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OPERA Falling Short 10/21/02
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By Olivia Stapp
The San Francisco Opera acknowledges, in the program notes for its new production of Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail, the company's place as the second largest opera company in North America and its reputation for first-rate productions and top casts of international opera stars. Given these standards, Die Entführung ought only to be mounted by this company under the condition that a truly stellar cast is engaged, particularly for the two difficult key roles. The Friday night cast did a serviceable job, but the success of this opera depends decisively on superb performances, a cast able to unleash the music with masterful virtuousity. This was missing. And regrettably, so was any sparkle, humor or vigor.
The work in the genre known as Singspiel was initiated after the Hapsburg Prince Joseph in 1778 decided that more attention should be paid to German theatrical works in his Imperial theater and banned foreign operas. He dedicated the Viennese Burgtheater solely to the performance of Singspiel, which is a play with a series of set sung pieces, interspersed with spoken dialogue. It had its basis in popular German theatrical tradition and dispensed with sung recitatives characteristic of Italian and French opera. This genre, born in northern Germany, did not appeal to the sophisticated Viennese public however, and eventually the repertoire became once more international.
During this time, Mozart enthusiastically accepted an offer from Burgtheater stage director Gottlieb Stephanie to compose a Singspiel from a libretto based on a play by Christoph Bretzner entitled “Die Entführung aus dem Serail” (The Abduction from the Harem). Set in mid-sixteenth-century Turkey, it provided the exotic background so popular with the audiences of that day, with its Pashas, Janissary soldiers, harem ladies, and displays of luxuriously caparisoned performers.
Mozart had access to two rare and remarkable singers: Karl Ludwig Fischer, a phenomenal bass capable of sustaining low D. and Catarina Cavalieri, about whom he wrote that he had had to sacrifice Constanze's aria “to the flexible throat of Madame Cavalieri.” For these performers he wrote exquisitely difficult arias — indeed “Martern aller Arten,” a seven-minute aria for Constanze, is well known as a “voice breaker” and many singers having once attempted this role wisely drop it from their repertoire. About Fischer he wrote, “I have given full scope to Fischer's beautiful low notes.” Protean low notes indeed, as evidenced in the score! What Mozart produced for Die Entführung are copious “chunks” of musical set pieces, complex and inventive for orchestra and ensemble in which are set these jewels, these bravura arias, poised at the limit of human vocal capacity. For Mozart, who instinctively knew how to wed music to action, the constant interruption by spoken dialogue demanded by Singspiel style must have been frustrating. The magnificent and demanding music contrasts starkly to the simplistic, turgid dialogue that seems to drag the piece down. Therefore, it is characteristic of this opera, that if the musical side doesn't thrill, the whole work fails. With the SF Opera's new Entführung, a pall of earnestness beset the entire endeavor. There was one real laugh the whole evening, and that came at an interpolated English ad lib by Jennifer Welch-Babidge (Blondchen): “Here I am an Englishwoman, talking to a Turk – in German!" She also provided delight throughout the evening with her limpid elegant singing. Regina Schõrg (Constanze) displayed a rich clear voice in the aria “Traurigkeit”, but seemed to be skirting the fast high passages in most of the opera. Michael Eder's portrayal of Osmin would have benefited by greater mellifluousness. Paul Groves used his splendid voice well albeit not always true in the coloratura passages. Peter Bronder ( Pedrillo) sang and acted with energy. Set designer Thomas Lynch created a magical Pasha's fairytale palace which rotated and opened like a Faberge egg to reveal its interiors. Lovely period costumes were realized by William Ivey and Anna Oliver. Stephen Wadsworth, the stage director, managed the stage with sensitivity to the style as did Maestro Peter Schneider, who was poised and decorous in his conducting. Frank Hoffmann of the present-day Burgtheater acting ensemble delineated expertly the non-singing role of the magnanimous Pasha Selim. All in all, good cast — wrong opera.
(Olivia Stapp is an opera director, formerly artistic director of Festival Opera (1995-2001), and has had a major international career as a soprano.)
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Jennifer Welch-Babidge (Blondchen),
Michael Eder (Osmin),