Each season the Lyon opera, "the second lyrical theatre of France" (since 2003 under the artistic direction of Fleming Serge Dorny) presents a mini-festival around a specific theme. This year it was "Vies et destins" and the focus was on the life and fate of three female figures, mythical ones like Dido and Penelope and Nastassia, the "sorceress" the title heroine of the tragedy by Vassiljevitsj Sjpazjinski.
For Penelope, the Opera Van Lyon went back to "Il ritorno di Ulisse in patria" by Monteverdi in the well-known version realized by William Kentridge and his Handspring Puppet Company, first presented in the Munt in 1998. Dido came to life in "Dido and Aeneas" an opera in three acts with a prologue from 1689 by Henry Purcell, here adapted and supplemented with "Remember me" by Finnish composer-guitarist Kalle Kalima. Nastassia, the sorceress, is the central figure in "Tsjarodejka" the (little-known) opera by Tsjaikovski, introduced in Belgium by Flemish Opera in 2011 and now performed by the Lyon opera for the first time in France.
"Tsjarodeijka" created at the Mariinski Theater in Sint Petersburg in 1887 and to be placed between "Mazeppa" (1884) and "Pique Dame" (1890) can be described as a cross between "grand opéra" in Russian style and a heartbreaking personal drama. Private and political dimensions of social life are inextricably linked. Prince Nikita increasingly leaves state affairs to his corrupt minister Mamyrov who has designs on Nastassia's inn, a free-spirited young woman, where an anti-conformist company gathers. Mamyrov brings the prince and the "sorceress" together which arouses the anxiety of Nikita's wife and son Youri. Youri, who wants to investigate the situation, falls in love with Nastassia and thus becomes his father's rival. Nikita's wife poisons Nastassia and the prince kills his son.
To stage this impressive opera in four acts with an extended cast, choirs and numerous scene changes, which in a rich musical language deals with national and universal themes, the Lyon Opera called upon Andriy Zholdak, a versatile artist from Kiev who now lives in Berlin and some seasons ago staged "Der König Kandaules" by Zemlinsky at Flemish Opera and... completely made it his own.
In Lyon too, Zholdak has completely subordinated the opera to his vision in an excess of images and references, continuously moving sets, changing costumes and extra figures so that you don't know where to look first and what or how to interpret. The choir, though an important element in the opera, never stands on stage but sounds from the wings or the orchestra pit. You see how Nastassia constantly changes dresses, without understanding why, how the young prince Youri is sometimes presented as an overgrown teenager then as a sporty young man. You wonder why that huge crucifix suddenly ends up on the ground and finally why the dramatic finale must be accompanied and disrupted by a visual gag.
What doesn't happen on stage happens fortunately in the orchestra pit where Daniele Rustioni respects the work and inspires the fine orchestra of the Lyon Opera to a beautiful flowing and dramatically strong interpretation of Tsjaikovski's score. Eyes closed, ears open was more than once the best option to fully enjoy the musical drama, the richness of the orchestration and the warm colors and fine details.
How the singers filled their role and/or gave shape to their character was largely determined by the director's vision which was not always clear or convincing. Mamyrov, presented by the staging as the central figure and driving force of all intrigues, was excellently performed by Piotr Micinski. Elena Guseva gave the "sorceress" youth, personality and a ample, expressive soprano. Ksenia Vyaznikova convinced as the tormented wife with dramatic accents of her sometimes somewhat labored mezzo-soprano.
Evez Abdulla was the confident prince with crumbly baritone and Migran Agadzhanyan performed the passions of Youri with a clear, powerful tenor. These protagonists were surrounded, in the smaller roles, by a convincing ensemble that found its place in Zholdak's world, whatever figure they had to embody, which for me was not always clear or self-evident. The invisible choirs sang beautifully.
If the score of the Tchaikovsky opera was at least respected, that was not the case for "Didon et Enée, remembered". Apparently the director, Hungarian David Marton (whose staging of "Capriccio" (R.Strauss) de Munt presented) found that Purcell's opera, which lasts approximately 50 minutes, was too short. So it was supplemented with texts by Virgil, "interludes" by Erika Stucky and "Remember me" a composition by Finnish Kalle Kalima, which brought the running time to approximately two hours. And in those two hours a great deal happens that can be more or less related to the story of Dido and Aeneas and in which Purcell's original score almost ignominiously drowns. In the familiar, poignant final aria of Dido she asks "remember me", certainly not a vain plea in this version in which Dido's emotions are processed in an often confusing whole in which it is difficult to find one's way between archaeological excavations, ancient gods and unexpected, screaming interventions by Erika Stucky (the witch?), undefinable sounds, texts by Virgil and (yes indeed!) fragments of Purcell's score. That was lovingly defended by Pierre Bleuse with the orchestra and choir of the Opera of Lyon and held its ground alongside the variations and additions devised and performed live by Kalle Kalima. All this against a changing background composed of the sets by Christian Friedländer, costumes by Pola Kardum, lighting effects by Henning Streck and video images by Adrien Lamande. Respect for Alix Le Saux (Dido), Guillaume Andrieux (Aeneas) and Claron McFadden who manage to hold their own in this confusing whole and in the case of Alix Le Saux, also to evoke emotions. But as a whole, this adaptation (a commission of and co-production with Opera Vlaanderen!) is little successful or accessible.
- WHAT: Festival Vies et Destins
- WHERE: l'Opéra de Lyon
- WHEN: 15 March to 3 April 2019
- PHOTOS: © Stofleth, © Blandine Soulage, © IKHEO
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