Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk Deutsche Oper Berlin
April 7th 2018
This is the first time I have seen this on the stage although I have explored it aurally and it was superbly featured in the V & A History of Opera exhibition last summer. The current Covent Garden revival sounds stunning; this was good, particularly in the final scene which entered another world altogether, but it was not the gut-wrenching experience that I had hoped it would be.
The title role demands a singing actress of remarkable power and presence where acting ability must be at least as good as the (very demanding) music insists. We had this in the amazing Evelyn Herlitzius who must be one of the best (and there cannot be many) exponents of this role. The completely dominated and caught every aspect of this richly fascinating, monstrous, terrifying and pitiable character – really as rich a character as her namesake
The essence of the set was a raised structure in the middle of the stage which looked like cooled lava. It suggested something hard and unyielding (reflective of the society and role expectations shown in the work0 but also something potentially sensual and smooth – possibly sexual…and sexual matters are of central concern (a major plot-driving device in this work. On top of this were two sides of a bleak building with harsh spotlights that cast a chilly and icy glow on the scene – a very effective reflection of the constant cold that would characterise this place. There was also a reflection of the emotional coldness of this world as well in this physical setting.
The use of the chorus was first-rate and once again, having now seen a fair number of German opera productions, I am SO impressed at how well these choruses act and how well they cope with the often very extreme demands that are put upon them by the directors. There is always 100% commitment and if you look at individuals in any scene you can see that they are totally involved – and each person is an individual and acting. I first noticed this in the Nuremberg Attila (see my review posted onto my Facebook page earlier) and it has been confirmed in almost every performance I have subsequently seen. When it does not happen I now find myself very aware of it. Often I think this is a reflection of the director and his ability to make each chorus member and individual but contributing to the whole.
There was excellent use made of an onstage cheerleader brass band who appeared at various key moments. Of course when they were called for musically, that was also, by definition, a significant dramatic moment and having them as a ‘character’ on stage was highly effective. The best (and funniest) time was when they provided THE most graphic musical account to the first sexual encounter between Katarina and her lover – music that makes Strauss’s Rosenkavalier prelude seem the epitome of polite and refined understatement and subtlety. And it was great for the audience to be laughing along uproariously with this; I am sure in the USA it would not have had that effect and may well have been met by disapproving chuntering!
The drama was pushed along rapidly and effectively and until the final scene, one was very aware that it was the story of individuals – yes, the society in which they lived was significant but it was the individuals with whom one was most wholly emotionally involved. However, in the final scene, at the prison camp, something seemed to happen and it became, for me, universal. I am not sure how or why this was but I was very aware of it and it made the ending have a tragic grandeur and power, which the scenes and actions from the previous acts would not have led one to expect. It became more than the story of one figure; in a way, Lady M. became emblematic of women in general. I was fascinated, moved by this, and am still trying to work out how this was achieved.
I loved the safety curtain design and in general, the way it seem in European houses these are designed and decorated to be appropriate for the work in question. This one was Georgia O’Keeffe on acid; check out the image I posted a while ago of it.