Concert performance by Zürich Opera at the Festival Hall last night. Not an opera I had previously heard before, but one said by many people to be amongst the greatest. It's long - it started at 5pm and finished at 10.30 with two intervals just short of half an hour each. And it's difficult to maintain concentration for the entirety of that time. Towards the end of Act 1 I found myself nodding, and in the beginning of Act 3 I was distracted by the need to update my Wap page to see how England were doing vs Croatia...!
The acoustics are not good at the RFH, so I was a little disappointed that at times the singers were drowned by the orchestra, especially Peter Seiffert, who played Walther, the main tenor role. The programme notes describe him as 'one of the world's leading tenors'. I can't say I've heard of him, but, despite the lack of volume (and I'll blame the RFH for that - but you do know that it will be refurbished, don't you, as a result of the enlightened decision of Lambeth Planning Committee in Spring 2002! Have I mentioned my legacy to London, the World?), I did very much enjoy his warm rich voice.
It's a lovely story. The translated dialogue was on a Dot Matrix indicator above the stage, so no trouble in following. It's by Wagner, so I didn't notice any instantly hummable tunes, but I just adored the lush orchestra. Special mention to the triangle player, who was outstanding.
The cast was, I think, on the whole good. Matti Saminen was the most famous; he sang the small but important role of Veit Pogner. Michael Volle was excellent as Sixtus Beckmesser - even in a concert performance he conveyed strutting blustering arrogance. Petra-Maria Schnitzer as Eva was beautiful; Brigitte Pinter as Magdalene had a sumptuously rich voice and fiesty portrayal. But the real star was José van Dam as Hans Sach, whose singing was always impressive and his portrayal dignified.
It may seem somewhat contrary to say so, but I didn't particularly notice the orchestra, well conducted by Franz Welser-Möst. The music, yes, but not the orchestra. Which, I think, is a positive statement.
There are some exquisitive momemts - for me the highlight was in the first (or second?) scene in Act III. The programme says "In a moving scene it becomes obvious that Sachs too has feelings for Eva but, recognising Walther's unique qualities, blesses her intended union with the young knight".
I found the finale to Act III both deeply disturbing and intensely moving. A stirring chorus,
Beware! Evil tricks threaten us:
if the German people and kingdom should one day decay,
under a false, foreign rule
soon no prince would understand his people;
and foreign mists with foreign vanities
they would plant in our German land;
what is German and true none would know,
if it did not live in the honour of German Masters.
Therefore I say to you:
honour your German Masters,
then you will conjure up good spirits!
And if you favour their endeavours,
even if the Holy Roman Empire
should dissolve in mist,
for us there would yet remain
holy German Art!
Listening to the music, I thought "Nuremburg Rally". And it troubled me.
In one of the interval, I penned the following vague thoughts:
Sometimes I think it would be fun to stop people and ask 'Why are you here?' The people I tend to talk to at Opera tend to be passionate or fanatic or both - it's an addictive costly habit. I look at other people and think - you don't look capable of passion. You look humourless. You probably think that Wagner was vulgar. Is it an intellectual pursuit, because you don't look intellectual - right, like I know.From feeling old at Carmen, I'm feeling young again. Is it Wagner, or is it merely the logistics of the 5 pm start deters the thirty-something working parent?
The concert hall was only about two-thirds full, a shame. But it suited me, because my proper seat was behind a very tall person, so I was able to sidle along to find the optimum viewing position.
I did a quick escape at the end to answer a pressing call of nature, and when I emerged from evacuating everything I had drunk all weekend, the enthusiastic applause was still going on, so I rejoined it
Quite a lot of people - especially the very elderly - were dressed up, but many more had clearly come straight from work. I wore a blouse and semi-smart trousers. There were quite a few people in jeans and t-shirt. No one in a football shirt, though!
