Jun 6, 2022 6pm Staatsoper Berlin
Strauss: Elektra
Cond: Thomas Guggeis, Dir: Patrice Chéreau
Ricarda Merbeth (Elektra), Vida Miknevičiūtē (Chrysohtemis), Waltraud Meier (Klytämenstra), René Pape (Orest), Gerhard Siegel (Aegisth)
(scroll down for English review)
原本是巴倫邦指揮的三場之第一場，但巴倫邦從復活節起還未病好，把三場都交給原本只會指揮最後兩場的得意門生、年僅29歲但即將成為法蘭克福歌劇院音樂總監的Thomas Guggeis，也就是由年輕人一手一腳完成。其實在2019年12月我也遇上同樣的情況，買了巴倫邦指揮的聖桑《參孫與達利拉》場次，他乘機轉了給徒弟指揮，但那場又遇上機件事故，最後一幕無法換景，半lun kun卡住了。
製作是Patrice Chéreau晚年所導演，在很多歌劇院都有上演過，我這次第一次看。Chéreau晚年的歌劇製作，表面上看都頗簡單，但用影碟看和現場看是有分別的，這次我更能看到他好像沒做特別詮釋，但其實我想不到有哪個導演，能像他對音樂那麼敏感，不只是跟着劇本，還要跟到音樂的感情起伏，最好看往往是純音樂的部份。但他也有一些新主意，Aegisth被殺原本是在後台進行，只聽到聲，但Chéreau安排在台上、讓觀眾看到他發現Klytämenstra屍體後自己也被殺，在音樂上是非常好的決定。不過奇怪在動手的不是Orest，而是他的隨從／老師，那麼Orest又有沒有手刃母親呢？值得深思。
Elektra由Ricarda Merbeth飾演，我已聽過她可能兩三次，雖然都是華格納或理察史特勞斯，但知道她其實擔當不起Elektra或布倫希德這些角色，不過隨着上一輩淡出，她也可以上位了。這晚未能改變觀感，頭半覺得她只能靠咆吼，但又叫不出夠尖的聲音。不過她逐漸把聲音唱開了，在姊弟相認場面開始終於唱到這角色需要的高音。不過買一張票要等她熱半場身，我就覺得她未坐到明星級的位置。唱她妹妹的Miknevičiūtē近年冒起得很快，極有可能是新一代的華格納／史特勞斯巨星，最有趣是她居然瘦到像棵竹般，居然有這麼大的聲音。以前唱慣Elektra的Waltraud Meier退而不休，Klytämenstra也是她拿手新戲，她這樣才是明星，外觀及聲音的壓台感實在太強了。
謝幕時，有一些觀眾對着Thomas Guggeis喝倒采，可能是一心來看巴倫邦的觀眾吧，但我遠道而來都不會這樣。我在音樂廳聽此劇的次數多過在歌劇院，但我很驚訝復修後的柏林國立歌劇院，可以把樂隊池聲音弄得這麼上乘。這劇素來都是音樂會版本，即是把樂隊放在台上（更要完全跟從樂譜的人數）會比歌劇院大聲得多，但這次居然比音樂廳還要響亮。響得來更是乾淨、無噪音的，除了麥凱萊外，也有未夠三十歲的年青指揮這麼厲害，把聲音調較得這麼好，希望他在法蘭克福繼續打響名堂。
Barenboim, out of action since crashing out mid-concert during Easter, cancelled all the three performances of Elektra at Staatsoper Berlin. His 29-year-old protegee Thomas Guggeis took over these performances and made the run entirely his own. He was booed during curtain call, which was very unfair. It was partly his masterly rehearsing, and the sonic wonder of the renovated Staatsoper, that I encountered such a loud but crystal-clear sound, even louder than in concert performances.
The title role was sung by Ricarda Merbeth, on the rise in becoming a leading Wagnerian. Yet I knew from previous live encounters that she doesn’t have what it takes to be a leading Elektra, Isolde or Brunnhilde, but she has been singing such heavy roles these few years. Tonight she finally got her voice ready in time for the Recognition Scene, with a shattering “Orest!” and the shrieks in the closing moments. But if a lead soprano needed so much time to warm up she really doesn’t deserve star status. Waltraud Meier, a glorious Elektra in her own time, still commanded the stage as Klytämenstra with her majestic stage presence. Chrysothemis was taken by the Lithuanian Vida Miknevičiūtē, who is now going places in major houses. Her voice was a bit unreliable, but what a big voice from such a small body frame!
Chéreau’s production seemed to sit well with time, even after his premature passing. I especially admired his sensitivity to the music, when other directors could at most cope with the words. Chéreau also had the murder of Aegisth being done on- instead of off-stage. It’s also a highly musical decision allowing Aegisth’s voice to cut through the orchestra, which now was able to play at full volume. But an intriguing amendment was to have the murder committed by the Carer instead of Orest himself. Was Chéreau suggesting that Orest didn’t even kill his mother with his own hands?