The screen experiment

Sister Osmina holds an empty dress in her hands. Sadly, the dancer and choreographer Yui Kawaguchi carries the piece of cloth across the stage - a simple and at the same time immensely powerful image for death. For Sister Angelica has just taken her own life. She had previously learned from her aunt, the princess, that her young son had died. Because of this illegitimate "misstep" Angelica had been disowned seven years ago and put into a convent. Her only wish to see her little son again never came true. After the deeply sad farewell aria "Senza mamma" , in which Angelica laments that her son has died "without a mother", she decides to meet him again in death - which succeeds with the help of the Virgin Mary. Best cast, authentic young female voices Singer Ann Toomey musically portrays "Suor Angelica" with great vocal power. In the choreographic and scenic performance by Yui Kawaguchi, the modern dimension of this female figure also becomes clear. The other parts and roles are without exception also well cast. Women throughout - how could it be otherwise in a nunnery. Authentic young female voices, which do not necessarily have to be fully developed - Kirill Petrenko was looking forward to this before the performance and described "Suor Angelica" as an ideal piece for the education project. Obviously, the young orchestra musicians of the Karajan Academy, the support program for future Philharmonic musicians, were able to learn a lot here. With them and the singers, Petrenko created a highly lyrical Puccini lyrical Puccini, depicting emotions in transparent orchestral sounds that are free of mawkishness. What luck it must have been for the young education participants from 13 different countries to work with one of the best opera conductors and to profit from his knowledge of modern music theater. "Screen breaks" are missing Director Nicola Hümpel then defines new ways of seeing for the audience in this opera evening: the singers always turn sideways while singing, looking into cameras to the left or right of the stage. The arias filmed in this way appear in close-ups behind the singers on a video screen. However, the really large screen in the center of the podium dominates the performance after a short time. For the razor-sharp images of the cameras absorb almost the entire attention with their intensity. As an audience member, you have to tear yourself away from the cinematic big screen again and again in order not to lose sight of the real action on stage. Short "screen breaks" in between would do the modern production good, so the visual effect wears off after a while. Grand entrance of a grand dame of opera In the end, however, the modern screen experiment with its two visual levels provides completely new views: The Princess - the only role in the play performed by an experienced singer, Swedish mezzo-soprano Katarina Dalayman - leaves the stage after the death of her niece. Normally, this would cause her to disappear from the audience's field of vision. Here, however, you can continue to watch her via the big screen, outside in the foyer of the Philharmonie, all alone with her sorrows and a drink she takes like bitter medicine. A great performance by a grand dame of opera, broadcast live to the hall - while on stage the nuns slowly but surely transform into modern young women.

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