la gente se rió a carcajada abierta y siguió protestando. Poco antes de que la función comenzara, la voz de megafonía dijo que los espectadores que no estuvieran satisfechos, podrían pedir la devolución de sus localidades y apuntarse en una lista. La gente empezó a irse, pero no toda. 

De repente se apagaron las luces y el maestro Nicola Luisotti empezó a dirgir a la orquesta. Entonces el público de arriba empezó, además de abuchear más fuerte, a zapatear y mover las luces de los móviles. No podía escucharse la obertura, tras la cual, los músicos empezaron a golpear los instrumentos y se bajó el telón. Hubo aplausos. La situación empeoraba, y de nuevo la voz de megafonía ofrecía la posibilidad de devolver el dinero a quien quisiera irse. En este punto la policía llegó al Teatro Real. Tres policías estuvieron hablando en la zona de Paraíso, pero no estuvieron mucho rato. La prensa, al parecer, dijo que habían visto cumplidas las distancias de seguridad.   

Situación en el paraíso...

Aunque mucha gente se había ido para entonces, y el Paraíso quedaba bastante despejado, no se fueron los artífices de la protesta. En este punto empezaron las diferencias entre el público de arriba: algunos pedían que ya que les habían ofrecido la devolución de la entrada, que dejaran que la función comenzara. Pero les respondieron que no. Incluso algunos exigían que se les reubicara en las zonas de abajo, donde había muchos espacios vacíos. Y la palabra "suspensión", junto a "fuera", sonaba cada vez más clara: mal presagio se cernía sobre la función. De nuevo se apagaron las luces y el director Luisotti volvió a salir al foso, pero esta vez se dirigió al público y movió las manos para intentar hablar. No le dejaron: los abucheadores seguían protestando, incluso algunos pedían que dejaran hablar al maestro, sin éxito. Aunque había menos gente arriba, estaba la suficiente para hacer el ruido necesario para impedir escuchar la música en condiciones, debido a los aplausos y los gritos de fuera durante la obertura. Alguien pidió respeto a los artistas, y una mujer dijo sonoramente: "respeto para la gente de Paraíso", otra persona le respondió: "Te vas a contagiar de tanto chillar". Todo esto mientras sonaba la obertura. En ese momento, tras el coro inicial, el tenor Vargas salió a escena, pero el público empezó a abuchear y no pudo cantar, siéndole entre otras cosas, imposible escuchar a la orquesta. Tras un rato, pudo empezar a cantar su aria "La rivedrò nell'estasi", pero las protestas no cesaron ni tampoco los gritos de suspensión, con lo que escucharle en condiciones no era posible. Con todo, pudo terminarla, pero en ese momento Vargas miró al foso en un gesto que parecía decir "¿Qué hacemos?". Entonces Luisotti abandonó el foso de la orquesta y el telón se bajó, esta vez definitivamente.

... y en el patio de butacas.

Tras iluminarse de nuevo la sala, hubo gritos desaforados, incluso amenazas entre la gente del patio de butacas y el paraíso... Por última vez, la voz de megafonía (en ningún momento salió algún responsable, posiblemente por no estat allí al ser función de domingo) argumentó que las entradas vendidas habían sido un 50% del aforo total, lo que desencadenó una última y sonora protesta. Tras esta afirmación por parte del teatro, la representación se dio por suspendida, una hora después del inicio del alboroto. La gente abandonó la sala con una mezcla de indignación y frustración. En las salidas se podía ver algunas acomodadoras visiblemente afectadas y nerviosas debido a la situación que tuvieron que enfrentar, imposible de lidiar ante unos enérgicos y violentos espectadores que si pudieron suspender la función, habrían podido cómodamente con ellas.

¿De quién fue la culpa? ¿Quién ganó y perdió? A priori, no queda duda de que el único responsable es el Teatro Real con su caótica venta de entradas. A principios de mes, la venta estuvo cerrada para la mayoría de las funciones, dejando las últimas para la venta. Se entiende que pudo ser, ante la subida de contagios de Covid-19 en toda España, que estuvieran esperando a saber qué harían con el aforo vendido y sin vender. De la gala juvenil finalmente celebrada el día 16 no se sabía nada a dos semanas de su anunciado estreno. Finalmente se reabrió la venta, y asegurando el Teatro que lo haría con el 65% de aforo y cumpliendo con las mismas medidas de seguridad que tan bien funcionaron hace dos meses con La Traviata. Nada de eso ha podido verse esta noche en la zona del paraíso: Si bien es cierto que dentro del mismo había zonas libres como las tres filas más altas del final, no habría sido posible reubicar a toda la gente allí concentrada para poder cumplir con la distancia de seguridad. Tampoco habría sido posible realojarlos abajo: desde hace al menos dos temporadas los acomodadores no permiten bajar a las zonas más caras que quedan vacías después del descanso... Aun así, desde mi asiento no pude verlo, parece que sí se intentó reubicar a algunas personas abajo. Y era evidente, que abajo se podían cumplir mejor estas medidas por lo antes mencionado.

