DVD review
Luba Orgonasova (Estrella), Birgit Heindler (A maiden), Endrik Wottrich (Alfonso), Georg Nigl (A young man), Olaf Bär (Mauregato), Thomas Hampson (Froila), Carlos Silva (Captain of the Guard), Alfred Muff (Adolfo)
Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Chamber Orchestra of Europe c. Nikolaus Harnoncourt p. Jürgen Flimm d. Erich Wonder & Florence von Gerkan, video director Brian Large
Naxos 2.110260 (140 minutes)
Live recording 1997
Devotees of Schubert’s luckless operas are in for a treat with this DVD issue of a 1997 staging of Alfonso und Estrella (1821), performed at the Theater an der Wien to commemorate the bicentennial of Schubert’s birth. Many commentators regard this as his finest stage work, though Schubert never heard or saw it. Liszt was responsible for the premiere at Weimar in 1854, and though he attempted to interest a French publisher in it, was not a committed advocate, citing the problem libretto by Franz von Schober, a poet and lifelong friend of Schubert, whose An die Musik has assured his immortality. Ironically, Schubert alienated Weber, who was greatly interested in this score, by criticizing his Euryanthe (1823), another work where delectable music is buried by an inept libretto. Various attempts have been made in the twentieth century to make Alfonso live on stage, including a 1950’s version setting bits of the music to Shakespeare’s The Tempest, whose plot is echoed here.
Jürgen Flimm’s production is straightforward, slightly deconstructed, yet detailed and perceptive in evolving relationships between characters and strengthening narrative sense, helping out librettist and composer. Its abiding strength is that it takes its cues from the highly atmospheric music, and does not attempt to mask the haphazard and leisurely narrative with hyperactivity. The video direction, by Brian Large, supports this expertly and the beautiful designs register clearly.
It is hard to imagine better musical presentation – Harnoncourt, at the helm of his familiar forces is the presiding genius of this tightly wrought performance. The precision, transparency and lyric phrasing are beyond reproach. The cast is uniformly strong, with Thomas Hampson producing burnished tone and phrasing of such ease, it seems a shame he has progressed to heavier repertoire. As the opposing monarch, Olaf Bär displays honeyed tone and his customary attention to text. Endrik Wottrich – a willowy romantic figure still - before forays into Wagner and body-building, fields an appealing dark tenor timbre and phrases most musically, as does Luba Orgonasova, who relishes the occasional Rossinian vocal moment, and produces creamy tone. Alfred Muff makes the most of his villainous role, a difficulty one, as Schubert’s music is rather genteel. In the booklet, it states that Nikolaus Harnoncourt has made cuts within several numbers to tighten the dramatic structure, which is sensitively done. Sample the opening of the second act with the harp inflected Song of the Cloud maiden, a bewitching invention, later adapted by Schubert for Täuschung from Winterreise, sung by Hampson with honeyed legato, to whet your appetite.
[first published in OPERA magazine]
JULIAN GRANT 2009