Following the auspicious season opener of Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, the Canadian Opera Company’s second autumn presentation is a revival of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice in the celebrated Robert Carsen production that had its COC premiere back in May 2011.
In the intervening 14 years, this production has received audiences’ and critics’ accolades on both sides of the Atlantic, at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, Opéra Royal de Versailles, Lyric Opera of Chicago and elsewhere. The most striking feature about Carsen’s production is his decidedly minimalistic vision, without any of the ornate trappings of grand opera, focusing instead on Orfeo’s kernel of truth – its lyrical ode to the power of love.
I am happy to count myself as someone who fell under its spell back in 2011. This production had a huge impact on me, and I was eager to experience its magic once again. Seen on opening night and despite an unexpected change which I will elaborate on later in this review, this production remains a deeply moving experience.
One of the earliest operas to have earned a pride of place in the standard repertoire, Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice is his most popular work. It premiered, sung in Italian, in Vienna in 1762. Twelve years later, Gluck reworked it in French to suit the taste of Parisian audiences. The role of Orfeo was originally composed for the castrato voice, while it was sung by an haute-contre, or high tenor, in the French version. The Italian version remains the most popular, one where Orfeo is now sung by a countertenor or a mezzo-soprano as a trouser role.
The COC production is the 1762 version. Carsen’s vision is minimalist and timeless, with everyone in modern dress, the stage devoid of anything that could have suggested that the opera was composed in the 18th century, and the extended ballet sequence eliminated altogether. While it might not be to everyone’s taste, Carsen’s approach is free of visual distractions, allowing the audience to focus on the essentials that are the music and its inherent emotional power.
As opera plots go, the Orfeo legend is relatively simple. Orfeo grieves over the death of his beloved Euridice. The Gods take pity on him and allow him to descend into Hades to bring his wife back to earth, on the condition that he does not look back at her nor explain until the journey is complete. Well, he can’t resist, and Euridice dies again, this time for good. Grief stricken, Orfeo wants to take his own life to join Euridice, but he is stopped by the Goddess Amore, who pities him and brings Eurydice back to life once more.
Photo Credit: Michael Cooper
Amore (Catherine St-Arnaud) takes pity on the prostrate Orfeo (Iestyn Davies)
For this revival, the COC has assembled a strong cast, led by British countertenor Iestyn Davies as Orfeo. Before Toronto, he had justly earned the highest praise for his Orfeo at the Edinburgh International Festival in August, and he is slated to reprise it for Opera Australia in December. His countertenor possesses uncommon purity and beauty of tone, a sound that is laden with grief and despair when required, a perfectly focused instrument with volume to spare. Combined with heartfelt sincerity, it was a performance destined for the memory bank.
Iestyn Davies had excellent chemistry with his beloved Euridice, sung by Canadian soprano and former COC Ensemble artist Anna-Sophie Neher. Her fresh, beautiful lyric soprano and sympathetic stage persona are a pleasure. In her COC debut as Amore, Canadian soprano Catherine St-Arnaud’s bright lyric soprano made a strong impression in its few moments in the spotlight. One observation – in Act Three, Euridice and Amor are identically costumed and look like twins. Obviously, it was a specific directorial touch, but the purpose was unclear.
In an opera where the choral writing is hugely important, the COC chorus outdid itself, sounding marvelous, adding in no small way to the drama. The final choral sound was so sublime that I had a lump in my throat. Last at the COC for Così fan tutte six years ago, Quebec conductor Bernard Labadie makes a welcome return, leading the orchestra in an eloquent reading of the beautiful score.
In the absence of Carsen, Christophe Gayral, part of the creative team back in 2011, served as revival director. The essentially bare stage, the monochromatic colour scheme, the opening funeral procession, the highly effective lighting with emphasis on shadowy outlines, and the unobtrusive costuming all contributed to the powerful storytelling.
I vividly recall the moment 14 years ago when Orfeo looks back at Eurydice and she dies – the stage light abruptly dimmed. Sitting in the audience, I remember thinking to myself “Oh my god, the light has gone out of his world, the light has gone out of his life!” At that moment, I got so emotional that I burst into tears, something that had not happened to me before nor since. I was expecting the same gut punch this time around, but to my consternation, the lighting was changed in this revival, and the sudden dimming is gone. No tears this time around.
That said, the Carsen Orfeo underscores in no uncertain terms the power of great theatre to move an audience, to press the right emotional buttons. This production remains a powerful theatrical experience and a fine example of what makes attending live performances worthwhile.
Photo Credit: Michael Cooper
The COC Chorus outdid itself in their production of Orfeo ed Euridice
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