 Si el Real busca "conquistar" la normalidad, ¿qué quiere decir con ello? La impresión que ha dado es la de intentar vender como en el pasado y abrir a toda costa, sometiendo al espectador a la incertidumbre ya que las directivas del gobierno son claras: aforos reducidos. Y tampoco acompaña la situación de elevados contagios que España enfrenta de nuevo. Todo el respeto que ganó con la inolvidable Traviata que le plantó cara a la enfermedad hace dos meses, se ha perdido por completo. Y estoy convencido de que el escándalo que esto levante internacionalmente, nos va a convertir en el hazmerreír operístico del orbe por una temporada. En un comunicado oficial, el Real afirma que ha sido un grupo aislado de agitadores en el Paraíso, que se había ocupado el aforo en un 51 %, y que investigará lo sucedido para que no vuelva a ocurrir en un futuro.

Pero pese a que los grandes perdedores han sido el público que no ha visto una función de ópera, así como los artistas que hasta dos veces han intentado simplemente hacer su trabajo y nadie les ha dejado, desde el mismo momento en que los alborotadores se quedaron para exigir la suspensión del espectáculo, como si las fotos, las denuncias, las reclamaciones y las noticias no fueran ya suficientes como para meter al Real en un soberano lío, y boicotear la actuación en marcha, flaco favor han hecho a la inmensa mayoría que ha reclamado legítimamente su derecho a ver ópera con seguridad ante la falta de seriedad de las normas de aforo del Real. Era descorazonador ver a músicos y cantantes no poder hacer su trabajo. Se ofreció la posibilidad de devolver las localidades, pero pese a la, repito, legitimidad de la protesta, mucha gente ha perdido la oportunidad de ver ópera, para lo que habían pagado y puesto sus ilusiones  en ello, también en la zona afectada. Y para muchos será difícil volver a verla: primero por lo caro de las localidades, las circunstancias de cada espectador y segundo por algo mucho más difícil.

A partir del lunes 21 de septiembre, 37 zonas básicas de salud de la Comunidad de Madrid entran en restricción de movilidad, lo que implica que casi un millón de personas no podrán salir de sus barrios salvo para lo imprescindible, entre lo que no está contemplado ir a la ópera o al teatro. Por lo tanto, aunque nos devolvieran el dinero, algunos de los asistentes, como yo, que vivimos en estas zonas; hemos perdido definitivamente la esperanza de ver esta producción o a Ramón Vargas, quien debido su edad, posiblemente no vuelva a cantar una ópera completa en Madrid. 

Las fotografías no son de mi autoría, si alguien se muestra disconforme con la publicación  de cualquiera de ellas en este blog le pido que me lo haga saber inmediatamente.

Enjoying Schoenberg's music in Madrid, part two: Moses und Aron in Madrid (2012 and 2016)

Moses und Aron is among the greatest works by Arnold Schoenberg, and one of the capital operas in 20th Century, in which the man who revolutionized the classical music created a masterpiece in which the dodecaphonic system was the vehicle to convey the story of a people lost in its despair and its necessity of a saviour, as well as a personal situation in the composer, who was seeing how antisemitism during Weimar's Republic was leading to the heinous fate awaiting to European Jews. Indeed, soon after his work he would embrace Judaism again.

Schoenberg's masterful opera was premiered in Spain in 1985, at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, in Barcelona, with Franz Mazura in the title role. However, its Madrid premiere found too much obstacles with several opportunities lost: It was said to be supposed to have its premiere in Teatro Real in Summer 2004, by the Staatsoper Berlin on tour with Daniel Barenboim, who were touring each summer in Madrid, but the difficulty of the work for the conservative audience (then starting because Teatro Real was re-opened in 1997, after a 72-year period of no opera on its stage) made the choose allegedly not very suitable for the Madrid Government and for, as it was said, Teatro Real itself. As a result, Moses was replaced by Tosca that summer in Teatro Real.

