Finally it premiered in the Liceu The version that Katharina Wagner wanted to give of the famous opera that her great -grandfather composed in 1850, just before deciding to face the final period of his creative life, in which the call would compose Ring cyclewhich includes some of its most valued operas: Rin’s gold, Valquiria, Tristan and IsoldOh Nuremberg singing teachersall of them already in a modernity that left behind the most classic chords of previous stages.
After the first representation of Monday 17, in which the soprano Irene Theorin was not present in the role of Ortrud, as a sign of protest for “technical aspects of production” – in reality not to coincide with Wagner, with whom he holds an enmity that lasts two years -, in the next yesterday, day 19, Theorin did not show up, this time by a vocal condition, in theory he prevented him from going to the same. They assure from the Liceu that he will be present in the representation of 21 and will find his voice response to Katharina’s appeals to be for production
It was replaced by the German mezzo -soprano Okka von der Damerau, who, however, made forget with his optud of solid and fleshy voice, well tempered and morbid when the paper required it, the absence of the Swedish Theorin. It was the best of the night, since to his vocal deployment he added an adequate and convincing dramatic gestualization. And that, as they count from the theater, barely had a day to rehearse …
Good level of soloists, choir and orchestra
In general terms, the entire cast, both soloists and choir and undoubtedly the orchestra, directed by Josep Pons, were irreproachable, with moments of high symphonic emotion, especially in the end of the first act of the first act and in the last bars of the second. Also the tenor Elisabeth Teige, in the demanding role of Elsa, reached excellence and added to her voice an interpretive game of faces that gave greater relief to the character of the anguished promised of Lohengrin, the noble gentleman who saves her life but of which she does not know everything.
As the protagonist, Klaus Florian Vogt, tanned singer in numerous Wagnerian roles, covered the session with his peculiar lyric tenor voice: crystalline, clean and with more own nuances sometimes of an almost teenage timbre. He did it with solvency and perhaps only a certain facial and gestural coldness can be criticized in the interpretation, which reduced drama to the dark and malignant lohengrin that Katharina Wagner has conceived.
Complainants were the baritone smell sigurdarson, in the role of Friedrich von Telramund, the bass Günther Groissböck, as King Enrique; Roman Trekel as Heraldo del Rey and the Knights Jorge Rodríguez-Norton, Gerardo López, Guillem Batlllori and Toni Marsol. And finally highlight the good tone of the choir in times of great emotional demand already mentioned above.
Ortrud against patriarchy
So far, in the interpretive, impeccable as this has been said Lohengrin. Another thing is the scenic junction and, beyond this, the investment of roles that Katharina Wagner wanted to infer the argument that inspired her great grandfather. Regarding the second point, it should be noted that the pure and mysterious hero, endowed with super powers and of great moral elevation that imagined the Wagner composer, the great -granddaughter transmutes it on a dark arrival, a hitman full of ambition that deceives, manipulates and uses Elsa’s love to address the scepter of the kingdom of Brabante.
It may be, in accordance with the revision times that we live in the inherited and preconceived ideographies, necessary this vision that breaks with the patriarchal myth and undoubtedly macho that led to the version of the composer. In it, the Lohengrin man was the reflection of good, Elsa of weakness and the intriguing Ortrud woman of female evil.
Katharina’s point of view is that of an Ortrud that, while still being evil and intriguing, reveals the dark secrets of Lohengrin, who, no matter how much a gentleman of the Holy Grail has his hands stained with innocent blood. It is, at least, an interesting scenic interpretation, although sometimes the argument goes on one side and the libretto on the other. I would squeak a little, but cool and ventilate.
A black swan between successes and stage doubts
As for the scenery, without a doubt innovative and that intends to support Katharina’s argument, they assault more doubts than successes. The white swan that in the classical wagnerine vision Lohengrin guide to the kingdom of Brabante from Elsa’s dreams, is now black and cybernetic; A remote -directed swan with mechanical movements that consist in turning the neck and lift the wings.
It is also assumed that he witnesses Lohengrin’s crimes, so he spends the first act trying to hide the bird – which insists on appearing on the scene – as the one who takes off in the middle of a cushion fly. In the second act, the swan returns to the scene in the swamp in which Ortud and her husband, Von Telramund, who has been defeated by Lohengrin.
There he remains with his movements, somewhat hilarious and inexplicable, which only manage to get our attention to distract us from the scene without contributing much more. The swan will continue as a foreign body until the end of the third act, where he is killed by Lohengrin to silence the accusations and, in passing, to load Elsa’s brother, the little Godofredo of Brabante, legitimate throne aspiring, which Ortud had made and turned into a land.
As for the rest of the scenery, it is resolved with success and effectiveness by transmitting a convincing mysterious, almost sinister mist, that accompanies the scene. Criticize perhaps the complex of high rooms that simulates a motel and descends from the ceiling. In spite of their spectacularity, and allowing to solve in a brilliant way the game of tormented couples –ortrud and von Talramund, on the one hand, and Lohengrin and Elsa on the other -, it seems an attempt to “Hollywoodify” the scene, giving in times the feeling of being more in the representation of a work by Tennessee Williams than in a Wagnerian opera.
Will Irene Theorin act?
That the premiere has occurred in Barcelona is a tribute to a city that since the nineteenth century has always responded with great fervor to everything Wagnerian, from the highest classes to popular anarchism of the libertarian athenaeans of the workers’ neighborhoods. The myths that the composer manages have always played who would like to interpret them.
Now, it cannot be avoided that this is a premiere with lag – which not outdated – that had to have occurred in 2020 if the pandemic would not have prevented it. For this reason, it is that of Katharina Wagner a production that drags various conflicts and contradictions. The first of the conflicts is undoubtedly the one that was generated at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus Theater in 2022 with the Sound comb that Soprano Irene Theorin dedicated to the public that booed her after her interpretation of Isoldo.
The Wagner – director of the Bayreuth Fesrtive – put the cross to Theorin and from then on both can coincide in the same space. Such is the Wagnerian power of his mutual hatred. Now, in this premiere with five years of delay, both have had to be present due to contractual obligations inherited since 2020.
The situation has been resolved with katharine displays and statements before the premiere, more typical of the prolegomena of a fight for the world title of heavy piles of boxing than of the announcement of a gala in the exquisite and elitist Barcelona lyric theater. At the moment, the role of Ortud has been outstanding both by the Finns Miina-Liisa Värelä, on the 17th, as for the German Okka von der Damerau on 19.
In theory next Friday Irene Theorin opens, very dear in Barcelona square. Khataria assured in his day The avant -garde That if it were for her, Theorín would be out of production. Lyceum sources explain to this medium to separate the commitment acquired in 2020 would have involved a millionaire compensation for the Swedish soprano. Thus, the expectation remains for the rest of the representations. Will we finally see Irene Theorin playing the strong and rebel Ortud that Khearina Wagner has invented? Next Friday we will know.
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