This joint Ukrainian-Hungarian-German project was carried
out by the National Opera of Ukraine with German stage director Michael
HКnzel. The Opera lent costumes for three performances (the last one took
place June 9). Interestingly, the leading parts are played by young performers.
Volodymyr Kozhukhar, chief conductor, says the biggest problem was memorizing
the lines in French. This time the management decided the opera would be
in the language of the original. Maria Maidachevska, an excellent singer,
taught the cast for several months. The stage rendition was born the hard
way, and not only because of the language problem.
“What’s a lyrical opera? It’s operas like Faust ,
Romeo and Juliet or Carmen . In fact, PСtr Tchaikovsky referred
to his Eugene Onegin as lyrical scenes, because of being strongly
influenced by Charles Gounod. This is entirely different music and an altogether
different style. One must act and sing with utmost delicacy, putting one’s
heart into it. This opera is meant for a young cast. It requires outbursts
of young temper rather than mature emotionality,” says Mr. Kozhukhar, adding,
“I am against any translations of the original text, because it is attuned
to the music, so all accents coincide. After all, you can count really
good foreign versions of operas on your fingers. As we rehearsed the finale
the music gave me the shivers. I told the orchestra they had to play as
if walking on a razor-edge, so people in the audience would find their
eyes running. For me, Romeo and Juliet is music meant to cure one’s
soul.”
By modern standards, the new rendition did not cost the
National Opera much: UAH 37,000. The Hungarian costumes had to be adjusted
to Ukrainian forms and the soloists received outfits from the company wardrobe,
from Verdi’s Rigoletto and Puccini’s La BohПme . Hence probably
the somewhat discordant note struck by the doublets studded with “emeralds”
and “diamonds,” worn by Romeo, Mercutio, Tybalt, Paris, and Escalus against
the background of ascetic foreign shapeless garments and berets. However,
original costume designs are ready, so the cast will be properly dressed
in the next season.
Michael HКnzel partially stylized the classical plot. In
the Prologue, the choir appears wearing modern clothes and then they change
into medieval attire in front of the audience. Mariya Levytska built the
production design on a black-and-gray spectrum, incorporating medieval
fresco elements.
“We made practically no changes in the libretto. For example,
in Act 1, the Montagues and Capulets dance together at a ball, although
Shakespeare made them inveterate enemies whose hatred would end only with
the death of their children,” says Mr. HКnzel. “On my instructions the
choir not only sings, but also plays and dances. When rehearsing I paid
special attention to the soloists. I was happy to watch and hear them perform
better with each passing day. Romeo’s part was prepared by Andriy Romanenko
and Mykhailo Shuliak, that of Juliet by Olha Nahorna and Suzanne Chakhoyan
(whereas Andriy and Olha are mature performers, Mykhailo and Suzanne are
just starting and doing pretty well; Chakhoyan was invited specially for
Juliet’s part, she is Yevheniya Miroshnychenko’s student). Volodymyr Openko
and Mykhailo Kyryshev each prepared two parts, Mercutio and Paris, and
take turns doing them. Pavlo Pryimak acts as the reckless Tybalt; Tetiana
Pimenova and Angelina Shvachka as Gertrude. And I assigned Stefano’s part
two charming singers, Liudmyla Semenenko and Kateryna Strashchenko. The
biggest problem for me was the organizing aspect. At times little things
got in the way of normal joint creative work. One of the rehearsals shortly
before the premiere ended well after midnight. Now things like that must
never happen, because the next morning the musicians and the cast had to
report for another rehearsal at ten, without proper rest. I am not trying
to lecture anyone, but the great Herbert von Karajan (I spent 8 years as
his assistant at the paschal concerts in Salzburg) used to say, “If you
don’t work well we will not meet the next time or ever again.” I look forward
to another such project. For example, the Phalzbau Theater which I head
in Ludwigshafen has only 21 persons on payroll, including the management
and auxiliary personnel. Everybody works in a well-synchronized manner,
so that musicians, singers, and stage directors under seasonal contracts
never experience any technical setbacks. Time must not be wasted because
some people do not observe discipline. At our theater we stage not only
operas and ballets, but also musicals and dramas meant for adult and children’s
audiences, along with chamber and symphony concerts. And we host jazz bands.
As you see, our repertoire is diversified. It is because all staffers work
like a fine-tuned mechanism. I invited your Opera to perform at our theater
in 2001. Let them see everything with their own eyes.”
When he started on the opera, Mr. HКnzel watched two ballet
versions of the tragedy: Prokofyev’s staged by Shekera and recent rendition
of Tchaikovsky’s composition originally staged by Serge Lifar. He was very
impressed by both and said he was sure his opera would not pass unnoticed,
either. It was especially important for him because there is some Slavic
blood in his family.
“My grandmother came from White Russia [currently Belarus].
She was born in Riga and I regret to say I have never visited her native
country. She met my grandfather, an Austrian singer, after World War I,
at a POW camp in Omsk. She was a pianist and freelanced. They got married
sometime after 1917 and immigrated to Germany as soon as the Soviet authorities
allowed. I want my Romeo and Juliet to become a bridge bringing
nations closer together.”
Michael HКnzel is a member of the jury of an international
contest for Romeo and Juliet performers (there are 15 different
operatic versions of the tragedy). The Ukrainian soloists will fly to Budapest
at the end of November and will probably win the Grand Prix. Remarkably,
apart from the monetary award, the winners are offered several contracts
with Hungarian and German opera houses.
№019 June 13 2000 «The
Day»
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