SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL OPERA  REVIEW

Prokofiev, The Gambler: (Concert Version) Soloists, Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona. Cor del Liceu. Conductor: Alexander Anissimov. Gran Teatre del Liceu de Barcelona. 26.6.2010 (JMI)

 

Cast:
Alexei: Mikhail Vekua.

Polina: Olga Guryakova.

General. Vladimir Ognovenko.

Babulenka: Elena Obraztsova.

Marquis: Stephan Rügamer.

Blanche: Olga Savova.

Mr. Astley: Joan Martín-Royo.

Prince Nilski: Francisco Vas.

Potapich: Plamen Kumpikov.

Casino’s Director: Pavel Kudinov.

Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades and Prokofiev’s The Gambler are operas with gambling at their hearts. So it was a good idea for the Liceu to offer them simultaneously, even though the latter was in concert form.

Sergei Prokofiev is not all that well known to everyone as an opera composer. However, his operas always have great originality and great musical quality and The Gambler is no exception to this, although it has the problem common to almost all of his operas - the large number of characters in the score. This concert performance of was, as far as I can make out, its première in Spain. At least, this is the first time that it has been performed at the Liceu, arriving to Barcelona no less than 81 years after its première in Brussels. Here it was given in the original Russian version, although its première in Brussels was in French.

The musical direction was in the hands of the Russian conductor Alexander Anissimov, who gave an outstanding performance, showing a complete knowledge of the score. He is not a conductor who uses extravagant gestures, but he is extremely secure. For me, he was better by far than Michael Boder the day before. Under Anissimov’s baton the Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona were also better than their colleagues from the Liceu.

The cancellation of Ben Heppner in The Queen of Spades forced the Liceu to replace him with Misha Didyk , creating a new problem in finding a substitution for the protagonist of The Gambler. It was a surprise to see tenor Mikhail Vekua announced as Alexei, since the previous day he had sung the small role of Tchaplitsky, and had been scheduled to sing the role of the hunchback gambler, one of the less important roles in this opera. I am happy to report that Vekua's performance was excellent. The voice is wide and perfectly pitched, and he seems to know the score upside down. Perhaps one missed nuances here and there, but it would have been impossible to have found a better substitute.

Olga Guryakova was a good interpreter of Polina, though the performance probably suffered in a concert version. This singer has a full lyrical voice, with an excellent and sonorous bottom register. I think she would have made an excellent Lisa in the previous day's performance of The Queen of Spades.

The General is a key character in this opera and was played by veteran bass Vladimir Ognovenko, undoubtedly one of the most important Russian singers of the last 20 years. Although his voice has lost some of the freshness of the past, he is still an important singer and a very good interpreter. An excellent choice.

If the key character is the Countess in The Queen of Spades, although she is not the opera’s star, in The Gambler the same situation occurs with the old Babulenka, or Grandmother, here performed by Elena Obraztsova. She still has great magnetism with a figure unusual for a woman of her age, although her voice has lost some of its quality with a wide vibrato. Stephan Rügamer was an excellent Marquis and Olga Savova was a good Blanche.

The minor characters are too numerous to be listed since they number no fewer than 18. I should mention Joan Martin-Royo as Mr Astley, Francisco Vas as Prince Nilsky, Plamen Kumpinov as Potápich and Pavel Kudinov as Director of the Casino.

The Liceu had empty seats on this occasion but a very warm reception was given to conductor, orchestra, chorus and soloists. The most celebrated artists were Alexander Anissimov Vladimir Ognovenko, Olga Guryakova, Mikhail Vekua and Elena Obraztsova.

José M Irurzun

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