Monday, February 2, 2009

A Tannhäuser begging for silence

Lise Lindstrom, undisputed Queen of our hearts


Last Tannhäuser in Athens on February the 2nd, and this time no fire lit. At all.

But if you think that this was a boring, incident-less performance, you 're wrong!

Act 3, John Treleaven is lying on stage, in 10 minutes the opera will be over and it's the point when Tannhauser sings "Da sank ich in Vernichtung dumpf darnieder
".

Backstage, the Children Choir and the extras (that jump out of the holes of the stage at the finale) are getting prepared for their entrance...Not in silence though. The noise they make reaches the audience and it's more than audible. It's actually annoying.

John Treleaven seems patient but after about half a minute he just cannot contain himself:

"Sssssshhhhhht!!! QUIET!!!!!!"

...he shouts

....and throws away his stick in anger.


Many things were said after the performance and people seemed divided.
Others justified Treleaven's reaction (myself included) and others said that his reaction was disgraceful, towards Wagner's music and the audience.

"Wolfram, those boys won't let me sing!"

It doesn't really matter whether the kids that were producing the noise were the Choir or the extras. What really matters is that after 4 performances in total, and after 3,5 hours of singing a part as exhausting as Tannhäuser, the administration of the Athens Megaron or whoever was in charge of taking care of these children, forced an artist to react this way.

"It wasn't us, it was them who did it!!!!"

My guess though is that Treleavan's anger was accumulating as last night's performance happened to gather a very bad audience that seemed to be suffering from an epidemic of tuberculosis.
(Shut your mouth u coughers or stay home!)

There were moments when you could hear more coughing than music.
(Anger management: breathe in, breathe out,
breathe in, breathe out ....)

HOWEVER

Even an incident like that, was not enough to ruin another wonderful performance of the wagnerian masterpiece.

Martin Snell

...and once again, Lise Lindstrom, Martin Snell and Ashley Holland were the leads that stood out.

...and once again, maestro Philippe Auguin made the audience cheer like mad!
I even saw a very well known greek soprano, that was sitting at the first row, standing and clapping like crazy when Auguin went on stage...

Lindstrom and hero Auguin!

If the musicians of the Greek National Opera Orchestra insist that Auguin is a dictator and that his demands were over their possibilities, I will just have to inform them that the way they played on opening night and last night should be their AVERAGE performance and not something exceptional
(avoiding to mention that the brass that were "playing" backstage were pre-recorded).



============

I can't remember any other time that the end of a run of performances made me feel so sad. Sad that this new standard of the Greek National Opera might as well stay unsurpassed for a very long time...


Divine Lise Lindstrom,
Martin Snell,
John Treleaven,
Ashley Holland,
John Horton Murray,
Rolf Haunstein,
Andreas Konrad,
Keel Watson,
Mina Polichronou,

and of course
maestro Auguin....


thank you for that little piece of your soul you left in Athens...

And for those who want to re-live the Grand Guignol shout..

Listen/download

Here or Here



14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Απιστευτο..ημουν απο αυτους που ειπαν οπως ελεγε ο Σπυρος Παπαδοπουλος στην αγαπημενη ελληνικη σειρα "τι εγινε ρε παιδια?"..Λυπαμαι τοσο πολυ..Ενα μεγαλο συγνωμη απο μενα τον ασημαντο σε ολους αυτους τους σπουδαιους ανθρωπους που ηρθαν στην χωρα μας και καταφεραμε να τους κανουμε να λενε.."This stage is f****g mass,you dont have an idea how to run a rehearsal(and a performance though..).Λυπαμαι πολυ.Ισως αν σ'αυτη την χωρα ειχαν περισσοτερη δυναμη ανθρωποι που βλεπουν τα στραβα και δικαιολογημενα παραπονιουνται και το κυριοτερο εχουν το σθενος να σταθουν στο υψος των περιστασεων με τον επαγγελματισμο που χρειαζεται,τοτε να ημασταν λιγο πιο κοντα σ'αυτο που αξιζει αυτη η χωρα.Μου ειναι αδυνατο να το πιστεψω αλλα καθημερινα αποδεικνυεται οτι το 90% των ανθρωπων που εχουν καποια υπευθυνη θεση στην Ελλαδα δεν τους αξιζει.

mahler76 said...

entelos rezili once more.

Anonymous said...

den katalavaino to rezili kai sto san francisco pire fotia to skiniko . kirioi den iparxoun idanikes katastasis. kai eleos pia me tin grinia...

Parsifal said...

De gkriniakse kaneis gia th fwtia...gia to peristatiko me to "Quiet" ginetai h syzhthsh...eiste se la8os post. Apo katw einai h fwtia...

maria teresa said...

Me alegro de que a pesar de todo la función acabara bien.
No se que pasa en los teatros de ópera, de todo el mundo, que la gente tose, hace ruidos y habla sin cesar...Estamos cada vez peor educados?. Si estás con bronquitis, te quedas en casa que a parte de molestar, contagias!!

Anonymous said...

gia to bhxa symfwnw apolyta.
hthela na katsw sthn eisodo meta to dialeimma na moirazw karameles!
aisxos!

mahler76 said...

@sakafiora
εγώ θα μοίραζα φάπες.

Anonymous said...

