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The Star-Ledger, December 02, 2011 |
Ronni Reich |
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Gounod: Faust, Metropolitan Opera New York, 29. November 2011 |
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A flashy 'Faust': Despite bells and whistles, new adaptation disappoints
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In the new adaptation of Gounod's "Faust" at the Metropolitan Opera, the
curtain opens on the title character's laboratory, which consists of little
besides spiral staircases on opposite sides of the stage, some exposed
scaffolding and a few tables.
It looks like it could as easily be an
industrial-style bar and, in the next scene, it is. Later, it's a house as
one might be simplistically drawn in a child's book.
Director Des
McAnuff's production updates the already loose retelling of Goethe's story
so that Faust relives his youth beginning with World War I and continuing
through the advent of the atomic bomb. To illustrate the setting, the bomb
was shown via projection, there were some white-coated lab technicians
buzzing around and soldiers were appropriately costumed by Paul Tazewell.
But with its one-size-fits-all approach, Robert Brill's set was never
vividly anywhere.
Instead, from a conceptual and visual standpoint,
opening night on Tuesday was rather vague and not exactly tasteful. Various
bells and whistles grabbed attention - moving cloud projections, roses
falling from the sky, huge animated character portraits, a mysterious
soldier puppet and a Death figure - but offered little substance.
McAnuff, whose credits include "Jersey Boys," staged the drama well within
those confines, shaping moving scenes between Marguerite and Faust.
Valentin's death also made a strong impression, with brother and sister
writhing in opposite directions as he cursed Marguerite with his last
breath.
Still, the conjuring was largely left to the performers.
Appropriately, it was René Pape as Méphistophélès who best cast a spell
over the audience. Dapperly clad in a white suit and equipped with a magic
cane, he enchanted with his sonorous bass and sinister grace. Dancers,
choreographed by Kelly Devine, twitched eerily in response to his song.
Conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin led a vital account of the score that
mirrored the devil's power and the youthful energy the title character
covets. The music burst with a lust for life in crowd scenes, which were
hardily sung by the chorus.
Particularly in the first act, when
singers had to compete with a little too much orchestral sound, Nézet-Séguin
seemed at times overzealous. Yet he served the drama well, lending a light
touch to Faust and Marguerite's gorgeously blended love duet and, by
contrast, drawing out deep, penetrating angst leading into the fourth act.
Tenor Jonas Kaufmann made a memorable Faust, his singular brown
sugar timbre and the virility of his singing distinguishing his
interpretation. If his sensitive moments could sound overly held back, at
the top of his range and at full force, he was spectacular.
Marina Poplavskaya, in her third major role in two seasons at the Met, still
has not fully lived up to the promise of her dramatic instincts and her
voluptuous soprano, which had a fascinating way of sounding ominously dark
in one phrase and blazingly bright in another.
She sang sloppily in
the quick scales and trills of the "Jewel Song" and lacked consistency in
her upper range, sometimes sounding strained and taking big dramatic breaths
to wind up before climactic notes.
Michèle Losier gave an energetic,
polished portrayal of Marguerite's young admirer Siébel and Russell Braun
lent his suave baritone to Valentin.
There was much to recommend in
these performances. If the production concept had been more clearly and
evocatively executed, there could have been even more to the overall
experience.
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