Home  Entertainment Reviews "Die Fledermaus" -- Review
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"Die Fledermaus" -- Review |
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Written by D.S. Crafts
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last updated Wednesday, February 28, 2007, at 14:04:47
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The Helikon Opera of Moscow, which has been bouncing about the United States since the beginning of the year, landed on the stage of the Lensic Center for the Performing Arts in Santa Fe Thursday night. The company has chosen what is often referred to as the crown jewel of operetta, Johann Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, or the Revenge of the Bat. This fully staged comic production, full of continual action is musically masterful yet delightfully silly.
Beginning with the all-too-familiar strains of the Overture, a pair of Clown-Mimes take control of the stage and begin the physical comedy which reigns throughout. Part servant, part acrobat, part court jester, they even involve members of the audience in their horseplay.
The comedy extends to the music as well. In the first vocal offering, high soprano Anna Grechishkina, as the chambermaid Adele, enters with a burst of parody coloratura, setting us up for the cameo bits of grand opera which appear frequently at odd moments.
Performers switch roles from night to night. The principals on Thursday all demonstrated bright, clear voices, but Grechishkina was a clear standout, whose second act “My dear Marquis” proved the vocal highlight of the evening.
Fledermaus is sung in the original German with supertitles projected above the stage. This was the first time I have seen computer graphics used to play with the titles, adding to the humor. As is frequently done in modern productions, the dialogue is spoken in English, though with the rather heavy but charming Russian accents, here, too, the supertitles did not go amiss.
This production splits the original three acts into two, intermission coming in the middle of the ball, allowing the infamous and bawdy “Champagne” number to open the second half. That the party is given by a Russian, Prince Orlovsky, did not escape the playful satire. The staging is simple (only to be expected with a touring company) yet effective, essentially three large ornaments, made of clusters of musical instruments. The orchestra is seated at the back of the stage, creating a nightclub or cabaret atmosphere.
Despite the success of this production and its unquestionable appeal, in one sense it seems a shame that this highly talented and enthusiastic young company should have chosen the done-to-death Fledermaus. There are so many marvelous Russian operas rarely heard outside of Russia (granted few of them comedies), even by such names as Rachmaninoff, Rimsky-Korsakov and Prokofiev. I sincerely hope the Helikon returns in the near future with a production in its native tongue.
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About Reviewers D.S. Crafts (Website) Composer Daniel Steven Crafts came to New Mexico from San Francisco where he had hosted a classical music radio program on KPFA. His first commission from opera star Jerry Hadley, "The Song & the Slogan" based on texts by Carl Sandburg, was made into a TV program for the PBS network and aired nationally in 2004 and won an Emmy for Best Music. His latest opera La Llorona is a collaboration with novelist Rudolfo Anaya based on his play "The Season of La Llorona." Mr. Crafts is currently working on another commission from Jerry Hadley for a piece about the American Southwest which includes texts by Rudolfo Anaya and V.B. Price. Two CDs of his music, Contemporaries (short, satirical keyboard works) and ARIAS (excerpts from his various operas) have been released on the BACAT label in San Francisco.
David Steinberg David Steinberg has covered state government, the courts, city and county government in Santa Fe for the Albuquerque Journal. He's been an arts writer for the past 20 years, and serves as the book editor, for the Journal. Over the years, he's also acted in plays, sung in choruses and played trumpet.
Jennifer Noyer Jennifer Noyer has been writing dance reviews for the Albuquerque Journal for 17 years, as well as contributing articles for Dance Magazine and other art journals. She trained in dance with Hanya Holm in New York City and Colorado Springs, and studied several dance techniques at the graduate level at the University of Michigan. After teaching dance at Wayne State University she entered and completed a Masters Degree in Humanities there. In New Mexico Ms. Noyer has taught, directed, and choreographed contemporary dance for several years. Her writing on dance includes a monograph accompanying the video of choreographer Bill Evens’ ballet “The Legacy.” An overview of Evans’s world wide career, it was written and published during his tenure at the University of New Mexico. Ms. Noyer’s studies in the humanities, and her studio dance work influence her approach to dance as an integrative art form in the United States.
Barry Gaines Barry Gaines has taught Shakespeare in the University of New Mexico English Department for over twenty-five years and has received two outstanding teaching awards. He has written theater reviews for the Journal since 2000. He has attended theater all over the world including Shakespeare productions in Russia, South Africa, Denmark, and Poland. He has also served as literary advisor for two professional theater companies and written performance reviews for Shakespeare Quarterly. Gaines has taken two years of acting with Paul Ford and appeared in small parts in three plays at the Albuquerque Little Theater. He believes that he is probably a better reviewer than actor.
Joanne Sheehy Hoover Joanne Sheehy Hoover, music critic emeritus of the Albuquerque Journal, has written for NPR, PBS, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Symphony, among others. She has also been a music lecturer for the Smithsonian Associates and a music critic and arts writer for The Washington Post. She was director of the Levine School of Music, one of the country’s largest community music schools, in Washington, D. C. 1980-1993. She and her husband moved to Corrales, New Mexico in July 1993. Also a poet, her fifth collection, “Einstein in New Mexico,” was published in 2002.
Marissa Greenberg Marissa Greenberg is a member of the faculty of the University of New Mexico English Department, where she teaches Shakespeare and early English literature. A prior guest reviewer for the Albuquerque Journal, Greenberg will be reviewing theater while Barry Gaines is out of town. She also composed and edited the program notes for last year’s Albuquerque Shakespeare Festival and has written performance reviews for Shakespeare Bulletin. A graduate of Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania, Greenberg has been performing and studying drama for most of her life. She is thrilled to have this opportunity to review for the Journal.
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