Guest on Sofa: Gabriela Harvey - Two Ladies Macbeth

This fall much has been written about Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and even more about Verdi’s “Macbeth” with Anna Netrebko as Lady Macbeth.

Here some snippets of my impressions:

I saw the October 11^th matinee with Željko Lučić  as Macbeth and the afore mentioned Ms. Netrebko as his wife. They were joined by Joseph  Calleja as McDuff and Rene Pape as Banquo all under the baton of  Fabio Luisi and the superb production of Adrian Noble.

Mark Thompson’s somber set, enclosed by gnarled, tortured trees soon set the mood of this dark tale. There was no mistaking who the center of attention was. From the moment Ms. Netrebko appeared (in a blond wig, her idea), she controlled the mood of every moment she was on stage…and off…. The sleepwalking scene, where she walks atop an isle of chairs, was mesmerizing, the witches adding to the dread of the moment. Ms. Netrebko’s  two year preparation for the role paid off. Her voice carried the performance, but that afternoon acting was also her calling card!

Mr Lučić was perfect from the beginning till the final, full of fury call to battle. Competing with Netrebko’s stellar acting skills, he more then held his own.  I really like this singer! 

The wrenching  “O figli o figli miei” lamenting the death of his family, was sung beautifully by the tenor Joseph Calleja. He was in fine voice all evening, as was Rene Pape the noble Banquo. The Met chorus could not have been better, and the music filled the house with the dread, drama and brutality of the score. A memorable afternoon…..

 Photos: Gabriela Harvey

 

 

 

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On to the other Lady Macbeth …This time of Mtsensk. The surprise hit (I think) of this season.

I saw the November 21^st, 2014 evening performance with Eva-Maria  Westbroek, Anatoli Kotscherga as her Father, Frank van Aken (Ms. Westbroek’s husband in “real life”) as Sergei, Oksana Volkova as Sonyetka, a convict, and many others……We were warned ahead of time that “the performance (used) gunshots and strobe light effects;” what we were not warned about was the explicit nature of some of the “goings-on”…. It was amazing how closely Shostakovich’s music reflects the plot, all of it….the pathos, eroticism, violence, absurdity…. The conductor was James Colon. Great!

All this was supported by the lurid colors and props of Graham Vick’s  “kitschy” set, as well as the costumes: Ms. Westbroek’s flowered, yellow1950’s dress, or the wedding dresses of the brides. Who will forget the 50’s car holding the disintegrating body of Katerina’s murdered (by her…) husband?

The opera had its premiere in 1934 during the height of Stalin’s reign of terror and was denounced by him two years later. It is the story of Katerina Isamailova, an unhappy, married to a boor, childless and utterly bored housewife.  Quickly in the first act she falls for one of her husband’s workmen, Sergei, and a passionate entanglement ensues. What follows is punctuated by desire, violence, vulgarity and buffoonery…. and it all ends with a revengeful drowning, on the way to a gulag in Siberia…..

Ms. Westbroek was amazing as Katerina. An incredible example of  being able to conquer the vocal challenges of the score, as well as the physical demands of the performance. Brava! 

As Sergei, Frank van Aken was skillful in portraying the “live for the moment, at any cost” cad. Boris, Katerina’s sleezy father-in-law, her first victim (rat poison), was sung by bass Anatoli Kotscherga, He was masterful in portraying all that was despicable in this character. Mikhail Koleshhvili aptly conveyed the comedy of his cameo as the corrupt, drunken priest. Oksana Volkova as Sonyetka was perfect in her characterization of the inmate seducing Sergei in act IV. UGH! What  a bunch of despicable characters! What a wonderful cast!

There were long bravos all around, after an evening not all were sure they would like (or approve of…).

 Photos: Metropolitan Opera

A more recent performance Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

 … to be continued.