Finally, it was scheduled for the 2010-2011 season, in a co-production with the Vienna Opera, thanks to Antonio Moral, the leaving manager who intended to have this title as a farewell after a successful 4-year management. The staging should have been the interesting Reto Nickler staging who can be seen on DVD, saying on the final credits "co-production with Teatro Real". However, in that season the legendary Gerard Mortier began his tenure in the opera house and decided to post-pone this title because he felt the Teatro Real chorus and orchestra weren't still prepared for such a work.

 

Concert performance of Moses und Aron at Teatro Real, Madrid. September 7 and 9, 2012.

It wasn't until 2012 when Moses und Aron was finally performed but it did in a concert version, but with a different musical team: The SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden Freiburg and the Europa Chor Akademie, which were touring Europe with this opera and finally recorded it on CD, were the chosen to give this masterpiece its final premiere on Teatro Real. The sensation I had was that we had attended the best rendition of the work in the last two decades, excepting the Boulez's one in 1995 from Amsterdam. As an off-topic note, the subtitles were displayed in Spanish and German, and since it was rare because they are usually displayed in Spanish and English, we thought that could be due to the visit of Angela Merkel to Spain, but the German chancellor didn't attend the show. Nevertheless, a considering number of Germans and people from the tiny Jewish community of Madrid did. During those years, the 2008 Crisis hit also the Teatro Real and after lights went offf and just few seconds before the performance began a woman talked for the worker's rights from the third floor, delaying the performance for several minutes.

Conducted by Sylvain Cambreling, the orchestra went from low to highest, improving as the performance went by, and by the end of the first act it already reached a supreme level, maintaining it during the following act. The German orchestra revealed to be experienced (it had premiered here Messiaen's Saint François d'Assise last year) , the basses had overwhelming tremolos and violins had a shining sound, closing the opera with a dramatic, light sound, as it were fading at the same time Moses were collapsing of despair. The Chorus was accomplished, but in a level a bit under the orchestra. To give a touch of staging, a picture of a desert was put at the bottom.

It featured a big cast, with Franz Grundheber as an unforgettable Moses, who not only seemed to recit but also to sing the role, with his powerful voice, dramatic and perfect diction, portraying an authoritative and introvert Moses. So shocking when reciting the line "So bin ich geschlagen", conveying his defeat at convince the people of the idea of an unrepresentable God.

Andreas Conrad was an excellent Aron, with a generously volumed voice, and a great tone of character tenor, one of the best of his tessitura in Europe. The rest of the cast sang well, to mention Friedermann Röhlig (an amazing bass) and Johanna Winkel among them.

It wasn't until June 2016 when Teatro Real finally staged Moses und Aron. It was done in a co-production with the Paris Opera, in the acclaimed staging by Romeo Castellucci, premiered in the French capital in November 2015 and in Spain the following year. At last, the Madrid audience could see a proper performance of this masterpiece, being one of the most awaited shows of the lyrical season.

This opera was composed in an era in which the German society was lost, and "needed" something or someone which could take them out from the misery and violence. But leaving the historical context aside, we can see that Schoenberg's Moses is timeless, and very human. He is not only the Biblical leader figure, but also an intelligent man who has in front of himself a titanic challenge: to take the people from the oppression and take them to the Promised Land. And the people has no time too: they don't want words or ideas they don't understand but facts, images which make them confident. History at its purity. The fascinating and delving libretto merges with the explosive score into a work in which Moses' and the  people's moods and anxiety are conveyed to the audience. This work, as said, is like a great symphony, and also could be in a musical condition between opera and oratorio. The first act is challenging for the orchestra and chorus, since they have to stage the Exodus from Egypt. It leaves the spectator with astonishment, due to its orchestral grandiloquence. Act II is colourful, sensual, since its nature is orgiastic, because the people is adoring the Golden Calf. However, it turns into despair with Moses' final defeat.

                                 

Castellucci tried to show how the brothers convince the people to follow them. The Biblical prodigies are turned into modern scientific experiments, as well as people's inner chaos whose height is the Golden Calf feast. When the opera begins there is a tape whose film descends to the floor, to reach Moses. It's the Revelation. For this production a real ox was used to represent the Calf, much to the fury of many animalists which denounced animal abuse to be firstly in a Cage during the revelation and made to move through the scene and later smeared with a bit of black liquid (representing oil) during Act 2. Soloists and chorus are dressed in white, and in Act 1,which fussionated with lighting at the end of Act 1 while working the miracle of the cane turned into snake (now represented by an enormous medical-scientific device). On stage during this big scene were projected different words related to the science, snakes, the people and the world.  At the end of Act I, some people take off their clothes and remain naked. Then a naked woman falls. Silence. The countdown of the 40 days begin.

