SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Hellenic Festival  2008: Puccini, Turandot  Greek National Opera conductor: Lukas Karytinos Herod Atticus Theater, Athens 21.6.2008 (BM)

You could tell something was slightly off from the very first bars: those famous downward intervals somehow lacked the stark, imposing force Puccini chose to kick off this marvelous opera. Things got even worse when the mandarin (George Matheakakis) launched into his announcement – barely audible and off pitch – on a stage so cluttered with huge dark sets (by Carlo Maria Diappi) that the cast had little space to move, although fortunately no one ended up falling onto the orchestra. Dimitris Kavrakos did well in the splendid opening scene as Timur, and Franco Farina may no longer be everybody’s idea of what young Prince Calaf should look like, but in the wake of a somewhat undignified exchange regarding his artistic merit on a local opera blog, I would submit that at least we could hear him and he sang in tune!

Elena Kelesidi’s Liù was sung sensitively and with delicate nuances – and she was heroically unperturbed by the strident cries for a doctor from the audience during her first aria. As if that were not enough, it wasn’t long before someone sitting in the upper tiers fainted and “in questa reggia” was marred by calls for help as well. Janice Baird in the title role remained every bit as much in control as her colleague earlier on, though perhaps not in equally excellent voice (which can presumably be put down to opening night jitters).

The GNO chorus under Nikos Vassiliou produced an ample, well-rounded sound, with the exception of the ladies who delivered a painfully out-of-tune “silenzio” from the balcony, sounding much less professional than the excellent “Manolis Kalomiris” children’s chorus under Nikos Maliaras. The Ping-Pang-Pong interludes were embarrassing bits of color-coordinated corniness, and only one of the three voices was really discernible (that of Costas Mavorgenis as Ping). The GNO orchestra seemed to be struggling hard, now and again noticeably missing a beat (or two), although its tone was lush and engaging overall. No wonder – a musician from the string section told me that the main problem was that he simply could not see conductor Lukas Karytinos, who is an excellent conductor but not a tall man.

On such an evening of disasters, the temptation to cut one’s losses and leave during intermission was great, but director Renata Scotto had promised a “surprise” ending, which turned out to be this: after Turandot is vanquished and has surrendered to love, a horde of creatures in Disneyesque ice fairy get-up (ever seen Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?) descend on her, leaving her lifeless as they withdraw. Anything but a happy-end wedding after Liù’s suicide is welcome – but does the fairy tale have to be made into a Hollywood cartoon? It was a shame Scotto didn’t decide go for the Berio ending instead, which is still relatively new to many opera-goers, and as far as I know hasn’t been performed in Greece as yet.

Bettina Mara

Picture © Haris Akriviadis

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