The clown's tears and tormented soul: an unique, male sung Pierrot Lunaire in Madrid.

Madrid, February 22, 2024.

This year, several anniversaries are commemorated: Anton Bruckner's 200th anniversary of his birth, Puccini's 100th anniversary of his death, and Arnold Schoenberg's 150th anniversary of his birth. Schoenberg is a key man in the history of music, as he was the man who changed its course from the early 20th century, and this results obvious, considering both the admiration and hate he arouses, being one of the pioneers of atonality, and being unfairly accused of irreversibly damaging music. To celebrate Schoenberg's year, the Teatro Real has schduled in Winter 2024, two of its most emblematic vocal works: Erwartung, which is to be performed alongside Poulenc's The Human Voice next month, and Pierrot Lunaire, which is being performed these days at the Teatro de la Abadía.

Based on the same name Albert Giraud's poem collection, it was premiered in Vienna in 1912, commissioned by Albertine Zehme, an actress who usually organized poetry recitals accompanied by musical instruments. At this point in his career, Schönberg has already adopted atonalism in his music, although he would not yet use the twelve-tone system until years later. This is one of the first great works to use Sprechstimme, a vocal method set between singing and the spoken voice. And this case, the declamation is inspired after cabaret, so popular at that time. Pierrot is a character taken from the French Comédie Italienne, which represented the works of the Italian Commedia dell'arte in France. Usually a comical and secondary character, Schornberg makes him the main protagonist, into whose mind the music invites the listener to enter. On a spiritual journey, this work has three parts, seven poems each. In the first, Pierrot speaks of eroticism, in the second of unpleasant situations, such as crimes, and in the last of his attempt to redeem himself from his sins and return to his homeland.

Although it is a difficult work, it has been seen twice at the Teatro Real: in 2003, Daniel Barenboim presented it with members of the Staatskapelle Berlin after a performance of Wagner's The Flying Dutchman, with Anat Efraty as reciter. In 2012, Christine Schäfer, an expert in this score, recited it as the second part of her debut at the same stage, with the prestigious Klangforum Wien conducted by Sylvain Cambreling. In 2021, in the Foyer of the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, ​​a semi-staged production of this work was premiered, an idea by the Spanish countertenor Xabier Sabata, who now brings it to Madrid, to the Teatro de la Abadía, in the the Teatro Real current season, and for the first time, played with musicians from its own orchestra.

Given the short duration of the work, the myth of Narcissus, from Ovid's Metamorphosis, is used as a prologue. Although they are two totally different characters, Narcissus and Pierrot are both lonely and tormented, and that could be an idea for a possible dialogue. As soon as one enters in the hall, the singer is already on stage, lying on the floor, on a rotating circular platform. When the lights fade, the singer, completely in white make-up and dressed in a white tunic, begins to recite, with a voice that is somewhere between evocative, sensual and heartbreaking, the legend of Narcissus. At the end, an intense light comes from above, and the Pierrot Lunaire begins. Cube.bz's lighting contributes to create the overwhelming atmosphere, with an intense red light in the second part, or with the light dimmed during the third, and recreating a triangle of light over the circle where the singer moves, to conclude the piece.

This show has the uniqueness of being recited by a man. Although the score does not specify the gender of the performer, tradition has accepted almost exclusively women to perform the work. Even when the high tessitura could clash with a male voice, perhaps the countertenor voice is the most suitable. Sabata, as singer and director of the project, shows Narcissus as a delightful young man who tragically succumbs to his destiny, and Pierrot as a fragile, frenetic and at the same time tormented character, something that further accentuates the differences between them. In Schoenberg's work, Sabata does everything possible to convey the possibilities of the extreme score: from his declamation, with his natural voice, to the high tessitura of his countertenor voice. He was accompanied by some musicians, five in total, from the Teatro Real Orchestra, conducted by Jordi Francés, in an even more overwhelming performance. The small musical gave a powerful performance,even surpassing Sabata's voice in a pair of songs. Special mention to the  Sonia Klikiewic's violin and Karina Azizova's piano.

Being the opening night, theater was highly occupated, and the audience, which ranged from some young people to many more middle-aged people, rewarded Sabata and the ensemble with much applause. There are five days left, until Sunday, to enjoy this unique show, and next month the stage Teatro Real premiere of Erwartung will take place. The Spanish capital is celebrating Arnold Schoenberg's artistry these weeks and we must celebrate it.