Covent Garden review: Second-cast Trovatore draws few cheers
NewsFrom Hugh Kerr, editor of Edinburgh Music Review:
Another night at Covent Garden, another disappointment. This time it’s not a good singer indisposed, as in last night’s ‘Werther’, but possibly the worst ‘Trovatore’ production I’ve seen anywhere in the world.
First the design: was it the left over terraces of Barry Kosky’s Carmen, or did they really build their own? You can see everyone wandering up and down behind the terraces from the Upper Slips. Maybe this is a deliberate Brechtian alienation technique, a bit like Barry Kosky’s ‘Carmen’ when she gets up and dusts herself down after being shot! Then there were funny little creatures with horns that kept leaping around the terraces, what did they symbolise?
Then there was the singing. Apart from the women, it was pretty poor. Gregory Kunde was a decent tenor in his prime, but at 69 he made an unconvincing Manrico. Ludovic Tezier as Di Luna was acceptable. The women came out best. First Jamie Barton as Azucena was superb, although it was a shame she was submitted to hours in makeup to make her look ugly. Rachel Willis Sorensen also sang Leonora very nicely. The orchestra under Sir Antonio Pappano were superb, and what a busy conductor Pappano is – last night ‘Werther’, tonight ‘Trovatore’!
No doubt I have failed to understand the intentions of the trio behind ‘Trovatore’, director Adele Thomas, designer Annemarie Woods and choreographer Emma Woods. I’m sure there is a sophisticated interpretation somewhere but as an opera-goer of more than 50 years, this was a production totally lacking in enjoyment.
Hugh Kerr, editor Edinburgh Music Review
Completely agree, this has to be one of the most pointless and dull productions of anything I’ve ever seen.
Also, anyone sitting in the Stalls Circle can’t see the singers much of the time because they are half-way up those damn steps. Some directors don’t seem to care whether large parts of the audience can actually see anything.
Life is too short for this nonsense, I left at the interval.
If Jamie Barton as Azucena had been superb someone would have applauded after her aria, wouldn’t they?
That would depend on whether this production allowed for applause after solos. The director might have tried to squelch them.
Kunde is always quite impressive – especially considering his age – I’ve never known him to be merely “decent”. Nor Tezier only “acceptable”, what other baritones today do Verdi so well? Granted I wasn’t there but this is surprising to hear. Not so re: the staging which is common throughout opera today.
Yes Tom you are right you weren’t there!!
Well your opinion re: Tezier at least is certainly a minority one.
What I love about Huge (Wayne) Kerr’s reviews is how he always tears artists down but never hold management culpable. Oh, and how important he tells us he is.
Well Alfredo ( that’s not really your name is it but don’t worry I won’t insult you like you have done to me!) I’m neither Huge or Wayne and I was very critical of the production which of course was agreed by the management but I specifically criticised the production team because they after all are responsible. As for being important I’m not but I have been attending and reviewing operas round the world for over 50 years for Opera magazine , Slipped Disc written for the Guardian the Scotsman the Herald and edited online music magazines for 6 years. When I was an MEP I was in charge of music policy for the culture committee and helped to protect the rights of musicians composers and publishers now what have you done “ Alfredo”?!
I disagree completely.
I thought Kunde sounded superb and given his age, I was impressed by how his voice maintains elements of youthfulness. I was sat in the stalls circle and could see everything very clearly, I even quite enjoyed the production, even if it did become a little static at times. It was a very good cast who did a very good job.
As for the audience reactions, there were a lot of bravis, an awful lot of applause, and an heartily appreciative curtain call. Who are these guest contributors??
Hugh may want to check out Barrie Kosky’s name before uttering his tiring recycled views nobody needed to read.
Hasn’t the opera-going world had enough of these gimmicky recent productions which deemphasize importance of singing, acting, and other basic operatic values? Damn the quirky staging and idiotic faux post-modern interpretations the epitome of contemporary musical wokeness! What’s next? How about an opera company planning an entire season of shows beginning with the letter “T”?????
Issue is that here’s another management who have been persuaded by a director who is a talker. A talker with little stagecraft. A talker with limited experience of directing large scale opera. It’s a huge risk. Like giving a cyclist a Rolls Royce.
She’ll get more as her agent is also paid to punt her and her “Konzepts” that’s she’s neither skill nor experience to realise.
I am surprised we seemed to be at the same performance – I cant recognise this at all. On the contrary, this is one of the best productions I have ever seen, and I thought the whole cast was stupendous! All in all a very wholesome and gripping evening.
That’s the wonderful thing about arts – two individuals can watch the same show and come out with two entirely different experiences.
I read Mr Kerr’s review the day before I went to the last (matinee) performance yesterday. I had thought that his review might be a bit harsh, as critics do have a tendency of being too “critical”. Well, this time I have to totally agree with him that it was the worst production I’ve experienced at the ROH. The singers didn’t seem to find their voices in the first half of the opera, towards the end the women’s singing began to shine, especially Leonora. The replacement Count di Luna was the worst, only singing to himself from beginning to end. I have to say that Pappano, the orchestra and the chorus were consistently good. The really worst part of the production was the staging. Opera should be a culmination of music and spectacle. Without the spectacle I may as well save £200 and stay home and listen to my many excellent recordings. The 20-odd steps were there from beginning to end, with nothing else on stage. What was the purpose? Why they even bothered to make a small central section raise by a few feet? I’m surprised nobody tripped and fall off the steps while performing! I absolutely hate this “modern” approach of minimal stage design. Are they just being lazy or is the ROH trying to squeeze out every drop of profit by skimming on stage production? All in all one of my worst opera experiences. Shame on you, ROH.
I’m afraid that you are correct.
I saw the rehearsal and later heard the director talk about the show on the BBC. The references made to “levity” baffled me. To be sure, some of the audience giggled at the antics of the (absurd) dancers and actors, but one doubts that Verdi intended there to be much levity in his opera
It was a terrible production. Dull visually, dull conceptually, just dull generally. The singers did their best, particularly Barton. But the show was not worthy of the ROH Better by far to hear it one the radio and not be concerned about the production