Two days ago, Korngold’s ”Die Tote Stadt” had its premiere at the Staatstheater Kassel. The orchestra and soloists, under the baton of Patrik Ringborg, recieved great reviews, and the newspaper HNA fronted with the headline ”Grandioser Opernabend in Kassel – musikalisch und szenisch beeindruckend (”Magnificent Opera in Kassel – musically and scenically impressive”)!
They also wrote:
What makes Korngold’s music so fascinating is the interaction between a deliberately effective music that overpowers you and the most subtle detailed drawing, and it is congenially transferred onto the stage by Markus Dietz: Striking images gain a suggestive force through a subtle direction of even the smallest character.
This asks for superb singers-actors, and here in Kassel there is total bliss: American tenor Charles Workman gives Paul’s character a sensational fortitude.He overcomes the dreaded part with impressive clarity and power. Paul’s psychological conflicts thus seem less of a deficit, and more proof of inner greatness.
Celine Byrne as Marietta is his coequal partner, balancing lightness, frivolity and Leichtigkeit, Frivolität und vulnerability wonderfully. Her fabulous voice has a rich timbre even in the highest register. The casting of other parts is also first-class, Hansung Yoo being a highlight as Pierrot singing the song ”Mein Sehnen, mein Wähnen“. Dramatically as well as musically impressive are the opera chorus and the children’s choir Cantamus.
On the conductor’s podium Patrik Ringborg yet again manifests himself as a magician of colours, such as in the psychedelic sounds, shaped by the Kassel State Orchestra to Marie’s apparition. They get under your skin, and no less so does the sound from the pit when the orchestra depicts solely instrumentally Paul’s and Marietta’s night of love.
Deafening applause and choruses of cheers award an operatic evening that should not be missed.
Read the enire review in German via this link.
