United Kingdom Dvořák, Rusalka (Bärenreiter Edition, ed. Robert Simon/Jonas Hájek): Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden / Semyon Bychkov (conductor). Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, 21.2.2023. (CC)
Production:
Director – Ann Yee and Natalie Abrahami
Creators – Natale Abrahami and Ann Yee
Set designer – Chloe Lamford
Costume designer – Annemarie Woods
Lighting designer – Paule Constable
Choreographer – Ann Yee
Cast:
Rusalka – Asmik Grigorian
Prince – David Butt Philip
Vodník – Aleksei Isaev
Ježibaba – Sarah Connolly
Duchess – Emma Bell
Kuchtík – Hongni Wu
Hajný – Ross Ramgobin
First Wood Spirit – Vuvu Mpofu
Second Wood Spirit – Gabrielė Kupšytė
Third Wood Spirit – Anne Marie Stanley
Lovec – Josef Jeongmeen Ahn
Dvořák’s most well-known opera, a ‘lyric fairy tale in three acts,’ returns to Covent Garden in an eco-packaged manufacturing – even the programmes have misplaced their gloss. This is a sustainable Rusalka, and so hyperlinks to the Gothenburg/Stephen Langridge eco-Ring in Gothenburg not too long ago. Just as Gothenburg averted actual fireplace in Die Walküre (utilizing as a substitute illuminated water vapour), so this Rusalka avoids water itself, invoking it by suggestion. The forest of the primary act is produced from offcuts and leftover rolls from outdated productions. In the polonaise in Act II, we discover mylar balloons made out of material. In the ultimate act we discover the remnants of recycled foil balloons, collected by the artistic crew. This method nestles completely with the substance of Rusalka, taken by long-lived librettist Jaroslav Kvapil from Czech folklore through the writings of Božena Némcová and Karel Erben (I point out ‘long-lived’ because it was this aspect that saved the work in copyright for ages). Rusalka herself is a water spirit/sprite – she is water, in different phrases; she is its very essence. Rusalka’s forest lake is vividly conjured up by verdant greens of Chloe Lamford’s units. Ježibaba turns into a smart drugs girl (maybe the Czech equal of the outdated English ‘cunning folk’). We see the despoilation of Nature within the Prince’s palace (proven as a field construction entrance of stage – blow-up swans and seahorses add to the rampant tackiness of the ‘upper world’), whereas the ultimate act exhibits a decimated house the place the as soon as Eden-like atmosphere is ruined: thus, the Prince’s death-via-kiss takes on an additional layer of redemption.
So it’s that the Prince goes on his personal journey of revelation in discovering a world past his personal luxurious palace. It is Rusalka’s father, Vodnïk (one other water spirit; I assume the identify if derived from ‘voda,’ the Czech phrase for water) who has a stage of detachment: he refers to Rusalka’s ‘bewitchment’ by the human world, and within the closing act he talks of the waters being poisoned with ‘human slime’.
Paule Constable’s lighting is magnificent, and nothing is spared within the visuals, notably of the swimming depictions of scenes (notably whereas the overture performs). The repurposed greenery for the forest works superbly. A ‘hole’ above the singers can be utilized to permit a shaft of moonlight to shine by (‘Song to the Moon’), and to suggest a gateway to the higher, non-aqueous world. The identical stage house is used for each above and under. Integrated into this can be a cautious consideration of all parts, together with placement of off-stage refrain (which was completely calibrated).
Conductor Semyon Bychkov is well-known for his consideration to element in rehearsal, and the way it confirmed on this event. This, plus his pure affinity for Czech music (he’s, in any case, presently on the helm of the Czech Philharmonic) added as much as a supplementary stage of magic owned solely by the pit. Harp contributions, so important to this opera, have been spectacularly managed (it’s been an excellent week for harpists, given the English National Opera Rhinegold). Bychkov captured the spirit of the dance parts and numbers completely; he understands the composer’s scoring at a profound stage. Sometimes Dvořák’s scoring, like Smetana’s, can seem top-heavy within the improper arms and as such insubstantial. Not a touch of that right here, every thing rigorously balanced and completely convincing.
Asmik Grigorian is one in every of right this moment’s best sopranos. Her tackle Rusalka might be finest defined because the polar reverse of Renée Fleming’s – whereas Fleming has a heat voice and, within the well-known Charles Mackerras recording, presents a way of magnificence however little else within the well-known ‘Song to the Moon,’ Grigorian’s voice is extra chopping, and finally much more expressive; she additionally sounds appropriately younger and contemporary. Grigorian fervently projected Rusalka’s longing and the sheer ache of her final need that wishing to be what one isn’t can solely finish in tears – and, right here, demise of these closest. We see Rusalka on this opera as a damaged girl, and the way we felt for her in Grigorian’s assumption of the function. Grigorian will reprise the function of Rusalka on the Bavarian State Opera in May this 12 months, in a manufacturing by Martin Kušej.
The casting was genius, pitting Grigorian in opposition to Dame Sarah Connolly’s astonishingly highly effective Jeżibaba was to focus on the very best of each. Connolly owned the function of her mystical, highly effective character. Ježibaba requires a large vocal vary, too, and Connolly was magnificent all through – notably, maybe, when spell casting. Rusalka’s Prince was David Butt Philip, a singer who’s climbing swiftly to the very prime of the tenor tree. Another singer who tasks youth simply, Butt Philip’s voice is splendidly free in its higher reaches; at occasions, he attained near-Heldentenor ranges of authority.
Matthew Rose was slated to sing Vodník, Rusalka’s father, however was changed by the younger Russian baritone Aleksei Isaev (who final sang the function as not too long ago as 2022 in Toulouse). Unfortunately, Isaev sounded unsteady within the first act, and definition of melodic line was generally lower than clear; there was important enchancment because the opera went on, nevertheless.
Intriguingly, the Foreign Princess (Cizí Kněžna) is listed right here as ‘Duchess, the Prince’s political equal’. Emma Bell was merely good in her upper-class coquetry, whereas the forester and his nephew, Hajný and Kuchtík (Ross Ramgobin and Hunni Wu respectively) have been fabulously entertaining. A trio of Wood Spirits, stuffed with vitality, and Josef Jeongmeen Ahn as The Prince’s Hunter accomplished the solid.
Musically, that is the Royal Opera House just about on the prime of its recreation, and I’m positive any unevenness between acts will iron itself out because the run continues. The manufacturing will definitely break up opinion, however it’s thought-provoking and achingly related in present occasions.
The programme booklet with the Covent Garden manufacturing features a great essay by Marina Warner (who additionally contributed to Glyndebourne’s season brochure on fantasy and fairy-tale, and who’s an skilled on this subject – her e-book Once Upon a Time is chock-full of knowledge).
The efficiency historical past of Rusalka within the UK is noteworthy: it was solely premiered in a significant home at Sadler’s Wells in 1959 and the opera solely actually entered the repertoire on the 1983 ENO manufacturing directed by David Pountney and carried out by Mark Elder (this might have been my first-ever reside opera once I arrived in London in 1983 – it was both that or ENO’s The Valkyrie – and I nonetheless bear in mind the magical manufacturing of Rusalka, together with the ‘Song to the Moon’ sung from a swing at a dangerous top). Amazingly, the primary Covent Garden performances have been in 2003 (live performance performances at that, carried out by Mackerras with Renée Fleming and Sergei Larin as Rusalka and the Prince, and Eva Urbánova because the Foreign Princess); the primary absolutely staged Rusalka at Covent Garden was as latest as 2012, carried out by Yannick Nezet-Séguin.
Colin Clarke