One Dead City closes, another opens
OperaBarely had the curtain fallen on English National Opera’s version of Korngold’s Die tote Stadt than it is rising again in Rhineland on another new production. The director, at Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf, is Daniel Kramer, short-term former artistic director of ENO a few years back.
One way or other, the opera itself can claim once again after seven decades of neglect to be a standard repertoire piece, involving some of the leading talents of the present day.
In the Rhine production, Corby Welch sings Paul and Nadja Stefanoff Marietta. Axel Kober conducts.
Decades of neglect??? https://www.operabase.com/works/die-tote-stadt-5515/performances/en
Yes, seven decadesfrom 1935 to 2005.
According to Wikipedia it was performed in Vienna in 1967, New York in 1975, Paris in 1982, etc. It didn’t disappear completely, and was certainly given important performances before 2005.
Los Angeles, 1985. Munich, 2019. And a dozen in between. I think Norman just wants to provoke!
There was a wonderful production at New York City Opera (must have been several performances with revivals) which used film of BRUGES very atmospherically. Much missed company: cheaper than Met and not so monstrous a house in size.
The New York City Opera production got a fair amount of attention in the 1970’s.
John Alexander and Carol Neblett had no trouble with their demanding vocal lines when I heard them. She went on to the RCA recording under Leinsdorf, with Rene Kollo as the tenor lead. (To my ears, not as secure as Alexander.)
Deutsche Oper Berlin 1983, Karan Armstrong and James King, conductor Heinrich Hollreiser, director Götz Friedrich
Salzburger Festspiele 2004, Angela Denoke, Torsten Kerl, Bo Skovhus, Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg, conductor Donald Runnicles, director Willy Decker
In the UK it fell to an amateur orchestra, Kensington Symphony Orchestra, to give its première, in 1996. KSO are excellent but it does show neglect that no pro orchestra had performed it beforehand.
It’s high time for a revival of “Die Kathrin”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2qmDlLNVEM
If Corby Welch is singing it will be well worth being an audience member – a superb tenor!
It was performed at the Dutch National Opera in 2005, with Nadia Michael, Torsten Kerl and Michael Kraus in the lead roles, conducted by Ingo Metzmacher and directed by Willie Decker.
Die tote Stadt invites Regi-Theatre interpretations; why is has not been preformed more is beyond me.