Welsh National Opera |
| Welsh National Opera- Katya Kabanova , Wales Millennium Centre , October 8, 2011 |
If this production was a piece of fine art it would hang alongside Leonardo’s Mona Lisa or Van Gough’s Sunflowers. The stark, poignant beauty of the evening is underlined by a vast, plain white front curtain that met the capacity audience as we all took our seats. During the overture Janáček, one of the finest, if not the finest twentieth century operatic composers, seduces us with the romance of the opening bars but that creeping percussion note is a clear indication that all is not going to be well. The composer has provided his own libretto, based on a Czech translation of a play by Russian author Ostrovsky. The play’s title is The Storm and there are certainly stormy times ahead.From the opening moment, designer Vicki Mortimer’s bleakly coloured setting has unseen storm-clouds hovering over it. In a café on the banks of the Volga, a bullying Dikoy is sung with a perfect degree of aggression by Clive Bayley’s magnificent bass. Boris, his son bears his bullying as manfully as he can in order to ensure his inheritance, (Boris has fallen in love with a married woman, Katya Kabanova), Peter Wedd pitches his fine tenor voice to capture the complexity of this, sometimes sensitive but at other times tragically insensitive character. Katya, her husband Tichon and her harassing mother in law, Kabanicha return from church, their prayers there have clearly done nothing to protect them from the bumpy road that lies ahead. As Kabanicha, Leah-Marian Jones gives a fury of a performance, some of the notes like daggers plunging into our hearts. Whilst there was a total integrity in her performance the audience greeted her curtain call as if she was Cinderella’s wicked stepmother which she was in a way but with much more serious consequences. She insists her son Tichon goes off on a business trip. Katya is desperate, thinking she will not be able to withstand Boris’ approaches while her husband is away. She asks him to make her swear an oath not to look at any man during his absence. His spineless refusal is well portrayed by Stephen Rooke’s bustling acting and fine singing. Varvara , a foster child in the Kanbanov household , companion to Katya and protagonist for adultery suggests arranging meeting with Boris. At first Katya resists but Vavara is the only one around with a touch of spirit about her. Patricia Orr sings with a charming mezzo and captivates not only Katya but the whole of the audience and Katya is easily persuaded Now at the rendezvous Kudryash, who takes a more moral view than his partner Varvara, tries to warn Boris against having an affair with a married woman. At first Katya tries to resist but soon she is in his arms. Director Katie Mitchell, an associate of The National Theatre has set the perfect grim and perturbing atmosphere over the whole of the production. She has also ensured that each of the artists are perfectly convincing in their characterisations. It is tribute to the verisimilitude of the playing of Patricia Orr as Varvara and Andrew Rees as Kudryash that they are to change after their dip in the Volga, from swimming gear to normal clothing without the moment becoming risible. The closing scene must be as moving as any in the whole panoply of opera. Our hearts are turned to shredded sorrow by the gallant and glorious performance of the charismatic Amanda Roocroft showing why she is the UK’s top lyric-dramatic soprano. Wonderful though she was to watch this was very much a major ensemble performance. With WNO’s great chorus adding to the evening menace with their off-stage signing and the orchestra lead in to a perfect interpretation of Janáček’s music by conductor Lothar Koenigs. The evening was introduced by the company’s recently appointed Chief Executive and Artistic Director, the internationally renowned director Davis Pountney. He informed us the production was being presented as a tribute to the great Sir Charles Mackerras who has done so much for the success of The Welsh National Opera and for the championing of Janáček’s music. He would have been well pleased with tonight’s performance. |
Reviewed by: Michael Kelligan |
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