Germany Dvořák, Rusalka: Soloists, Refrain of the Stadttheater Bremerhaven, Philharmonic Orchestra Bremerhaven / Marc Niemann (conductor). Stadttheater Bremerhaven, 25.12.2023. (DMD)
Manufacturing:
Director – Johannes Pölzgutter
Set and Costumes – Michael Lindner
Lighting – Thomas Güldenberg, Katharina Konopka
Dramaturgy – Markus Tatzig
Refrain director – Mario El Fakih Hernández
Solid:
Rusalka – Signe Heiberg
Prince – Konstantinos Klironomos
Ježibaba – Boshana Milkov
Vodník (Water goblin) – Ulrich Burdack
International Princess – Julia Mintzer
Sport keeper / Hunter – Marcin Hutek
Kitchen boy / First Wooden nymph – Victoria Kunze
Second Wooden nymph – Minji Kim
Third Wooden nymph – Maria Rosenbusch
Water nymphs, water sprites, sea maidens, wooden nymphs — creatures of fairy tales. People are the creatures of the true world. Provided that seen from the human perspective, although! As if by necessity, by an unwritten and unstated human rule, the world of a fairy story clashes with the world of human ‘actual life’. On this manufacturing, the world of the title heroine, Rusalka, water, just isn’t essentially that of the fairy story, however it’s definitely completely different from the world of people. This conflict of two worlds is on the centre of Johannes Pölzgutter’s manufacturing of Rusalka. To ascertain and develop that conflict, every of the worlds is depicted with appreciable element of nuances, as is their interplay.
The huge empty stage represents the world of the lake, with a cyclorama on the again towards which the predominantly black and white seascape is projected. The wooden nymphs put on aquamarine-colour gown, draped in lengthy white gauze shawls. The water sprite (additionally referred to in some texts as water goblin) seems in a dressing up impressed by typical descriptions of the Vodník. The gauzes of the nymphs are projected onto the cyclorama when the people sense and are frightened by the inhabitants of the lake.
Set off towards that limitless world of the water is the human world, clearly outlined by structure. It’s created on a comparatively slim raised platform, leaving some area on the entrance to the orchestra pit and numerous area to the again outlined by the cyclorama. The platform first seems on the left hand of the stage, reaching out of the wings just for a 3rd of the stage, in primitive form to depict the abode of the Ježibaba, the witch. She is surrounded by three steel buckets, from which she takes some offal to eat, a knife, or the rope to assist increase Rusalka to her ft. Later the platform extends additional and farther from left to proper to depict extra and the extra of the human world. The again wall of that human world on the platform is created in such a means that the view of the cyclorama just isn’t obscured, solely more and more decreased, till sooner or later a backdrop is lowered from the fly tower to fully obscure the world of the lake. From that time onwards, the water world is represented within the human world by a fish tank, with out water, from which water creature turned kind-of-human Rusalka at one level poignantly observes the Prince with the International Princess.
Rusalka needs to enter the human world to acquire a soul, to have the ability to love and be cherished by the Prince. She is critically warned towards that want, and it’s only by way of the actions of a witch, a feared outsider, that she will be able to change in such a means that interplay between her and the human world turns into doable. Nonetheless, the transition just isn’t full. As if something achieved by the consultant of evil, Ježibaba, might probably result in happiness of any variety!
After her transformation, Rusalka just isn’t a standard human being. She doesn’t get used to strolling on human legs, and she or he attire inappropriately, sporting the identical type of costume worn by Ježibaba (!). She is talked about by the frequent folks, represented by the Kitchen Boy and the Hunter, accordingly. She doesn’t carry the Prince what he needed from a girl/spouse and doesn’t discover within the Prince what she had naively hoped for. All these nuances, and plenty of change into clear within the particulars character presentation attribute of this manufacturing.
Underneath conductor Marc Niemann, the orchestra depicts the 2 worlds of the lake and the people with their distinctive variations and traits contained within the rating. The variations are very clear; the transitions of 1 to the opposite are clean and natural. Of their occasional overlap particularly, each stay distinctly audible with out the soundscape changing into muddled. Specific reward should go to Sabine Jacobs-Janssen (harp) and Carmineluigi Amabile (flute). Niemann was key within the choice to current the opera in its authentic Czech language and demonstrated a eager consciousness of the particularly bohemian nature of the rhythms.
This 12 months should be particular for soprano Signe Heiberg: the title function in Rusalka comes after the title function in Tosca, with leads in The Merry Widow and Der Rosenkavalier to comply with. That is her third season on the Stadttheater Bremerhaven — audiences ought to depend themselves fortunate to listen to such a voice at their theatre! It’s much more exceptional to notice the event of the voice from, say, Giulietta in The Tales of Hoffmann by way of Agathe (Der Freischütz), Girl Macbeth and Tosca to Rusalka. Heiberg excels each in light and dramatic passages, and has change into equally relaxed and, most necessary, constant, throughout the registers and pitches. She has developed the management vital for such a big and nice voice to shine and impress all through. Her appearing abilities match the voice: she clearly enjoys bringing out the completely different colors of the character, starting from childishly naïve by way of confused to deeply unhappy.
Konstantinos Klironomos was definitely Heiberg’s match because the Prince. His singing was nuanced, ardent, tender, or impetuous, mirroring the emotions he equally convincingly and suitably portrayed in his appearing. His voice was targeted, ringing, burnished, not very baritonal (as is attribute of Jonas Kaufmann, for instance) – it jogged my memory of mid-career Giacomo Aragall.
The manufacturing didn’t solely give attention to the protagonists, although! Consideration to element in characterisation, each in appearing and singing, was given in equal measure to the rest of the forged. Boshana Milkov sang Ježibaba with a warmly wealthy decrease register and ringing high notes. She relished taking part in the witch as in her personal world, not like that of the creatures of the lake and people — understanding each worlds to some extent, and interacting with each, however definitely not a part of them.
Ulrich Burdack donned a dressing up impressed by descriptions and depictions of the Vodník, the water sprite or water goblin particularly in Slavic mythology. His bass was in a selected means suitably mild, making it very melodious (somewhat than the heavyweight bass voice which will sound extra spectacular for particular person notes, however the place the hassle of lifting the burden of the voice is to the detriment of the melody). Julia Mintzer sang the International Princess) and within the court docket society of fits and night attire she stood out, sporting a leather-based outfit with fur jacket; her behaviour matched that outfit. Simply as Rusalka, she didn’t slot in with the court docket surroundings. Most of the character’s strains come throughout as aggressive and are composed accordingly. It’s to Mintzer’s credit score that applicable vocal characterisation didn’t come on the expense of tonal magnificence. She was capable of categorical the International Princess’s anger with vocal nuance and consistency. Baritone Marcin Hutek sang each the Sport Keeper and the Hunter. He introduced a component of comedy to each, particularly when the Hunter scares the Kitchen Boy by skinning a rabbit he has simply caught. His voice was versatile and heat, with a agency core. Victoria Kunze sang one of many water sprites and the kitchen boy. A full of life and dedicated actor, and a very good dancer as effectively, her voice was vivid, safe throughout the total vary, with ringing high notes. Minji Kim and Maria Rosenbusch, members of the opera refrain, appeared because the second and third water sprite, respectively, including their dancing abilities to these of their pretty singing.
Daniel Meyer-Dinkgräfe