Act II begins with Moses absent and people needing a leader. Aron has to humiliate himself and smeared with oil, the new gold with he becomes the minister of this frenetic new cult. Reason represented by an obeying, indoctrinating notion of an unrepresentable divinity has deserted the people, to give way to the passion, anarchy which needs an image to see in what they belief. They abandon themselves to material richness (consumism), they swim into a pool of petroleum, they dance and made the fox to move. Have they lost their innocence or even rebelled against that unaccessible and distant God?

Then, Moses appears and the Sinai is shown. The people awakes from that wild dream and order is restored. Blackened, wearing an African mask, Aron is the tribal, primary side of the people, in strong contrast with Moses' white clothing, serious and severe aspect. On stage, the Sinai has been replaced with a night, starry sky. God has won, Moses didn't, and as the final confrontation of the brothers happened, it is clear that things will never be the same: Aron is convinced that the people needs a representation of the God which will led them to the promised Land and glory, so maybe this feast has been necessary, because they need to see an image of what they believe. The people has now returned to their former submissive state of accepting the invisible God, but Moses sinks into despair because he has not been able to prevent this frenzy, so this is a personal defeat because his lack of people skills, his shyness (already in Act I he seemed less convincing than his brother) have made him to fail conveying the idea of a God which doesn't need nothing but devotion for being praised. In this point, Moses collapses on stage holding two black curtains while the stars shine on the sky.

                                                 

Former First Lady Sonsoles Espinosa singing with the chorus. Second woman from right, the tall blonde one.

Lothar Koenigs gave a fantastic performance, with strings, brass and percussion sections sounding really spectacular. An experienced maestro who had conducted the work worldwide, conducted with appropriate tempi, profound and mystic during first act, and lively and energical in Act II. At the end, the strings shone at during Moses' final words, at a tragic, dramatic, intense level never seen before.

The Chorus was really the best of the performance. Their interventions were memorable and very chilling while reciting their Sprechgesang parts. It seems as if Mortier were right in this aspect: they seemed to have studied deeply every detail their difficult part and they gave their best on stage. One of the best performances remembered by this chorus. As a curiosity, the former First Lady of Spain, Sonsoles Espinosa, wife of  José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (President of Spain from 2004 to 2011) was singing with the chorus, as she is soprano in the supporting section of the chorus. 

Albert Dohmen recited well, even sometimes seemed to have sung the part, however he wasn't as stunning as Grundheber. During the first act he sounded convincingly authoritative, with a grave voice and accent.

John Graham-Hall on the other hand gave a great rendition, despite the vibrato exceeding a bit and some signs of tiring, but his singing was excellent, and as an actor portrayed the tensions and problems that Aron had to face.

The rest of the supporting cast wasn't at the same level of the 2012 one, Catherine Wyn-Rogers sang correctly the sick woman, Andreas Hörl was a great Priest, and Julie Davis standing out as one of the virgins. Michael Pflumm as the Naked Youth had a light tenor nice voice, but lacked a bit of volume.

                                

             Albert Dohmen and John Graham-Hall as Moses and Aron. Madrid, 2016.

This performance was necessary, because there's been too much time for seeing this opera finally performed in the Spanish capital, to enjoy such a complicated but fascinating work, even when the memories of the concert version were present.

Arnold Schoenberg changed for good the course of music, and his legacy is full of masterpieces, each one revolutionary at their best. Their difficulty for a conservative ear, once one has delved in his work, becomes a great admiration and fascination, both of the challenging of his famous atonalistic masterpieces as well as his more popular, magic and haunting tonal, post-romantic, wagnerian-style period. 

There have been (and I didn't attend), and will be, more performances of his music in Madrid. But  by recalling the ones I attended, I intended to share how important he is for the musical life of a big city, orchestra and theatre, and when you experience it live, it never leaves you indifferent.

My reviews are not professional and express only my opinions. As a non English native speaker I apologise for any mistake.

Most of the photographs are from the internet and belong to its authors. My use of them is only cultural. If someone is uncomfortable with their use, just notify it to me.

