Carmina Burana. Erkel Theatre Budapest
Oct 12th 2019
This was an interesting idea which, by and large, was quite successful. A multi-media performance of the work with film projections/light and dance. I am not sure to which there was a clear story except occasionally in certain sections but the experience was interesting and enjoyable.
The chorus were in serried, tiered ranks across the full width of the (very wide) Erkel stage and at the back, halfway down and suspended was a platform that was used by the three dancers. This gave an effective contrast with their spare a dry sound being very different from the grand and heavy sounds of Orff – not lush as the scoring was quite heavily brass and percussion based. The chorus were dressed in white floor-length robes which, of course, allowed them to effectively absorb the colours that were projected on and around the stage. The simplicity of the robes was matched by the colour palette used, both to illuminate the stage and in the filmic images that were also projected over the entire space. Additionally, the statuesque grandeur of this sort of strongly chordal music was matched by the basic stage picture. The colours were strong, often largely primary and of one colour, although when more than one was used, particularly in the film sequences, there was a quite sharp contrast which was also effective, particularly given the large spaces that were being used. I think that this was deliberate as these bright, firm colours were something of a visual equivalent or match to the strongly modal melodies and harmonies that they accompanied that seems to be such a feature of this work – and all of Orff’s? Not sure if my musical terminology in the last sentence is right or accurate; perhaps musical experts can advise…
The dancers, as with any Hungarian performance, were superb and the singing very fine, meeting the considerable demands of the parts – particularly the soprano with her cruelly high and exposed line at the end of the piece.
However, the last 10-15 minutes were most impressive – not least as a massive (projected) figure rose up above the whole stage to a point where, from where I was sitting (an excellent seat and the equivalent of the front of the Royal Circle at Covent Garden), I could not see the top. But I did enjoy this experience. It was original and well done – although I did wonder by the end whether I had almost been aurally and visually bludgeoned into wholly accepting it! It was very popular (virtually sold out) and with a pleasing age range in the audience.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/svw9rz54cZc