Czech Republic Richard Strauss, Salome: Soloists, Orchestra of Brno Opera / Marko Ivanovic (conductor). Nationwide Theatre Brno, 25.11.2023. (GT)
Manufacturing:
Director – David Radok
Surroundings – Dragan Stojčevski
Costumes – Zuzana Ježková
Lighting – Přemysl Janda
Choreography – Andrea Miltnerová
Assistant director – Otakar Blaha
Forged:
Herod – Jaroslav Březina
Herodias – Eva Urbanová
Salome – Linda Ballová
Jochanaan – Birder Radda
Narraboth – Vit Nosek
The Web page – Jana Hrochová
First Jew – Zbigniew Malak
Second Jew – Pavel Valenta
Third Jew – Petr Levíček
Fourth Jew – Michael Robotka
Fifth Jew – Kornel Mikecz
First Nazarene / First Soldier – Josef Škarka
Second Nazarene – Zoltan Korda
Second Soldier / A Cappadocian – David Nykl
A Slave – Jitka Zerhauová
Richard Strauss was not the primary to write down an opera on this biblical topic as Jules Massenet was impressed by Flaubert’s novella to compose Herodias. One other French composer, Antoine Mariotte wrote his personal Salome, but it was not carried out till after Strauss’s opera acquired its premiere. After seeing Oscar Wilde’s play in Berlin in 1902, Strauss wrote: ‘Now, after all of the dance and particularly the ultimate scenes are drowned in music, it’s under no circumstances daring to clarify that this work “screamed with music.”’
This new Salome is barely the fourth manufacturing in Brno, and its creator is among the finest Czech administrators, David Radok. After a terrific manufacturing of Britten’s Peter Grimes within the 2021/22 season, Radok and his crew – the chief conductor Marko Ivanović, costume designer Zuzana Ježková and Dragan Stojčevski as set designer, are reunited for the fifth time for the Brno Opera Firm. Within the pre-premiere publicity, the Brno Opera predicted that similar to the unique world premiere, the brand new Salome could be a sensation!
This new manufacturing premiered on 17 June this 12 months, and the Brno firm may hardly have anticipated the manufacturing would ominously trace at this time battle within the Holy Land. This was underscored by the costumes and setting being set within the twentieth century. The costumes are largely black, together with the burqa of the Slave, performed by Jitka Zerhauová. Salome is wearing a silky inexperienced robe, whereas Herod is both in a uniform or a toga and Herodias is in an extended sky-blue gown.
Within the opening scene, we see a darkly lit courtyard with shadowy figures leaning or standing round. Inside Herod’s palace, a big window permits the viewers to view occasions inside; at occasions, Herod and Herodias are in convention or having a festive meal, there’s a celebration, and later an orgy is underway. At occasions, in her moments of despair, Herodias gazes out from between the closed curtains. The entrance courtyard is sparse, and a rope hangs suspended above the underground cell the place Jochanaan is imprisoned, and the characters wandering round in entrance of the palace appear to be ready for one thing to occur permitting suspense to reign accompanied by Strauss’s captivatingly seductive orchestration.
In fact, a profitable efficiency of this opera rests on the singing and characterisation of the title function of Salome and this manufacturing is way indebted to the extraordinary abilities of Slovakian soprano Linda Ballová. She began with a honeyed-toned lyric soprano and her efficiency constructed steadily by to the horrible closing scene, along with her screaming for the lips of Jochanaan. The singing of Vit Nosek as Narraboth was excellent as his vibrant tenor rang out in despair at his love for Salome, and his demise was considerably understated so we should always get used to the violence of Herod’s kingdom. The Herod of Jaroslav Březina was wonderful in characterising his greed and craving for Salome, as if as her stepfather, he has the supreme proper to her womanhood; his persona additionally conflicted by the disenchantment and desolation of Eva Urbanová’s Herodias, one other central a part of the manufacturing. Urbanová’s singing was elegant, while at occasions she seems out sadly from the palace, and at others she nonchalantly eats a meal whereas violence surrounds her.
The noble baritone of Birger Radde’s Jochanaan is great each in his derisory rejection of Salome and eerily echoed singing from the depths of his jail cell beneath. Waiters bringing on the feast and the entry of the 5 Jews, have been effected nicely, permitting the approaching tragedy to swiftly evolve. On the core of the opera was Ballová’s singing as Salome and her enactment of the Dance of the Seven Veils. Typically the scene is a protracted and sensually carried out striptease – but right here Ballová’s efficiency was excellent in slowly attractive and lustfully choreographed dancing across the firm gathered on the eating desk She started dancing on the desk kicking the meals across the stage, singing longingly on the seated and bemused Jews, earlier than she lowered herself down earlier than the lustful and grasping determine of Herod, along with her final demand that he permits her to kiss the lifeless Jochanaan’s lips. Captivated by her dancing, he concedes to her, stunning all these encircled round him. Because the executed head of Jochanaan is delivered to her, Salome’s frantically bewitched singing turns into ever extra demented. As we see the ultimate denouement of the executioner killing Salome, Herod collapses in despair whereas Herodias reasonably unemotionally eats the leftovers of the meal because the curtain falls.
This was an incredible manufacturing with a lot of the plaudits because of the excellent singing actress Linda Ballová, who was aided by the wonderful conducting of Marko Ivanovic in his excellent accompaniment of the performances on the stage. This manufacturing by David Radok and his crew is the very best that I’ve seen and hopefully, will probably be on tour in Europe – however most of all – it’s the characterisation of Ballová which made this opera such a supreme success.
Gregor Tassie
