Uncanny
Alban Berg: Wozzeck, Welsh National Opera, Milton Keynes Theatre, 19 March 2005.
One evening in March, a subdued coach party of Oxford Friends of Welsh National Opera returned home from Milton Keynes, after an unforgettable harrowing ninety minutes spent in the Theatre, experiencing WNO's new production of Alban Berg's opera, Wozzeck.
The Company's previous production of the opera, seen in Oxford in 1986, is remembered as a dramatic interpretation of an opera of its period. This was a literal interpretation of the libretto by Liviu Ciulei, with a strong cast of Joll in the title role, Harrhy as Marie, his girl, and Ellsworth as the Drum-Major, conducted by Armstrong. This had not prepared one for the dramatic impact of the present production under the musical direction of Vladimir Jurowski, which revealed the opera as one of the great dramatic masterworks of the twentieth century. Following last year's Parsifal, the performance demonstrated the tremendous rapport between the orchestra and this conductor, which should previously have been consummated by his appointment as Music Director when Glyndebourne carried him off.
The story is based on a play by Büchner of 1836, itself based on real life. It tells of a simple-minded soldier, Wozzeck, whose life of humiliation and drudgery is only lightened by his feelings for Marie and their son. He supports them by earning extra pennies as batman to his captain and as a guinea pig for dietary experiments of a demented doctor. When Marie is seduced by a drum major, Wozzeck flips completely, kills Marie and is himself drowned. It is a very dark plot but uncomfortably topical with present day news reports of bullying and verbal and psychological abuse in the armed forces, schools and the workplace.
The score of the opera comprises fifteen complex symphonic movements, a sophisticated commentary on the simple tragic drama acted out on stage. Jurowski interprets Berg's score with profound understanding and drives the orchestra to unprecedented achievement - the crashing chords at the final climax are almost unbearable. At the same time, he combines this with sensitive accompaniment of some fine singing. Above all, praise is due to Christopher Purves' interpretation of the title role, a perfectly judged and moving depiction of Wozzeck's degeneration. Peter Hoare (the Captain), Gun-Britt Barkman (Marie), Peter Svensson (the Drum-Major), Clive Bailey (the Doctor) and the rest of the cast all contribute to an exceptionally well acted interpretation of the drama. For this, the Director, Richard Jones, must take much credit. His control of the chorus in a stylised danse macabre was particularly effective.
However, the question must be asked: is the production successful because of or in spite of the staging? Richard Jones is well known for his imaginative re-takes on operas, which are often on the borderline of acceptability. For WNO, The Queen of Spades was brilliant but Hansel and Gretel was controversial (I disliked it). On this occasion, the action was taken out of the army and placed in a baked bean cannery, as one was forewarned. I had imagined this was suggested because the Doctor has Wozzeck on a diet of beans. But according to a programme note, the reason is ideological, calling attention to an analogy of corporate psychopathic behaviour to that of individuals. Fortunately, the overwhelming development of the music drama was too powerful for one to be distracted by such considerations at the time. The main problem with such translations is that the words don't fit what is happening on the stage. It would be tedious to list all the minor irritations. Most serious is the opening of the opera. Wozzeck is shaving the Captain using an electric razor (for goodness' sake). The point of this scene is to show that though dim, Wozzeck is not considered insane - otherwise the Captain would not allow him near with a razor! One has to remember that Wozzeck's relationship with Marie has lasted long enough to bring up their son. It is only in the second scene that he begins to hallucinate and this is in the open air, cutting wood, not in front of a Modern Times type production line. The age of the child presents another problem. He has to be young enough not to understand that his mother is dead or the final scene makes no sense. Ring-a- ring-a-roses is for five-year olds. In this production the kids appeared twice that age. The television set in the home could be regarded, I suppose, as a necessary modern touch. But was this the set retrieved from Violetta's apartment after her death at the end of WNO's Traviata? The Company should avoid such clichés!
These criticisms are, in the main, retrospective. At the time, the staging, with all its more obvious faults, could be accepted on its own terms. It gave a well-judged development of the drama from the soul-destroying boredom of Wozzeck's life at the beginning, steadily building up the tension through Marie's infidelity to the final climax of the murder and his death, smothered in a skip full of empty cans. In the end the staging did not detract from the shattering effect of the production as a whole.
It was very bold of Welsh National Opera to choose Wozzeck as the first new production at the Millenium Centre. Its enormous critical success attracted large audiences, if not the sell-outs more popular choices of opera might have ensured. But with this world-class performance, WNO has got off to a brilliant start in its new home. It has set itself a very high standard to maintain.
