Tales of Hoffman Volksoper Vienna
April 26th 2019
This was, overall, a thoroughly sound and engaging production and performance. I liked the ‘steampunk’ look of many of the design elements which well caught the mood of eccentric fantasy which is a key characteristic of the work, I think. It also allowed the blackly comic elements (important ones) to be fully realised and acknowledged.
Hoffman (Marco Jentzsch) was a fine-voiced Hoffman. It’s a demanding role, both in vocal demands ad dramatically I think but he rose to the challenge for the duration of the work. At times he was a little strained in the upper register though but for the most part he had a combination of power and sweetness which is what is needed.
As the four-part villain Davide Damiani was mostly effective, although he did not, certainly at the start, come across as the Machiavellian evil genius who thwarts Hoffman at every term. I felt that there could have been a greater element of glee in what he does as I think this is a significant element in his character – he enjoys being bad for its own sake and relishes it. This did not come across as strongly as it could have done.
Act 3 (with Antonia) was superb! Here it really took off emotionally. This is my favourite of the three acts as it seems to have the greatest emotional [power and the relationship that Hoffman has seems to be the deepest and most significant one. Here it was performed in between Olympia and Giulietta acts although I think it is better as the last of Hoffman’s three loves for the reasons outlined above – and the fact that it is a celebration – and in a way, a warning – of the extraordinary power of music and the effect that it can have on people and their lives. In appearance Dr Miracle was clearly channelling Nosferatu – and very effectively too as this strongly conveyed both supernatural powers and ruthless terror. Even though physically he was not powerful – cadaverous with a stick and a slight stoop – his emotional power came across remarkably vividly. The set for this act was wonderful – a frozen ice palace reflecting I suppose the emotional coldness of many dramatic aspects of this act but also the seductiveness and power of music as suggested by the glittery elements of the ice. There was a tall mound of ‘ice’ (?) on the right, from which, to great effect, Antonia’s mother emerged at the chilling climax of the act. Fantastic staging! The performance entered a different realm with this act compared to what preceded it. I loved the slightly odd idea that as Antonia sang herself to death she was being driven on by six conductor figures who appeared to ‘conduct’ her on the way to death. A really chilling and effective idea that I suspect is not fully conveyed by this description. As they say, you had to be there.
The quality of this act was sustained in the last and the Epilogue. The level of emotional involvement was wonderfully high and the Venice Act exquisitely evoked the magical watery environment of that city with judicious and very effective use of projected water-like abstract patterns on the stage – so much more effective than just showing waves. This gentle lullaby movement evoking water that the Barcarolle does musically so magically) was mirrored by the smooth gliding movement of the figures on stage and emphasised by two acrobats above the stage – a neat way of suggesting, creatively and originally, carnival time. There was a marvellously perfect match between music and movement that did not become artificial and forced. In this act I missed a really deeply resonant bass voice for Dappertutto in his aria “Scintille diamante’ probably my favourite ‘number’ in the score. This is perhaps the slight problem with having the same singer in all four parts, no matter how much dramatic sense it makes – slightly different voices are required for each role.
Anyway a great evening and a super end to my four Easter opera performances.