@Anonymous

Με ολο το σεβασμο,δυστυχως η νοοτροπια αυτη που εχεις φιλε μου ειναι αυτη που κατεβαζει μονιμως το επιπεδο του επαγγελματισμου στην Ελλαδα.Τι εννοω..Το "σταματηστε την γκρινια" σημαινει "ελα μωρε..καλα ειμαστε".Δεν με ενδιαφερει και δεν πρεπει να ενδιαφερει και κανεναν αν πηρε φωτια,μιας και ειπες για την φωτια,το σκηνικο και σε αλλες 10 οπερες του κοσμου.Χειριστη δικαιολογια.Και σιγουρα δεν φταιει ο μηχανισμος αναφλεξης.Ημουν εκει ακριβως διπλα και η ζεστη απο την αναφλεξη του κυκλου εφτασε σε μας που ημασταν 5-6 μετρα πιο μακρυα.Τι σημαινει αυτο?Σημαινει οτι καποιος το παρακανε λιγακι(κι αυτο φανηκε απο το υψος της φλογας) με τον διακοπτη που ελεγχει την ροη του προπανιου.Επισης δεν ξερω αν ο κυκλος ειχε καθαριστει απο τα κοματακια του υλικου του σκηνικου που προσομοιωνε το χωμα.
Κατι ακομα.Αυτο το σταματηστε την γκρινια ισως παει λιγακι πιο μακρυα.Ποιο,αραγε, απο αυτα τα συμπαθεστατα κατα τα αλλα παιδακια θα τιμωρηθει εστω και τυπικα γι'αυτο που προκαλεσαν.Τι φταινε τα παιδακια θα πει καποιος.Σιγουρα αλλος ειναι υπευθυνος κι οχι αυτα, αλλα αραγε δεν πρεπει καποιος να διδαξει και σ'αυτα πως αυτο που εγινε ειναι ντροπη και αισχος?Γιατι κατι μου λεει οτι σημερα ηδη,στο σχολειο τους,πολλα αθωα γελακια θα ακουστηκαν για το γεγονος,εαν καταλαβαινετε τι εννοω.Αυτη ειναι η ευκολη οδος.--Μπορει εσυ να εννοεις κατι αλλο απο αυτη την εξηγηση που δινω,αλλα νομιζω εχω πεσει μεσα στην νοοτροπια της πλειοψηφιας--.

Anonymous said...

malista na kapoios pou tha vali epitelous taksi...ti protinis gia timoria; mipos falagga; i kalitera isos bregmeni sanida; kai mias kai asholithikes toy logoy moy na sou ipo oti to afiste ti grinia then simene tipota perissotero apo afto pou lei kai o agapitos parci: oti pera apo ta disaresta aproopta afto pou meni sto telos ine η βιωματική εμπειρία και η μέθεξις, ακόμα καλύτερα. ime o anonymus kai molis telivsa!

Anonymous said...

lupamai pou thewrises ypoxrewsi sou na eirwneuteis.Opws egrapsa kai sto prwto mou sxolio,thewrw ton eauto mou ashmanto.Kalh synexeia stis ergasies sas.

Anonymous said...

Κόντεψα πάντως να σηκωθώ εγώ και να το φωνάξω :

"ΗΣΥΧΙΑΑΑΑΑΑΑΑ! όχι για μένα, για τον φουκαριάρη το βαρύτονο!"

Anonymous said...

paidia proth fora grafo kai o logos einai gia to thema ths fotias.
O elenxos gia to stefani htan apoklistikh efthini ton amerikanon prin apo kathe parastasi,gia to an htan katharo exo na sas po oti apo ta paidia tou mpaletou einai pithano kata thn diarkia tou xorou(1 praksi)na petaxtikan kapioa komatakia apo to dapedo.
Eimai sto prosopiko ths lirykhs kai eimoun paron.
Agaphte parsifal an kai merikes fores den symfono me auta pou les BRAVO gia to super blogg.
Epitelous as stamatisoun thn katalipsh

Parsifal said...

To provlhma 8a htan na symfwnousame panta. Thn epomenh fora pou de 8a symfwnoume to syzhtame ; )

Oi katalhpsies 8a fygoun prin to Recital ths Dimitras alliws 8a tous vgalw egw...

Anonymous said...

Sto proswpiko ths Lyrikhs eisai anonymous? Pesto mas nwritera na jeroume me ti nootropia exoume na kanoume!!! Ta standards sas ta gnwrizoume edw kai dekaeties, ton eppagelimatismo sas, ton semno syndikalismo sas klp klp
PANTA SAS FTAINE ALLOI. OSO GIA TH ME8EJH KAI TA LOIPA, PERIMENEIS NA SAS PAROUME SOBARA???
Prosoxh, den exw kati me esena proswpika, den se jerw, alloimono. Alla me ton organismo ston opoio anhkeis. Kai mhn ta rijeis stis kybernhseis, tous G.Grammateis kai tous Dieu8yntes, H texnh einai panw ap ola pa8os kai pei8arxeia kai sklhrh douleia. Osoi endiaferontai gia thn asfaleioula tous, th doulitsa tous, to wrariaki tous, san na htan sto IKA h sthn DEH den exoun na mas dwsoun ma8hmata peri texnhw. Kai mhn vaukalizeste: kai oi ypalloiloi ths Scala, ths Opera Bastille ktl syndikalizontai kai maxontai,ALLA SYNADELFOI SAS DEN EINAI, toulaxiston oxi sthn nootropia.