This was an odd but intriguing combination of experiences and approaches. Form, an early Mozart opera seria, production,a modern-day political setting (EU conflicts), musical experience, of the highest order. It sounds like a weird combination and it was but I did feel that it, just about, worked.
Opera seria is , I think a really difficult form to produce these days. The emphasis on singing per se is I think, at odds with today’s demands of a convincing and involving dramatic experience - the forward movement of the drama and character develoment seems to me to be the almost sole preserve of the recitative sections while the musical numbers are much more static explorations of a state of mind with the emphasis on the musical technique being demonstrated by the performer. The structure of many musical numbers too, (da capo and variants) means that a sophisticated ear is needed to be able to hear and relate to the different sections of the arias as well as appreciate the musical techniques being used.
For these reasons, the nature of the production is of crucial importance in making these works live and while I thinl there are many ways to do this (and an attempt to reproduce the look ands feel of the original work in terms of staging and scene setting is certainly a valid one) updating in some way is probably the best way forward, particularly if intelligently combined with a dose of irony and maybe satire.
In this production the EU setting worked with tailored power-dressing in bright primary colours, was very well with the personal and political machinations of the original story being well and appropriately reflected in the modern setting. Excellent use was made of technology with large TV screens on stage giving us news updates and commentary and appropriate moments - and the misreporting of Mitridate’s death and subsequent return was a particularly excellent example of this. I liked the way we saw his arrival first on screen and then, through the auditorium, in reality. Michael Spyres, in this role, was as excellent actor as he was a singer - althuogh the almost ludicrous demands made on his voice (particularly in the extreme upper register, only just came off.
The (characteristically?) very rapid ending was well done and the nature of the setting made this possible and plausible - new alliances needing to be formed, rapdi decisions being made etc etc.
Fascinating experience - but I am not sure how rapidly I would seek out this work, or others of its ilk again tbh…
Mitridate: Michael Spyres
Aspasia: Lenneke Ruiten
Sifare: Myrtò Papatanasiu
Farnace: David Hansen
Ismene: Simona Saturová
Marzio: Sergey Romanovsky
Arbate: Yves Saelens
Conductor: Christophe Rousset