- AMUSING HAENDEL
By Henning Hoholt
Photos: Alvarez Yanez
This performance is a coproduction with Theatre de la Monnaie in Brussel, and it is a successfull cooperation that we are witnessing.
RENE JACOBS - MUSICAL LEADER
The msical leader Rene Jacobs, has all the music in his heart, and he has the power to keep it all together, so taht the performance is fluiding and vene some time dancing away. In fact I was some times thinking about film music to a musical, especially, when he excellent dancers were marching or dancing to the excellent choreographic mouvements by Andrew George.
The "mise en scene" was maked by David McVicar. I liked it, even that, I am not so happy when such an old pice is being renewed so much as this was, it was excellent done, and a great pleassure to watch. - And to listen to. Decors was good, a bit too much moving arounD, but it was needed to change the places. So was the up to date costymes, both by John Macfarlane. I liked some of the womens robes, but not all the more old fashion mens wear and uniforms. Lighting followed and changed the atmosphaers excellently. Paule Constable.
THE SINGERS
A wonderful crew. Headed by to wonderful girls. The titelrolle Agrippina Anna Caterina Anonnacci, and the wonderful mowing Nerone. Splendid and excellent performed, mowed, sung and performed by the mezzosoprano Malena Ernman.
Then we experienced the very stranged, to see the swedish soprano Miah Perssons in the rol of Poppea, who have lost her voice, but was showing how excellent an actress she is, she was singing with out voice, and perfectly dubbed from the orchestregrave by the escellent soprano ROSEMARY JOSHUA, some times we forgot completely hat it was not the one on stage which was singing. Lorenzo Regazzo as Claudius, was good, but we could here that some thing was not perfect, - he had got a cold, and in the second part we got, as far as I catched, an other Claudius, I didnt catch his name, and no others in the audience.
We also had the pelasure of lisning to an excellent contre tenor Lorenzo Regazzo as Ottone. Of the boys his white costume was the most well functioning. And Dominique Visse was a superb high contre tenor as Narciso, and did in adddition a funny role, which did amuse many of us by his superb mimic. Pallante was well sung by the baryton Antonio Abete, and Lesbo by the third (or fourth) baryton in the performance Lynton Black.
Orchestra Concerto Koln did an excellent job, so it was a very good representation of a good Haendel opera.
Henning Hoholt, hoeholthus@c2i.net
* * * * *
TO THE MANAGEMENT OF THE
THEATRE DES CHAMPS ELYSEES
At the Theatre Champs Elysees, there are a few details wrong or missing, which could help, that the audience are feeling much more welcome.
"POUR BOIRE" IS OUT OF FASHION
One is that out of date system with paying to the womens who are showing you to the places. That is delaying the entrance very much, You are some times standing, waiting and queing for many minutes, when you could have bee sitting enjoyeing the atmosphere in the theater, and reading inthe programme. Now, Every sthing is stopped up by these womens, who are only thinking about to get tehre money, and if you should ask for getting some cents back on a one or two Euro, then they ar looking strange at you and dont understand english. And it is much too much to pay one or two Euro for that kind of NOT SERVICE to the audience.
TOO HOT
The beautiful theatre main room is too hot. At the Agrippina, people around me was sitting sleeping, not beacuse of the performance, but because it was too hot. t could be possible to try to reduce the heat, put in some ventilation, or to ventilate carefully and long time before the performance in the evening, so that it is possible to survive a long performance.
WHERE SHALL THE AUDIENCE PUT DOWN THERE GLASSES, BOTLES OR SANDWICHES IN THE BREAK????
In the beautiful foyers ground floor and first floor, there are nearly no place to put down a glass or a plate, if you have been bying an expensive sandwich, that you in fact need for a long performance. Except, In the ground floor there are two long buffets, which is pushed so far in under the staircases, that you have to bow deeply down and nearly climb, not "Every mountain", as in Sound of Music, but the opposite, climb in under, and stand with your head in a wrong position. That is of course, if you dont want to use the floor, where there are some hundreds of people passing, or you are putting the sandwiches, or glasses, or bottles in the pockets, or hawing some body to hold for you.
To the management. Please use your heads, and think about, that also the breaks - entracte- shall be a pleasure for you guests. Put in two small tables in each side, pull out the two buffets, from under the stairs, That will help.
- It would be nice to hear a coment from the management on these three matters. Thank You.
Henning Hoholt. hoeholthus@c2i.net
