Gosto desta obra e foi com grande expectativa (e apreensão,
confesso) que me desloquei ao CCB, depois dois últimos desastres que ouvi pela
Orquestra Gulbenkian, da responsabilidade do actual maestro titular. Mas,
felizmente, desta vez tal não aconteceu. McCreesh não inovou em excesso,
respeitou a partitura e ofereceu-nos um bom espectáculo. A Orquestra cumpriu
sem empolgar e o coro, sob a direcção de Jorge
Matta, esteve bem.
A opção cénica foi muito interessante, da responsabilidade
de Marie Mignot, com caracterização
de Joana Cornelsen e Ana Mendes. Os membros do coro vestidos
com trajos escuros informais, a sua frequente aparição, deslocação e retirada
silenciosa do palco, as flores lançadas no primeiro acto e reaparecidas no
último, os panos negros a cobrirem as cabeças dos elementos femininos quando o
texto assim o exigia, tudo foi expressivo, bem conseguido e de bom gosto.
O mezzo sueco Ann
Hallenberg foi um Orfeu de qualidade crescente ao longo da récita. Tem uma
voz poderosa e bem colocada. Apesar de os agudos serem agrestes, ofereceu-nos
uma interpretação agradável.
Também bem estiveram o soprano inglês Carolyn Sampson como Euridice, e o
soprano português Eduarda Melo como
Amor. Ambas foram cantoras de voz agradável e bem audível, contribuindo para a
boa qualidade do espectáculo.
Termino com umas notas pitorescas que presenciei e que
merecem referência O concerto começou com 10 minutos de atraso, depois do
início houve várias pessoas a entrar na sala e a serem sentadas pelos
arrumadores, um espectador totalmente confuso não parou sossegado no primeiro
acto e incomodava com conversa e movimentos todos os que o rodeavam para além
de mudar frequentemente de lugar (havia vários não ocupados na plateia), durante
o concerto vários dos meus vizinhos ressonaram, tosses bem audíveis foram uma
constante em todo o espectáculo e, claro, não faltou o desembrulhar ruidoso e
penosamente demorado de um rebuçado por uma senhora mesmo ao meu lado! Um dia
ainda escreverei um texto sobre estes comportamentos tão frequentes entre nós e
inexistentes em muitas outras latitudes onde penso que a apreciação e o
desfrutar da música são vividos de forma diferente…
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Orphée ,
Gulbenkian Choir and Orchestra , CCB, January 2014
At the Centro Cultural de Belém, the Gulbenkian Choir and Orchestra presented the opera Orphée by Christoph Willibald Gluck ( version by Hector Berlioz, Paris, 1859) in a semi-staged version, directed by conductor Paul McCreesh.
I like this opera and it was with great expectation (and apprehension, I confess ) that I went to see it, after the last disasters that I heard by the Gulbenkian Orchestra due to the responsibility of its current principal conductor. But thankfully, this time it did not happen. McCreesh did not innovate in excess, respected the score and gave us a good performance. The Orchestra was ok without thrill but the choir, under the direction of Jorge Matta, was good.
The stage option was very interesting , by Marie Mignot, with collaboration of Joana Cornelsen and Ana Mendes. The choir members dressed in dark informal costumes, their frequent appearance, their silent movement and withdrawal from the stage, the flowers thrown in the first act and recovered in the last act, the black cloths to cover the heads of female members when the text demanded it, everything was expressive, well done and very pleasant.
Swedish mezzo Ann Hallenberg was an Orpheus of increasing quality throughout the performance. She has a powerful and well tuned voice. Despite some top notes were harsh, she offered us a nice interpretation.
Also very good were English soprano Carolyn Sampson as Euridice, and Portuguese soprano Eduarda Melo as Amore. Both singers were pleasant and with very audible voice, contributing to the quality of the performance.
I conclude with some picturesque notes that I witnessed and which deserve reference. The concert started 10 minutes late, after the start there were several people enter the room and being seated by the staff, a totally confused member of the public could not stop quiet in the first act and bothered with talk and movements all around him in addition to frequently changed the place (there were several unoccupied seats in the audience), several of my neighbors slept, audible coughs were a constant throughout the performance and, of course , I did not escape the noisy unwrapping (and painfully lengthy) of a candy by a lady right next to me! One day I will write a text about these behaviors so common among us, and nonexistent in many other latitudes where I think the appreciation and enjoyment of music are experienced differently ...
At the Centro Cultural de Belém, the Gulbenkian Choir and Orchestra presented the opera Orphée by Christoph Willibald Gluck ( version by Hector Berlioz, Paris, 1859) in a semi-staged version, directed by conductor Paul McCreesh.
I like this opera and it was with great expectation (and apprehension, I confess ) that I went to see it, after the last disasters that I heard by the Gulbenkian Orchestra due to the responsibility of its current principal conductor. But thankfully, this time it did not happen. McCreesh did not innovate in excess, respected the score and gave us a good performance. The Orchestra was ok without thrill but the choir, under the direction of Jorge Matta, was good.
The stage option was very interesting , by Marie Mignot, with collaboration of Joana Cornelsen and Ana Mendes. The choir members dressed in dark informal costumes, their frequent appearance, their silent movement and withdrawal from the stage, the flowers thrown in the first act and recovered in the last act, the black cloths to cover the heads of female members when the text demanded it, everything was expressive, well done and very pleasant.
Swedish mezzo Ann Hallenberg was an Orpheus of increasing quality throughout the performance. She has a powerful and well tuned voice. Despite some top notes were harsh, she offered us a nice interpretation.
Also very good were English soprano Carolyn Sampson as Euridice, and Portuguese soprano Eduarda Melo as Amore. Both singers were pleasant and with very audible voice, contributing to the quality of the performance.
I conclude with some picturesque notes that I witnessed and which deserve reference. The concert started 10 minutes late, after the start there were several people enter the room and being seated by the staff, a totally confused member of the public could not stop quiet in the first act and bothered with talk and movements all around him in addition to frequently changed the place (there were several unoccupied seats in the audience), several of my neighbors slept, audible coughs were a constant throughout the performance and, of course , I did not escape the noisy unwrapping (and painfully lengthy) of a candy by a lady right next to me! One day I will write a text about these behaviors so common among us, and nonexistent in many other latitudes where I think the appreciation and enjoyment of music are experienced differently ...
****
