Die Soldaten
Conducted by Hiroshi Wakasugi
New National Theater Opera House
May 5
This is not an opera for anyone who wants to hum along. Strident and atonal, it's all about the drama. The theme seems to be that the military corrupts young maidens.
The opera is written for huge forces - 20 percussionists were called on stage at the end, and the demands made on the singers are extraordinary. I had prepared myself by watching a DVD a couple times, so I had an inkling of the story line: young, foolish girl is corrupted by soldiers. Hearing the piece live revealed subtleties lost in the recording.
On the other hand, there is very little peace and quiet in the opera. It is loud and searing; the vocalists have to screech at each other almost the entire time. Still, at the end it was a surprisingly powerful experience - although once was enough.
The staging was excellent - a black and white box, the soldiers in red. Toward the end the box tilted alarmingly, and it was a wonder that anyone could remain standing.
The end was met with tumultuous cheers which, in my cynicism, was an attempt to demonstrate how sophisticated the Tokyo audience is. Rubbish. I know that the vast majority would have preferred to be hearing Carmen.
Mahler's 8th
Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Eliahu Inbal
Tokyo Bunka Kaikan
April 28
Because the three performances were all sold out, I arrived early to get a chit which would allow me to buy a ticket, if any were turned in. However, a fellow had one to sell, and since the price indicated it was in the orchestra, I bought it. Only upon looking at it more closely did I realize that I would be in the second row center of this huge hall. Consequently, I was able to see nothing beyond the string players, although there was the bonus of being able to gaze at my favorite cellist.
Inbal has been chosen to be the principal conductor of this orchestra, which is good news. He is a first class artist, and he led the orchestra in a seamless performance.
Because of my seat, the sound was out of balance. On the plus side, I got to hear lines in the strings which go unnoticed in recordings. But not being able to see the soloists, chorus, winds, percussion and horns meant that I had to use my listening skills in order to not be overwhelmed by the strings. When all was said and done, it was a satisfying performance of one of my favorite works. The choir sang well - without scores - and the eight soloists were uniformly excellent, although the tenor sounded a little strained in a couple of his high notes.
I have learned a lesson: pay attention to where you will be sitting.
