La Forza del Destino, Bayerische Staatsoper July 25: Grandiose and tear -jerking rendition.

Rarely  have  I been so moved by each character in an opera, and rarely the whole cast, chorus and orchestra have reached such a level of beauty and accomplishment.

It was my first Forza live.

I cannot explain in length how I got the tickets for this 26 of July renditon of la Forza, but without the help from a dear friend (yes I can write 'friend' now, although I have not done as much as this friend did for me and  hope that one day I will manage to help to get tickets when there is an important concentration of stunning singers  here, like in this production of la Forza in Munich.)

I would not have managed to get tickets with full view and good seating comfort. I will be grateful for ever because this rendition was the real thing, it worked well for all the characters and the arias were great,  the drama well served and acted with precise gestures and complete involvment of the singers.

The orchestra, and the clarinet, (with its Fate tune running through all the arias sung by tenor, soprano and Baritone, a well known tune in Provence because of the film Jean de Florette based on Marcel Pagnol's novel) plus the trumpets, drums, and cello, were also very busy along the course of the opera, all of them really sounded terrific, like I have not often felt, the quality which makes me think: "this is it ! ".

I was discovering Jonas Kaufmann in an opera for the first time and was thrilled of course! He is beyond words, equally suited for lovers' roles or  fighting heros. His duel on the table opposite a more heavily built Ludovic Tezier  left me breathless.

I could not have imagined how both singers suddenly jumped at each other  daggers in hands, both  provoking and escaping. It is one thing to watch the filmed opera like I did when it was streamed  December 22 and it is a complete experience to be sitting in this prestigious House,  listening, watching...being utterly moved by this horrifying story.
 
The orchestra under Asher Fisch had a complete adequacy with the singers and never covered the  singers in the ensembles, which is here a kind of tour de force because there are several important moments where that could fairly well happen.

I enjoyed  the setting because each new scene added sense to this drama and could have a double take: Verdi has made it rather clear that God will not help the wounded here so the pile of crosses for the last scene instead of the hermit cave tells what it is, a cemetery of crosses which signifies nothing in term of faith, a riddle. We are back to the Greek tragic notion of Fate.The famous 'Pace Pace' asking for God's mercy from Leonora is without any answer as Leonora will be stabbed by her dying brother who followed his obsession of hatred and revenge.

Before the ouverture we had someone coming on stage and the packed house responded by a sort of hush expressing fear of a cancellation from some one on this prestigious cast... soon we were reassured: Jonas Kaufmann was not at the top of his form and wanted to express his excuses. I did not feel he was not fit that night, he sounded so good in all the aspects of  this difficult role, just as Ludovic Tézier did that night with this violent role of Don carlo seeking revenge at all cost, including of course Anja Harteros who is an absolute wonder in all her arias. The second roles were matching the three top ones, and tonight it is possible to a watch these wonderful singers on Arte.


The audience was thrilled by the whole cast,  there were several curtain calls with enthusiastic cheers for every one on the cast.
My Munich friend who is Anja Harteros' first fan took me off stage to meet this long admired singer!

She came out with natural and simplicity, welcomed me with a wonderful smile and I still think I was lucky to see her and thank her. For me she is the greatest soprano and a wonderful person in the way she does not play 'Diva' but is a real one on stage, as she gives musicality and emotion to all her roles, and this year she has done a lot, singing Strauss, Puccini, Verdi with equal success.
It is impossible to try to describe the beauties of her singing;it has to be felt and seen live.

I had also the pleasure to talk to Ludovic Tezier who  is the real Verdian Baritone needed for these great roles like Carlo here. This season I heard him live in  Marseille (La Straniera), in Paris Bastille (Lucia ) Bastille again in Werther where he was also stunning in Albert.  His Carlo, matched with Jonas Kaufmann 's Alvaro  was explosive!  this team and under such a stage directing, will give us  more  good surprises, and he did give a hint there will be another creation here with the same winning team, in another Verdi opera, in a few years time.
I will try to come to Munich again to feel this experience of elegant and moving singing from a great team of singers,  plus great musicality from the orchestra and amazing acoustic in the house.
( Later on I might upload my curtain calls on youtube, but I think it is better to get ready for the 21, 50 pm live broadcast on ARTE).
The House is celebrating its 50th anniversary, there are beautiful photos outdoors, and Edita Gruberova  has her shares as she did so much  beautiful

singing and still does at the Bayerische Staatsoper.

Last curtain calls on the 25th, a pity I was not on the 28th ! My friend threw the bunch of flowers which was picked by Jonas and offered to her..then she shared the flowers so nicely....among the cast...