just a thought

At the very beginning of October I attended three operas, and I reacted only to one of them: Wozzeck, not that Die tote stadt did not capture me, it was even too much on the sickening side, I felt this nightmarish atmosphere with the ceiling slanting and the music too somptuous, kind of stuffing. Korngold's late romantic tunes with brilliant orchestra did not move me deeply. Marietta's tune is catching, so is Pierrot's aria, and Paul's lamento on his never- to - be forgotten Maria is an aesthetic exercise. Bastille huge scenery suited this opera. Simply I did not imagine Marietta like this mature singer, though very brave in her exhausting vocal role. Now trying to recall it I think I would have liked to see it twice. As for the third one, back from Bastille to my local regional operahouse the following day, it was a real trauma to my ears: Die Rosenkavalier on a sunday afternoon, still quite hot for the season, when the orchestra has forgotten to follow the conductor and plays fortissimo most of the time. Worse than that, the audience clapping before the end of the dainty Strauss arias. So, at the end of the first act I dashed out thinking I would quit..I was furious. Because Kate Aldrich was Qinquin and I simply love her voice and acting, I resumed my seat.

They had to struggle through their duets and I wonder what they thought of the orchestra. It is not always as bad as this. Or perhaps I was still tuned on Paris beautiful orchestra sound and failed to adapt.
Kate Aldrich was worth seeing in her first 'chevalier' she has the looks and the voice and musicality of the role.The last scene is what I like best in this opus. The three voices in this hazy musical dream about love,( Mozart is whispering to Strauss's ears ), is an exquisite moment, but again I missed the last notes because of the rude clapping.
Mise en scène, Dieter Kaegi
Assistant, Lutz Schwartz
Décors et costumes, Bruno Schwengl
Lumières, Davy Cunningham

La Maréchale : Gabriele Fontana
Octavian : Kate Aldrich
Sophie : Margareta Klobucar
Annina : Sophie Pondjiclis
Marianne : Anne-Marguerite Werster
Le Baron Ochs : Manfred Hemm
Faninal : Lionel Lhote
Valzacchi : Olivier Ringelhahn
L’aubergiste / Le majordome : Raphaël Brémard
Un commissaire de police : Eric Freulon
Un chanteur italien : Avi Klemberg
Un notaire : François Castel
L’intendant de Faninal : Ji Hyun Kim

Orchestre de l’Opéra de Marseille

Chœur de l’Opéra de Marseille
Chef du chœur, Pierre Iodice

Chœur d’enfants de la Maîtrise des Bouches du Rhône
Direction, Samuel Coquard

Direction musicale, Philippe Auguin