 

Enjoying Arnold Schoenberg's music in Madrid, part one: memories of some live performances (2007 - 2018).

September begins, and the moonlight is on the sky. Sometimes at the sight of the moon in all its powerful beauty, Arnold Schoenberg's six orchestral songs op.8 come to my mind, specially the last ones, which are intense, enigmatic and haunting chants to nature and its intense beauty. And while listening to Sergiu Celibidache's version of this masterpiece some days ago, I started to recall all my live experiences with Schoenberg's music in Madrid, my city, and how I changed from disliking his music at the beginning to enjoying it very much today, admiring the true genius he his. My first contact with his work was, after reading about him, at age 14 by listening his Moses und Aron on disc, conducted by Georg Solti. I didn't enjoy very much then, just the beginning and the ending with Moses saying those haunting words: "O wort, du wort - das mir fehlt"!

                       

Daniel Barenboim and The West Eastern Divan Orchestra in Madrid, July 2007.

However,  It wasn't until 2007 when I had my first life experience with his music: In a free open-air concert in the emblematic Plaza Mayor, Daniel Barenboim and his West Eastern Divan Orchestra gave as encore (after a Beethoven program, Leonore Overture and 7th Symphony) the maestro's Variations op. 31. Before playing, Barenboim explained about the piece and about its difficulty to a 5,000-people audience who had little idea about the maestro. I remember the performance vaguely, to be honest.

                           

                       Deborah Polaski

The 2010-2011 season was the first one of Gerard Mortier's tenure as artistic manager of Teatro Real. That season had an innovative cycle of recitals, the one on March 4, 2011 being  the Madrid debut of Sylvain Cambreling and the return of Deborah Polaski after a successful Jenufa in 2009. The first part of the program was Dukas and Ravel, and Erwartung was the second one, featuring Miss Polaski. A thrilling monodram about a woman lost in her anxiety after killing her lover, Schoenberg began his atonalistic and best-remembered style. The purpose, according to the composer is to lengthen until half an hour, just one second of spiritual excitement. This work is a wide-range of orchestral tones and colours in the new style, in which he experiments and explore, like wandering through his score's possibilities and at the same time recreating the nightly, dark ambience of the drama, and getting close to the ecstasy as the woman discovers her lover is dead, a way which Alban Berg, Schoenberg's pupil, will perfect in his final masterpiece Lulu. As far as I can remember, both renditions were magnificent, but also a sound competition in which the orchestra overcame Polaski's voice. Cambreling's conducting was really powerful and made the Teatro Real Orchestra to sound as if it were as much experienced as the conductor is in this repertoire, with a rich-toned sound. Polaski was at the end of her career (she retired in 2015) but her dramatic singing style was much intact, even when the high notes weren't the same as they used to be. However, it revealed to be a brilliant performance due to her style, her singing and commanding of this work.

But even in that excellent concert, I wasn't still prepared to enjoy his music yet. Indeed, I discovered his masterful world the following year: 2012 was a sort of Schoenberg-year for the Spanish capital: Pierrot Lunaire and Moses und Aron (of which I will talk in another post)  were performed at Teatro Real, and his Transfigured Night was played at the iconic Círculo de Bellas Artes. Interested on Moses, I started to listen to his music and I discovered a magic, fascinating world and the true dimension of his artistry. I discovered Gurrelieder's epic and wagnerian-style music, the enigmatic, haunting and romantic spell of Transfigured Night, the descriptive Pélleas und Melisande, and above all his Six Orchestral Songs op.8, in a powerful wagnerian style, and at the same time his tonal system is close to break itself to pave the way for atonalism. It was an interesting challenge for me, not too familiar to atonalism then (excepting Berg), to discover both his famous atonal and his previous, magic post-romantic style, and then Gurrelieder, his orchestral songs and Transfigured Night had a special place in my favourite works.

                          

Christine Schäfer's debut recital  in Madrid with the Klangforum Wien, conducted by Sylvain Cambreling, June 2012.

On July 20, 2012, there was a recital at Teatro Real of Christine Schäfer, being her Madrid debut, accompanied by the Klangforum Wien under the baton of Sylvain Cambreling. The program consisted of a 20th Century music program. The first part was orchestral, and included Schoenberg's chamber arrangement of the Emperor Waltz . I had to say that at the beginning I didn't recognised the waltz but at the end I had the impression of  having heard a good arrangement, even feeling myself at a Viennese Coffee Shop. The second part brought the icing of the cake with the Pierrot Lunaire. Mrs. Schäfer gave an unforgettable rendition of the piece, with the first seven songs being a magic moment. She was able to give the character (Pierrot) a touch of innocence alternating with a tragic diction in the most dramatic parts. I found this rendition was more mature than her own classic version under Pierre Boulez, more devoted and dramatic, in this masterpiece about Pierrot's spiritual journey. Cambreling's conduction in this piece was accomplished, but sometimes too slow for the most vivid moments of the score.

