Post by tmesis on Jan 26, 2019 21:55:26 GMT
This opera doesn't get performed very often - the last time at The Garden was 2001 - and last night's was only the 51st performance there. It has some truly great music in it but for me it falls short of Eugene Onegin, which is one of the most affecting operas in the repertory. The company is currently fielding an awful production of the latter and this was, if anything worse.
The director has decided that this opera is all about its subtext which is Tchaikovsky's homosexuality. This is rammed down your throat, quite literally, because after a patronising potted biog of the composer projected on stage the first scene if of Tchaikovsky giving a blow job to Gherman. Then, tiresomely the composer is in every scene, often gurning unconvincingly whilst miming playing a grand piano (which is on stage throughout) or, worse, 'conducting' some of the music. The card game at the end isn't even staged as such, instead we have a number of characters faffing about with pieces of music manuscript paper.
Musically it was distinctly less than top-drawer too. Aleksandrs Antonenko, as Gherman had very dubious intonation and tonally unpleasant top notes; Eva-Maria Westbroek as Lisa sounded uncomfortably miscast. Best of all was the veteran Felicity Palmer as the Countess. Her voice is in fantastic shape with edge of the seat control of pianissimo. It was, as ever, extremely well conducted by Pappano and the set design was very good, with effortless transitions between scenes, particularly effective when the mood darkens.
It is not so important that an opera like Carmen is currently being presented in a terrible production at The Garden because there will be plenty more (hopefully better) productions to come. The Queen of Spades is such a rarity in Britain that an important opportunity for an intelligent, thoughtful production has now been squandered.
The director has decided that this opera is all about its subtext which is Tchaikovsky's homosexuality. This is rammed down your throat, quite literally, because after a patronising potted biog of the composer projected on stage the first scene if of Tchaikovsky giving a blow job to Gherman. Then, tiresomely the composer is in every scene, often gurning unconvincingly whilst miming playing a grand piano (which is on stage throughout) or, worse, 'conducting' some of the music. The card game at the end isn't even staged as such, instead we have a number of characters faffing about with pieces of music manuscript paper.
Musically it was distinctly less than top-drawer too. Aleksandrs Antonenko, as Gherman had very dubious intonation and tonally unpleasant top notes; Eva-Maria Westbroek as Lisa sounded uncomfortably miscast. Best of all was the veteran Felicity Palmer as the Countess. Her voice is in fantastic shape with edge of the seat control of pianissimo. It was, as ever, extremely well conducted by Pappano and the set design was very good, with effortless transitions between scenes, particularly effective when the mood darkens.
It is not so important that an opera like Carmen is currently being presented in a terrible production at The Garden because there will be plenty more (hopefully better) productions to come. The Queen of Spades is such a rarity in Britain that an important opportunity for an intelligent, thoughtful production has now been squandered.
