FeuchtBlog

Cardillac, by Paul Hindemith, performed by Das Bayrische Staatsorchester, dir. Sawallisch ????

This is definitely a fin-de-siecle opera, with modernistic approaches to staging, music, and story line. It tells of a goldsmith who would murder all people who purchased products from him, being unable to part with his creations. It supposedly is symbolism for the artist and rejection while still alive. The staging was a trifle worn from other operas, with moving leaning buildings on stage, and suitcases and trench coats, but also with some innovation, such as the Parisian populace presenting with unusual masks and black lipstick. The music was distinctly 20th century, with the absence of classical tonal progression, yet it all seemed to work okay in this opera. Hindemith avoids much of the monotonous repetitiveness of other 20th century composers, such as Britten, which I recently reviewed. I tend to appreciate Hindemith’s chamber works more than his opera, yet this was not an opera like MSND of Britten,where I couldn’t wait until the end to arrive.

Midsummer Night’s Dream, By Benjamin Britten ??

I am growing weary of reviewing trashy operas published by elitist opera houses of Europe. This opera, produced by the Barcelona Opera in Aix-en-Provence, stunk of Euro-trash. The scenes were minimalistic of a bed motif. Many of the performers/singers were also flagrantly gay, not fitting to the story line of this opera, but fitting only for the composer himself, who was a homosexual. Boy-children in the opera were perhaps a reflection of Britten’s infatuation, like Tchaikovsky?  The orchestral scores were quite nice, though usually drowned out by highly non-creative singing, a mixture of song and Sprachstimme. A child missing a few pertinent chromosomes and of lower mental strength could have written an equally compelling piece of music. This is not an opera to cherish or delight in. Britten follows the Shakespeare story line okay, but the opera looses the charm of the old Bard.