Mahler in a head stand: the opening of a small music theater

It can be found in the rearmost left part of the Deutsche Oper and shoots mightily up to the sky. It once served the house as a painter's hall. Now the mighty hall has been thoroughly renovated and a sturdy steel scaffolding framework with fourteen rows has been hewn into it. From high above, one can see down to the small, flat stage at its feet. At least Oliver Proske knew how to enchant it at the opening premiere: "Mahlermania" is the name of the premiere spectacle for which the Deutsche Oper joined forces with the ensemble "Nico and the Navigators". In completely inscrutable allusions, it circles around the difficult relationship between Gustav Mahler and his wife Alma: this tragic St. Vitus' dance of love, which admirably fertilizes Mahler's music to this day. No wonder, then: the emphasis of the scenically richly mysterious action is on Mahler's music, and a small orchestra formed of the opera's musicians under the excellent Moritz Gnann plays it in its changing arrangements in a very haunting way. Almost all the pieces, sixteen in number, have had to be trimmed down instrumentally, but sound quite excellent in their reductions by Anne Champert and Rainer Riehn. A handful of songs are included, most sensuously performed by mezzo-soprano Katarina Bradic's, who is moreover ably assisted by baritone Simon Pauly. Two actors and three dancers complete the amiable ensemble rehearsed by Nicola Hümpel. The main roles are played by an abundance of fur coats, fur jackets, fur scarves, and probably also fur gloves. In addition, a heap of large sheets of music thrown about in confusion. The ensemble is with naked body (plus swim trunks) and fire soul at the dramatically heated, but secretive thing. This is also due to the fact that the high room acoustically does not favor the speakers with their possibly enlightening statements. At times, one does not understand a word. At least the eye is constantly occupied in the most pleasant way by the constant reconstruction of the composer's house. Many a spectacular thing happens again and again, one basically just doesn't know what for. And this for a full but never boring two hours. The small acrobatic interludes, the headstands, the diagonal mutual supports, somersaults, roulades take care of that. At the end, the audience applauds with a rich and continuous applause from friends.

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