SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL OPERA REVIEW

Prokofiev, The Love for Three Oranges:  at the Estonian National Opera, Tallinn, 12.2.2010 (GF)

Directed by Dmitri Bertman

Set Designer: Igor Nežnõi

Costume Designer: Tatjana Tulubjeva

Lighting Designer: Neeme Jõe

Choreographer: Edvald Smirnov
Estonian National Opera Chorus and Orchestra / Mihhail Gerts

Cast

King, ruler of an imaginary kingdom – Mart Laur

Prince, his son – Mart Madiste

Clarice, princess, the king’s niece – Helen Lokuta

Leandro, the Prime Minister – Atlan Karp

Truffaldino, a jester – Aleksander Arder

Pantalone, courtier, confidant of the king – René Soom

Celio, a magician, protector of the king – Märt Jacobson

Fata Morgana, a witch, protectress of the king – Pille Lill

Cook – Rauno Elp

Princesses in the oranges:

Linetta – Meeli Lass

Nicoletta – Maris Liloson

Ninetta – Angelika Mikk

Farfarello, the devil – Aare Saal

Smeraldina, a black slave girl of Fata Morgana – Juuli Lill

Master of ceremonies – Aare Kodasma


When Prokofiev first visited the USA in 1918, and had a great success with his first symphony, he was asked by the director of the Chicago Opera Association to write an opera. As it happened Prokofiev had already made sketches for an opera based on the play by Carlo Gozzi (1720 – 1806) in the commedia dell’arte tradition. This in its turn built on a fairy tale by Giambattista Basile. Prokofiev obviously had little knowledge of Italian and he used a translation by Vsevolod Meyerhold. The finished libretto was in French, seemingly by assistance from a soprano friend of Prokofiev’s. It was premiered at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago on 30 December 1921 with Prokofiev himself conducting and among the cast the best known singer was Nina Koshetz as Fata Morgana. The first Russian production was in Petrograd (later Leningrad and today restored to the original St Petersburg) in 1926.

The opera is primarily known to most music lovers through the march which is often heard out of context. After its initial appearance it pops up ever so often in the opera as a kind of leitmotif and in this new production at the Estonian National Opera it is also used to announce that the performance is due to begin.

Dmitri Bertman, who has been head of the Helikon Opera in Moscow since 1990, has recently produced several fascinating operas on both side of the Baltic Sea. I’ve seen Eugene Onegin and The Queen of Spades in Stockholm and the highly evocative Wallenberg at the Estonian National Opera. This production of The Love for Three Oranges is certainly a smash hit in every respect. I have had some objections to his over-detailed productions elsewhere, notably The Queen of Spades less than a year ago, but here everything felt just right. The elements of surrealism are exquisitely handled and the opera is grand entertainment from beginning to end, filled with clever and hilariously amusing details. The only thing I regret – and I can’t believe it was impossible to realize – is the appearance of the three oranges. They are supposed to have grown enormously but here they are only normal sized. I think Bertman lost a dimension of the otherworldliness by not presenting them full size with the three princesses inside them. But that is the only objection I have against this fascinating production.

The sets are sparse with a minimum of props but at the back of the stage there are a number of TV screens that interact or are contrapuntal with the proceedings on the stage: a newscaster, advertisements (for orange juice), or images of what the characters see, feel or imagine. The opening chorus is a feast for the eye and there is not a dull moment during the performance. The costumes cover the whole spectrum from the King’s grey suit to the fanciful rig-outs of the clown and the cook. The latter is a truly hilarious character, played with superb timing and comic art by Rauno Elp. I became aware of his talent for comedy a couple of years ago when he was a splendid Don Magnifico in Rossini’s La Cenerentola. It was also a pleasure to see singers, whom I had previously only seen in serious roles, clearly enjoying to let their hair down in this burlesque.

Among the many fine solo achievements Mart Laur’s King stood out for his acting as well as his magnificent singing. His ‘bel canto’ aria when he invoked the devil was a highlight and the text was simply ‘Farfarello’, used to stunning effect. Mark Madiste was a prince that will be remembered more for the excellent characterisation than for beauty of tone, but beauty of tone is, generally speaking, not a prime requirement in this opera. The three princesses in the orange scene are the closest to traditional beauty and only the third of them, Ninetta, excellently sung by Angelika Mikk, has very much to sing. Helen Lokuta as Clarice and Aleksander Arder as Truffaldino were in splendid form, whereas Pille Lill’s Fata Morgana had an unpleasant vibrato – not improper for a witch.

Prokofiev’s music for this opera belongs to a period when he was at his most modernistic but it is perfectly suited to this macabre comedy. Chorus and orchestra proved once again that they are on a high international level and Mihhail Gerts conducted with flair. Armastus kolme apelsini vastu is sung in the vernacular with surtitles in Estonian and English. All in all this is a highly attractive production, which should please all opera lovers.

 

Göran Forsling