It's Thanksgiving, and there are lots of thanks to give...
Well, they did it! Das Wunder der Heliane was a knockout. The score shone out in all its glory, the drama raised the roof, the orchestra and chorus were utterly stunning. The work, and the performance too, started on a high and only went upwards. The last act, with the gorgeous Zwischenspiel intermezzo to begin, the wild crowd scene, Heliane's procession with offstage bells, and the ensuing transformations and resurrections, was absolutely hair-raising.
Above, backstage afterwards: l to r, our maestro and hero Vladimir Jurowski, Korngold's grand-daughter Katy, and Korngold's three biographers - Brendan Carroll, yours truly and Guy Wagner from Luxembourg, whose book Korngold: Musik ist Musik will be published (in German) next month.
I've been so involved in this astonishing project that I don't feel I ought to write a review of it as such. Since there were around 50 press present, I'm sure there'll be plenty of write-ups. Still, by way of preparation for what may be said in the official crits: most of the singers were fabulous, but a couple weren't. Patricia Racette proved the Heliane of our dreams. Michael Hendrick as the Stranger and Andreas Schmidt as the Ruler didn't quite match up, though both improved notably in the third act (please do not trust any critic who doesn't discuss the last act - it was the best both in content and interpretation). To be fair, the role of The Stranger is a real killer and demands nothing less than a Kiepura...I can't help dreaming of Jonas Kaufmann. Willard White as the Porter sang exquisitely, ideally strong and sincere, and Robert Tear as the Blind Judge was the real tenor star of the night. Very fine performances too from Ursula Hesse von den Steinen and Andrew Kennedy (a pity he had only 2 lines to sing).
Some people had doubts about the positioning of the soloists - they were at the front of the choir section, behind and above the orchestra, with an acoustic screen behind them. I don't know where else they could have sat. The platform, which was already extended forward, was jam-packed. This opera was evidently designed for the Vienna Staatsoper and few other venues are the right size for it.
Thank you to everyone who came to my talk - there was a great turnout. It does feel weird to stand on the platform of the Royal Festival Hall, holding forth (thank almighty God I don't have to play the piano). Thanks to those of you who came to say hello afterwards, too - it's nice to know that you are real beyond cyberspace!
Thank you to Vladimir, Tim Walker, the South Bank Centre and every one of the performers for letting this evening take place. People flew thousands of miles to be there - and for all of us in the Korngold fan club, it was a night to remember and cherish forever. Katy and her husband, Brendan and several others are off to Vienna now to continue the celebrations. I wish I could join them, but have to stay here and work. I plan to go there in March to see the Korngold exhibition that opens next week and runs until May.
4 comments:
Total ditto on everything you said about the actual performance- took it right out of my mouth, even down to the Third Act improvements of Hendrick and Schmidt. Was most impressed by Ursula Hesse von den Steinen ('ye gods' is still my reaction upon reading that name), making such an impact with so little to sing (but I guess ol' Erich must take quite a bit of credit for that, eh?) Seeing and hearing Willard White and Bob Tear live on stage was a real treat.
Otherwise, faulting Juro or the LPO is beyond my decidedly meagre facilities- it was my very first exposure to Heliane (but for you know what) and it is sooooo not a piece that one has the full measure of after one listen....which is why I bought the Decca recording during the interval. That said, I was utterly blown away! I've always loved the LPO on the myriad recordings I have of them but wow!!!! Beecham must be smiling somewhere with his typical panache.
And 'twas loveliness meeting you, Jessica. <3
Yes indeed, a real knockout of an evening. Korngold's music itself had astonishing variety and range, even when one knows much of his other work. The orchestral sounds were sumptuous, the virtuosity of the LPO was mind-blowing, the chorus was stunning. How many operas need a top C sharp from the chorus? Jurowski's command of the score was total, particularly his lightning-fast changes of dynamic to balance with the soloists, and the players were alert to every move. It made the purely orchestral climaxes all the more shattering.
Your comments about the soloists - some excellent, others somewhat disappointing - are spot-on. It must involve so much stamina, and the high tessitura, loud dynamics, and unfamiliar score probably all played a part. Perhaps their placement behind the orchestra did not help, but it certainly made it easier for Jurowski to give their cues.
I could not understand why Andreas Schmidt sang so much of his part with a hand in front of his face. Had nobody told him, or was it a newly acquired habit? When he took the hand away he was so much clearer.
It was a unique and memorable evening, and one which we never imagined possible. Thanks for all you did to help the festival take part. Congratulations too on the excellent pre-concert talk, which packed a huge amount into half an hour, for both newcomers and confirmed Korngoldists. Your final plea for other neglected composers may make a few people, including, one hopes, concert promoters, think outside their usual limits.
The man on the right looks like Alfred Brendel in the shot.
Glad it went well! I was watching people filing into the RFH for your talk and meant to come over and say hello, but figured you'd be running around a bit between the talk and the start of the show.
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