Tokyo Performances

Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk

New National Theater - now called, for some reason, Opera Palace
May 4

This was a pretty good performance. Although the production was in an updated setting - 1950's perhaps - the action and flow still made sense, which cannot be said of many of the productions I have seen in this theater. Some stage photos can been seen at:

http://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english/frecord/opera/2008~2009/ladymacbeth/ladymacbeth.html

The Tokyo Symphony Orchestra was conducted by Mihail Sinkevich, and both he and the ensemble did a fantastic job. Hiroshi Wakasugi was supposed to have conducted, but he was indisposed. I am wondering if he is perhaps getting a little too old for something like this. That being said, I have always liked his work.

The singing was also above the usual standard. The lead role was sung by Stephanie Friede whom I last saw here in La Fanciulla del West. She was excellent - nuanced in her tone and in her acting. The other cast members were very strong, and I was quite captivated.

The four acts were performed with only one intermission between the second and third, which made for a fairly long first half. But my attention was riveted by the great orchestral playing and the good singing.

Although the chorus barely fit on the stage, they sang well and did not do the mincing and mugging that I have come to expect.

The production itself, as I mentioned, mostly worked. The only odd part was at the very end when Katya is supposed to drown her rival but ended up pushing her down into what seemed to be the prompter's box. That was a little odd. Otherwise, I felt very high as I left the theater.

posted by Larry Wells @ 6:44 PM