My #$*&4@# passport expired yesterday, so it's unlikely I'll get to see this Tannhauser but I'm sure DNO will run it again next season. Oh how sorry I am....
This is certainly the musical/theatrical pilgrimage worthy production. Oslo is a pretty city to spend a weekend too, so if you can -- GO!
Apparently the cast is great and the chorus excellent. The orchestra is not at the same level but the production is so busy and so captivating that you don't have time complaining on a few benign orchestral flaws.
All the reviews are VERY enthusiastic. Especially surprising is to read and listen to the German critics who are gushing over the work by Stefan Herheim and Heike Scheele, even though the Tannhauser they know is being completely deconstructed in this production [thankfully something is bound to change and the conservative critics may start showing less rigidity in their attitude...]
The Artistic Director of the Norske Opera, Paul Curran, who made this Tannhauser possible in the first place enters our fav-list, with Peter de Caluwe, Andreas Homoki, Gerard Mortier and others :)
Read the reviews to get the story and see this wonderful photos taken by Erik Berg (if you click you can see better their content). Cheers!
I was there at the opening night.
ReplyDeleteIt was marvelous, the scenery was magic.
As in the Boticelli painting, Venus come out of a shell wearing a red gown with a lot of tentacles.
A lot of little Cupidon (coming out from shells)wrap Tannhauser in the red tentacles of the qown.And out of each shell came fireworks!
Venus mountain was the Norwegian opera.Scenery from 25 different operas were on stage and the leading characters from those operas appeared on stage and then continued walking throw the auditorium.Tannhauser, Elisabeth and the others singers were soldiers in the Salvation Army.
At the curtain call the director got a lot of applause and standing ovation, more and the singers got. The singers did a great job too.
Arabella
Aww... many thanks Arabella! I'm so bummed that I had to miss the show. I even had the ticket only to realize 2 days before the show that my passport expired [how stupid is that!] ;(
ReplyDeleteNow I can only hope the Oslo Opera will rerun the show next year, or at least in 2012.