Alban Berg: Wozzeck, Welsh National Opera, Milton Keynes Theatre, 19 March 2005.
One evening in March, a subdued coach party of Oxford Friends of Welsh National Opera returned home from Milton Keynes, after an unforgettable harrowing ninety minutes spent in the Theatre, experiencing WNO's new production of Alban Berg's opera, Wozzeck.
The Company's previous production of the opera, seen in Oxford in 1986, is remembered as a dramatic interpretation of an opera of its period. This was a literal interpretation of the libretto by Liviu Ciulei, with a strong cast of Joll in the title role, Harrhy as Marie, his girl, and Ellsworth as the Drum-Major, conducted by Armstrong. This had not prepared one for the dramatic impact of the present production under the musical direction of Vladimir Jurowski, which revealed the opera as one of the great dramatic masterworks of the twentieth century. Following last year's Parsifal, the performance demonstrated the tremendous rapport between the orchestra and this conductor, which should previously have been consummated by his appointment as Music Director when Glyndebourne carried him off.
The story is based on a play by Büchner of 1836, itself based on real life. It tells of a simple-minded soldier, Wozzeck, whose life of humiliation and drudgery is only lightened by his feelings for Marie and their son. He supports them by earning extra pennies as batman to his captain and as a guinea pig for dietary experiments of a demented doctor. When Marie is seduced by a drum major, Wozzeck flips completely, kills Marie and is himself drowned. It is a very dark plot but uncomfortably topical with present day news reports of bullying and verbal and psychological abuse in the armed forces, schools and the workplace.
The score of the opera comprises fifteen complex symphonic movements, a sophisticated commentary on the simple tragic drama acted out on stage. Jurowski interprets Berg's score with profound understanding and drives the orchestra to unprecedented achievement - the crashing chords at the final climax are almost unbearable. At the same time, he combines this with sensitive accompaniment of some fine singing. Above all, praise is due to Christopher Purves' interpretation of the title role, a perfectly judged and moving depiction of Wozzeck's degeneration. Peter Hoare (the Captain), Gun-Britt Barkman (Marie), Peter Svensson (the Drum-Major), Clive Bailey (the Doctor) and the rest of the cast all contribute to an exceptionally well acted interpretation of the drama. For this, the Director, Richard Jones, must take much credit. His control of the chorus in a stylised danse macabre was particularly effective.
However, the question must be asked: is the production successful because of or in spite of the staging? Richard Jones is well known for his imaginative re-takes on operas, which are often on the borderline of acceptability. For WNO, The Queen of Spades was brilliant but Hansel and Gretel was controversial (I disliked it). On this occasion, the action was taken out of the army and placed in a baked bean cannery, as one was forewarned. I had imagined this was suggested because the Doctor has Wozzeck on a diet of beans. But according to a programme note, the reason is ideological, calling attention to an analogy of corporate psychopathic behaviour to that of individuals. Fortunately, the overwhelming development of the music drama was too powerful for one to be distracted by such considerations at the time. The main problem with such translations is that the words don't fit what is happening on the stage. It would be tedious to list all the minor irritations. Most serious is the opening of the opera. Wozzeck is shaving the Captain using an electric razor (for goodness' sake). The point of this scene is to show that though dim, Wozzeck is not considered insane - otherwise the Captain would not allow him near with a razor! One has to remember that Wozzeck's relationship with Marie has lasted long enough to bring up their son. It is only in the second scene that he begins to hallucinate and this is in the open air, cutting wood, not in front of a Modern Times type production line. The age of the child presents another problem. He has to be young enough not to understand that his mother is dead or the final scene makes no sense. Ring-a- ring-a-roses is for five-year olds. In this production the kids appeared twice that age. The television set in the home could be regarded, I suppose, as a necessary modern touch. But was this the set retrieved from Violetta's apartment after her death at the end of WNO's Traviata? The Company should avoid such clichés!
These criticisms are, in the main, retrospective. At the time, the staging, with all its more obvious faults, could be accepted on its own terms. It gave a well-judged development of the drama from the soul-destroying boredom of Wozzeck's life at the beginning, steadily building up the tension through Marie's infidelity to the final climax of the murder and his death, smothered in a skip full of empty cans. In the end the staging did not detract from the shattering effect of the production as a whole.
It was very bold of Welsh National Opera to choose Wozzeck as the first new production at the Millenium Centre. Its enormous critical success attracted large audiences, if not the sell-outs more popular choices of opera might have ensured. But with this world-class performance, WNO has got off to a brilliant start in its new home. It has set itself a very high standard to maintain.