Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk - Shostakovich

Opéra Bastille – January, 29^th 2009

Last time I was so enthusiast was for Tristan und Isolde by Peter Sellars with Waltraud Meier, Ben Heppner and Esa-Peka Salonen. I was enthusiast thanks to the singers and the orchestra. I was enthusiast with the director as well even if I had few remarks. There, I have nothing to say. They reached perfection.

Martin Kusej made an exact and precise stage direction. None of its singers direction looks false. Every gesture helps the action to go further. Then he gives emphasis when needed and never adds useless artificial tricks so that the whole work is never betrayed. Thank you so much Mr. Kusej.

The singers? What a cast! I cannot mention all of them as they are all the right people at the right place. Of course few special mention: Ludovit Ludha as Zinovy and Michael König as Sergei. Another mention for the Sonietka by Lani Poulson; this is a small role but her voice is the needed one. Anyway, there are all excellent singers but actors too.

And here is THE mention for Mademoiselle Westbroek. She incarnates Katerina. She IS Katerina as Waltraud IS Kundry or Isolde. The role is long, difficult, exhausting but she will be absolutely brilliant from the beginning to the end. Mademoiselle, please, comes back more often in Paris.

The orchestra: as usual, the Orchestre de l’Opéra de Paris is a very good one when it is conducted by a strong and real conductor. Haenchen belongs to them. He is living the performance and adjusted every group of instruments. Shostakovich music is shining and exploding in his hands.

That is a masterpiece served by the exact cast (conductor, director, singers and orchestra).

My only regret is for some of the choir members (4 of them only). They obviously decided not to act as asked and they polluted the performance with their presence. The worse: they were at the first rank at applauses.

Comments

[Rédigé par: Patricia Fauron]

Bonjour
Impossible de m'abonner à ce blog (blocage du service informatique)
J'aimerais être dans votre liste de destinataires si elle existe, sinon je me connecterais régulièrement, j'aime infiniment ce que vous écrivez
Merci à vous

[Rédigé par: berlin]

Gut!