Wednesday March 10, 2010 - I asked my friend and frequent opera-companion Dmitry to write about the second evening of the Mariinsky's concert performance of the monumental Berlioz masterpiece LES TROYENS at Carnegie Hall. Read about Part I here. Above: The Death of Dido by the 17th century French painter Sebastien Bourdon.
But first: where was Carthage, exactly? It was located on the Northern coast of Africa, southwest of the island of Sicily. Click on the map to enlarge. It was the mythic destiny of Aeneas to found the city of Rome; his departure from Carthage at the bidding of the gods brought about the suicide of the despondent Queen of Carthage, Dido.
The Mariinsky forces performed Part I, LA PRISE DE TROIE at Carnegie Hall last night. Here is Dmitry's report on Part II: LES TROYENS A CARTHAGE:
"I really like Gergiev's approach to this piece. If Levine's take is Wagnerian(heavy, though beautiful), Gergiev's interpretation is leaner, more athletic, faster and - dare I say - more French. The orchestra again sounded magnificent. The Mariinsky Orchestra must be the hardest working ensemble in the world. I think they perform in a new city every week. And yet every instrument is in its place. The great Met Orchestra frequently falls flat on its face via its brass section. Not the Mariinsky when Gergiev conducts it. Maybe fear makes them play better!
And the Chorus again was magnificent. What a shame we don't get that kind of choral singing at the Met! I remember when the Kirov was in NY last time and they did "Khovanschina." As superb as those performances were all around it is the chorus I remember the most from that run. They truly are one of the great Choirs in the world. Kudos to their long-time chorus master Andrei Petrenko.
Now for the singing: excellent all around and glorious by Semenchuk. Again the singers stood in front of the orchestra with their backs to the conductor. And this time they all sang from memory. The mostly lighter voices Gergiev chose compliment his lighter approach to the opera than New Yorkers are used to. The tenor Sergei Semishkur has a light, slightly nasal tembre. He is a lyric tenor, not dramatic. And to his credit he does not push himself to sound like something he isn't. The results are lovely; he's more lover than warrior perhaps, but his easy top would make most heldentenors jealous. Zlata Bulycheva, one of Mariinsky's regulars, was a fine Anna - the voice is bigger and deeper than her slight frame would suggest. Bass Yuri Vorobiev was a superb Narbal - the voice is big and rich with an easy bottom.
Daniil Shtoda (above) was a fine Iopas, though perhaps the voice has a lost of bit of sweetness it used to have when we heard him as Lensky with the Kirov at the Met. Dmitry Voropaev sang a beautiful Hylas at the start of Act 5. And there's luxury casting with Irina Mataeva as Ascanius (and Ghost of Cassandre.)
But the vocal star of the evening was undoubtedly Ekaterina Semenchuk (above) as Didon. Her performance was magnificent vocally and dramatically. The voice is beautiful and even throughout the range. A booming bottom, solid middle, and a ringing top. She also acted it well - sometime pacing around the stage, sometimes embracing Anna and Enee, and sinking lifeless (into a chair) as she died. Some parts of her performance were truly fully staged. I would so love to see and hear her sing this role at the Met, but chances of that are slim to none. (If the Met does revive "Les Troyens" any time soon it will be for Susan Graham.) This was a complete portrayal: regal, moving in her loneliness, seething in her anger, resigned in her death. At the end of her aria in Act 5 there was a hush in the house; everyone seemed afraid to interrupt it and Gergiev (fortunately?) didn't wait long enough to let people applaud (though a handful tried) and launched into the final scene. The ovation for Semenchuk at the end was thunderous.
I really hope Gergiev and these soloists record this opera soon. Mariinsky recently launched its own record label and I hope "Les Troyens" will be one of its releases."
It's good to read of Semenchuk's triumph. I like to think I was the first person in the Western hemisphere to hear her voice when my friend Mollie sent me tapes of the mezzo as a finalist in the 2001 Cardiff Competition. Years earlier, I was able to hear Terfel and Hvorostovsky via the same connection long before they were known in NYC.
Posted by: Philip | March 11, 2010 at 08:20 AM
She really was amazing. It's a shame there are no leading roles for her at the Met - for whatever reason. So far we've only heard her in small roles in "Eugene Onegin," "Pikovaya Dama," and "War and Peace."
Posted by: Dmitry | March 11, 2010 at 08:39 AM
Gorgeous photo of Semenchuk!
Posted by: JRPiazza | March 11, 2010 at 09:49 AM
I do think TROYENS has become 'Wagnerized' over the years...not that I dislike Levine's rendition but I agree there was a special clarity of texture with Gergiev. Also casting heldentenor-types as Aeneas doesn't always work; despite some heroic phrases much of his music is lyric, and quite high.
Posted by: Philip | March 11, 2010 at 10:00 AM