Singing, dancing, feeling the myth: Monteverdi's L' Orfeo in Madrid, by Sasha Waltz.

Madrid, November 24, 2022.

It isn't the first opera ever composed, but since it consecrated the genre of opera, as we know and appreciate, after years of genesis, in which it tried to revive the ancient greco-roman dramas in the Renaissance Italian court palaces, it is by far the first great opera of the standard repertoire, and the oldest one to be performed regularly. We owe a lot to Claudio Monteverdi's Orfeo, so that is why on February 25, 2007, the world celebrated the genre's 400th Birthday, to conmemorate that event which took place four centuries ago, in 1607 in Mantua. Two decades later, opera was already performed in theatres, and in the next century, the castrati established the operatic stardom.

This is not an strange opera in Madrid: in 2008 took place the premiere at the Teatro Real by William Christie and Les Arts Florissants, staging the Monteverdian trilogy in its stage. In 2017, Paul Agnew brought it to the Teatros del Canal, and last February it was performed at the Auditorio Nacional with Ian Bostridge and L'Europa Galante. Now this masterpiece in history of music returns to the Teatro Real, for a four-performances run.

Sasha Waltz is one of the world leading choreographers, and like her legend colleague Pina Bausch, she has directed stagings in which singing and dancing were merged. For her new, immersive production of L'Orfeo, she even goes beyond: singers and dancers sometimes interchange their performances, as they sing and dance at the same time. Hers is a version of visual, aesthetical beauty. Her dancing company, Sasha Waltz and Guests is an accomplished group of dancers, with skilled, amazing dancing movements. This choreography reinforces music and dance. 

There is no curtain, and a wooden scenic platform in the middle of the stage splits the orchestra in two parts. In this scenic structure the action takes place, and as mentioned before not always clear who is dancing and who is singing. Costumes are white during the feast in Act 1 and dark during the Underworld scenes, as well as the dances are more cheerful, classic in the happiness of the beginning and more visceral, powerful in the dark Acts 3 and 4. A forest is seen in the first half in the bottom, to give way to a grey, rocky, empty landscape, representing the Hades. This is the greatest achievement of the staging, conveying the despair, horror, anxiety and sadness of the place. Act 4 begins with a long, silent dance, with no musical accompaniment and the hall completely dark, shortly before the Pluto and Proserpina scenes. At the end, all choristers, singers, excepting Orfeo and Apollo dance the cheerful final Moresca, joined by the conductor and the orchestra. 

The world-famed Freiburger Barockorchester, conducted by Leonardo García-Alarcón, has given a devoted rendition, commited to the stage and the choreography, with agile, rapid tempi. Waltz doesn't go too far from the original ambiance in which this work was premiered, by joining singing and dancing. In addition, the audience is somewhat involved, as in the Toccata, the trumpets enter into the parterre and play it amidst the audience. The percussionist Peter Kuhnsch has a prominent participation in the score. The violin, harp, and cornetto had their most shining moments in the outstanding, long aria "Possente Spirto", in which every section responds Orfeo's lament. As the work was going by, the performance became more and more breathtaking, as well as intimist, dark and vivid.

The Vocalconsort Berlin was the chorus, having quite a challenging task, dancing and singing at the same time, but they succeeded as they were very commited to the choreography. They did chilling versions of the Act One chorus, as well as deep, stark rendition of the final male chorus in Act 4. As actors they conveyed the emotions, as one could see them similing very happy at the beginning and very serious and wild during the Underworld scenes.

Georg Nigl was Orfeo. His voice is not very dark, so he is in an intermediate stage between the high voice of a tenor and the dark register of a baritone, which fits in the early 17th Century recitative singing. His volume sometimes is not big, but this is convenient for conveying the different moods of the character, specially when he says in a thin voice "Rendetemi il mio ben", almost in a crying begging to the spirits of Hell to give Eurydice back.

Two singers were by far the revelation of these performances. The bass Alex Rosen was a great surprise with his dark, deep tone, and powerful voice as Caronte. Luciana Mancini's Proserpina was really unforgettable. This Swedish mezzo-soprano is able to sing, with her powerful, dark-toned, well projected voice, and at the same time to dance the choreography as well as the skilled dancers. 

Charlotte Hellekant took the double role of the messenger and Hope (La Speranza), in the latter role, her rendition of Ecco l'altra palude was one of the best moments in the show. Her elegant profile, gave an ethereal touch to her performances. Konstantin Wolff as Pluto had a voice sounding a bit gutural. Julie Roset is a young soprano with a sweet, charming tone, in her double role as Music and Eurydice. The rest of the cast sang at the same devoted level as the dancers did their part, as well as interchanging roles.

The four-performances run has been very well received by critics and audience, and at least two performance were sold out. Sasha Waltz has won over Madrid audiences with her dreamlike, cheerful and at the same tame dark choreography, recreating a successful modern vision of the myth of Orfeo. Definitely, one of the big events in the current Madrid operatic season, in a Baroque opera night of the highest level.

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