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What's on Stage, 22 Jun 2017 |
Mark Valencia |
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Verdi: Otello, Royal Opera House, London, 21. Juni 2017 |
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Review: Otello (Royal Opera House)
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Covent Garden's new production of Verdi's dark Shakespearean opera
stars Jonas Kaufmann |
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The Royal Opera's new production of Verdi's late masterpiece is a night of
two halves. Director Keith Warner begins part one (Acts 1 & 2) with Iago
alone in a spotlight and part two (Acts 3 & 4) with Otello likewise; thus he
announces his focus for each segment: for the first hour the bad guy's
machinations fuel the engine, then the hero takes over and heads for the
cliff edge.
It's also a night of two aesthetic parts, albeit less
evenly split. Warner and set designer Boris Kudlička have conceived a darkly
forbidding environment for the drama in which tall, shifting stage elements
glide and meld amid breathtaking illuminations by lighting guru Bruno Poet.
As an exercise in austere impressionism it's one of the most exciting
designs Covent Garden has seen in years; until, that is, the arrival of a
giant Lion of Venice tips the tone towards literalism. When Emilia (the
excellent Kai Rüütel) plumps up real white pillows on a real white bed in
Desdemona's real white bedroom, all that's missing is a scarlet splash of
blood. It duly arrives.
Whatever happened to the original palette?
It's as if the creatives decided it worked for everything bar this one
scene, so like an inconvenient election manifesto they ditched it.
Tenor Jonas Kaufmann makes his role debut as Otello and he impressed
mightily, even though his floated head notes lacked their accustomed beauty.
His artistry ensured that the 'grief' aria, "Dio, mi potevi", was a properly
chilling experience but he unleashed insufficient Italianate power at
Verdi's challenging heights.
The German star convinced absolutely as
a victorious commander whose aptitude for sexual jealousy is matched only by
his gullibility. A Moor in natural skin, Kaufmann left Otello's 'otherness'
to the imagination - and I'd defy anyone to say they missed the make-up.
Laurence Olivier's boot polish has followed Love Thy Neighbour into
history's dustbin.
Ludovic Tézier's removal from the role of Iago has
allowed Italian baritone Marco Vratogna to seize the day as Villain No. 1,
and he was a revelation. Manipulatively dominant throughout part one, he
lurked like a vampire of the senses thereafter as his evil plans unfolded.
His first-act drinking song was rich in subtle scheming, his perverted Credo
a baleful declaration that here is the Devil's advocate. It was a blazing
performance, the more so for being unheralded.
Maria Agresta, while
in fine vocal fettle, struggled early on to project Desdemona's heartbreak
at her beloved husband's hostility, but she located the pathos in time to
deliver a moving 'Willow Song' and to touch us as she died. Among a strong
set of supporting players, Frédéric Antoun's Cassio and In Sung Sim's
Lodovico stood out.
Antonio Pappano's conducting was, it almost goes
without saying, close to ideal. Robust and well balanced, his reading of
Verdi's score was impeccably phrased and brimmed with drama. His orchestra
was electrically alive to his beat, as was the ROH Chorus, a busy extra
character that's been shrewdly disposed en bloc by Warner to allow for
maximum choral impact.
A few additional reservations peppered the
experience of this Otello, but they're mostly small. Kaufmann's verbal
abasement of Desdemona had a restraint that was out of kilter with his
physical viciousness - it should be gingered up - and the introduction of a
lateral trough in the floor after the interval led heads to bob comically as
people crossed it. Still, as a finished product it's 10% correctable and 90%
already there. The Royal Opera should hang on to this one. It's a keeper.
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