Ni’r tlodion

On Friday we went to the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff to see Welsh National Opera’s new production of Wozzeck. As something of a veteran of productions of this opera, I shan’t comment further on either its degree of musical invention or its emotional power. This is the fourth performance that I’ve been to, and in particular memories of the 2002 production at the Royal Opera House – strong competition – were still fresh in my mind.

In fact it stood up well, both musically and dramatically. If anything I was sufficiently held by the singing not perhaps to give the orchestral playing (I can think of no opera with a higher overall standard of orchestration) the attention it deserved, probably because my senses were a bit fuzzy after a cold. It was good to hear again fine singers such as Peter Hoare whom we’ve come across in previous WNO productions. We weren’t always convinced by the resetting of the opera in a factory rather than a military environment; apart from the frequent clashes of meaning with the libretto, the need to remind the audience of this change occasionally became intrusive. For more detail, see the Guardian‘s review (which appeared on the news pages!). I tend to feel that the central relationship of Wozzeck and Marie should have rather more residual affection in it that was in evidence here, but this is really a question of interpretation and WNO’s was certainly a valid one. (Incidentally, I’d also love to see a staging where the murder weapon wasn’t still in Wozzeck’s hand at the point where the orchestra graphically depicts it falling down and down into the pond!)

It was also an opportunity for the audience (which included other Bathonians) to experience the Wales Millennium Centre as an opera venue. The acoustic from where we were (in the block at the centre right of the stalls) was fine, except perhaps for some slightly harsh woodwind tone at some points. The stage machinery (always taxed by this opera with its frequent scene changes of a length dictated by the music) worked happily for the most part. Rather than leave much of the set visible on stage throughout (as the ROH did, perhaps wisely in view of their problems in this area), the designers had a backdrop cutting off the back of the stage for some scenes, so that the action in them took place in a relatively shallow space. (The score has some precise directions about what to do with the curtain, but I’m not sure that it was meant to rise a little and fall again part way through the D minor interlude!)

Because we have each bought tickets for WNO performances in Bristol in the past, we received his’n’hers letters about the forthcoming performances there in April. And they really were “his and hers” letters! At least, that is how I explain the fact that the one my husband received began with several paragraphs encouraging him to go to Wozzeck, while mine went on at greater length about their revival of La Traviata. Not that I’d be reluctant to hear a performance of Traviata either. On the other hand, WNO’s programme was genuinely informative, including a scene-by-scene guide to musical points of interest which told me several things that I didn’t know. (The ROH’s programme largely duplicated the liner notes in the recording we have).

My postings may get a bit sporadic this month as the baby is due in 2-3 weeks from now. In particular, it will be a couple of months before I’m performing again at all, but I’ll find something else to write about in the meantime.