 The Amsterdam Sinfonietta ensemble.

With the occasion of the Spanish premiere of Moses und Aron, which still would take place two months later, on June 26, 2012, there was a lecture hosted by Teatro Real at the Círculo de Bellas Artes building, one of the most renowned cultural centers in Madrid. After the lecture, some string musicians from the Teatro Real Orchestra played Transfigured Night, in a beautiful and passionate performance. To hear to piece live, specially when knowing the Dehmel poem and being close to the musicians, is an amazing experience because it displays its complete force and intense, evocating atmosphere. 

On February 6, 2014 there was a recital by Thomas Hampson at the Teatro Real, with the Amsterdam Sinfonietta ensemble. The program opened with Transfigured Night too. Their rendition was by far better than the 2012 one, in which violas and violins reached a beautiful sound, as well as the tremolo in the cellos. 

                           

Gurrelieder at Auditorio Nacional, Madrid, October 2018.

Gurrelieder is a demanding piece, with a big orchestra and chorus, as well as six trained performers, so it is rare to see it in a Symphonic Hall, and when it does, it becomes a true event. In November 2014, the Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España (Spanish National Orchestra and Chorus), whose venue is the Auditorio Nacional de Música in Madrid, scheduled, after a long pause, Schoenberg's epic choral and singing masterpiece, strongly influenced by Wagner music but which introduces the sprechgesang, something completely shocking in his day. 

Eliahu Inbal conducted an outstanding, agile and lively rendition. The first part was, as usual, powerful, obtaining from the orchestra the rich, colourful sounds of this score, reproducing the Wagnerian, post-romantic influence of the score. The Dove part sound, on the other hand, beautifully intimist, almost chamberistic, and this appear during the third act, specially during the Peasant song and the Sprechgesang part, even taking care of the soloists. Inbal's command of this repertory made this evening really unforgettable. The Chorus, supplied with the Radio Televisión Española Chorus, were really amazing.

The late Spanish tenor José Ferrero, despite some trouble, gave a good rendition with his baritonal, heldentenor-like (he was the only Spanish tenor to sing this repertoire in his country, he sang Siegmund in Wagner's Ring) voice, even with a smooth pianissimo in Du Wunderliche Tove! Christine Brewer was an interesting, dramatic Tove, with beautiful low notes and ending his part with a great high note. Catherine Wyn-Rogers sang the Dove with an accomplished voice. Andreas Conrad is a great spieltenor, and his rendition of Klaus-Narr was the best of the soloists. The veteran Albert Dohmen sang the Peasant part as well as the final speaking part. Dohmen has a beautiful bass-baritone voice, and even sang the final part, singing the final words Erwacht, erwacht, ihr blumen zur wonne!

In 2018, Gurrelieder returned to the same Symphonic Hall. David Afkham worked with this orchestra in a state of grace. As its musical director, Afkham is taking the Spanish National Orchestra to a supreme level. This wasn't an exception, with Afkham's rich and strong version, sometimes a bit exceeding but spectacular anyway, even lyrical. The Chorus were at the same great level, but in this occasion the male section was really inspired. 

The cast featured Simon O'Neill as a resistant, well sung Waldemar, Juliane Banse as a charming, seductive Tove. Karen Cargill as one of the big sensations of the night with her contralto-like voice, with stunning low notes and tragic rendition of the Dove part. Barry Banks and Wilhelm Schwinghammer were respectively Klaus-Narr and the Peasant, both sang very well. The star was, alongside Cargill, Thomas Quasthoff reciting the final part with authority and dramatism. His former bass-baritone voice which once delighted the audience, still resounded and impressed the audience, even when he was talking.

In the next post, I will talk about the performances of Moses und Aron in Madrid, which happened to premiere of the opera in the city.

My reviews are not professional and express only my opinions. As a non English native speaker I apologise for any mistake.

Most of the photographs are from the internet and belong to its authors. My use of them is only cultural. If someone is uncomfortable with their use, just notify it to me.