Double in the dark
by Susanne Krekel
MUNICH,Gärtnerplatztheater, on 26.02.2022 - Jacques Offenbach is too often and undeservedly seen as a composer of light and entertaining works. A closer look, and above all an attentive ear reveal a generous and intelligent man whose tender irony towards mankind, its follies and fails, irony also found in the work of authors such as Joseph Haydn, Thomas Hardy or Thomas Mann. In Offenbach’s last opera, one he had never been able to see realised after his wishes, we find his wonderful musical inventiveness combined with a rather sombre libretto, based on the works of E.T.A. Hoffmann. It is something of a game of hare and hounds through German romantic literature: Hoffmann himself is the protagonist. During a Rhine wine - drenched evening, he tells his friends about his three last love stories - Olympia has turned out to be an automaton, Antonia was a singer who sang herself to death, Giulietta was a courtesan who robbed him of his mirror image. Hoffmann has an antagonist in the person of Lindorf, who is also in love with the opera singer Stella. Now Stella is back in town and sings that very evening in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Lindorf has intercepted a letter from Stella to Hoffmann, expressing the hope that they might take up again their past love affair. We shall meet Lindorf throughout the story under different guises, and easily recognise him as Goethe’s Mephisto. In the epilogue, Hoffmann’s faithful servant will reveal himself as Hoffmann’s muse and claim him for herself and her art. Lindorf will take off with Stella of whom - Hoffmann understands at last - Olympia, Antonia and Giulietta were different aspects.
The whole 19th century is before us, from the fantasies about artificial humans with Frankenstein and the chess-playing automatons, and the uneasy fascination with technical progress, to Poe’s dark romanticism, and Hoffmann of course, passing by what Thomas Mann called ‟the sinister grace of Don Giovanni” (belonging technically to the 18th century of course, but claimed by a later romanticism and its idealisation of all things diabolical), to the beginnings of modern psychology, with the idea one personality having different aspects - and Wagner had already intuited Freud, and the finale of Hoffmanns Erzählungen is quite Wagnerian and thus we have come full circle.
The new production of Munich’s Theatre at the Gärtnerplatz is played in a German translation, with the most iconic numbers being sung in the original French. Surprising at first, but it does make sense: E.T.A. Hoffmann’s and Jacques Offenbach’s art have their roots in the same German cultural soil. Stefano Poda’s fabulous staging perfectly illustrates the dichotomy between the grace of the music and the dark depths in the text. Poda is also responsible for the amazing stage design and costumes.The main element of the set is a maze of vitrines. Of man-height and quite narrow, they vaguely resemble vertical coffins. They stand on white pedestals bearing inscriptions that refer to works by E.T.A. Hoffmann and to deceased singers - including the names of Antonia and her mother. These vitrines will be moved around, sometimes the stage will be full of them, sometimes there are just a few, but they are always there. They contain objects, abstract of symbolic ones, and also, they contain women. Thus, Olympia spends her short ‟life” in such a coffin, Antonia and Giulietta are free to move about, it’s a group of extras that are wearing the same costumes and wigs acting as their doppelgängers. The clear and clean lines of the vitrines form a fascinating contrast with the warm waves of the music. Lindorf appears in a very martial costume - black from topp-hatted head with panache to booted foot - and he is also doubled by a group of extras encircling Hoffmann, appearing, disappearing, imitating and commenting the action. Their image playing the violin to Antonia’s singing is truly enchanting. Sometimes everything with become still, reminding us of another effect dear to the 19th century, that of the living images. Mirror images and doppelgängers - greetings from Vienna, from Schubert and Freud. All this is most beautiful to behold, lights and colours sober and dim, all in keeping with the text.
The show works well, it is moving and inspiring, thanks also to a formidable cast and a wonderful conductor and orchestra. Anthony Bramall guides the amazing orchestra of the Gärtnerplatztheater with assurance and fluidity, without overdoing the drive of Offenbach’s rhythms and underlining all the intricacies of the instrumentation, especially in the durchkomponiert recitatives. The orchestra never covers the singers, as is too often the case in similar performances.
Lucian Krasznec is impressive in the role of Hoffmann: his play is agile and expressive, clear and strong his voice. Emma Ventelius incarnates Niklas/the Muse very convincingly, she shows the development of the character from the inconspicuous servant, growing ever more present and impatient as the Muse. Mathias Hausmann is particularly impressive, he sings Lindorf/Coppelius/Dr. Mirakel/Dapertutto, with a warm, strong, volatile voice and a great stage presence; we are looking forward to hearing him in recital. Ilia Staple is wonderful as Olympia, sweet-voiced with just the right amount of artificiality in ‟Les Oiseaux dans la Charmille”. Jennifer O’Loughlin is a moving Antonia, torn as she is between her art and her life - her whole story is a reflexion on the condition of the artist in life, of course, and Offenbach’s music shows all the dilemmas she faces. Camille Schnoor is Giulietta, also impeccable: haughty as they come, with a headdress of peacock feathers, during the Barcarolle, she is taking a walk with Niklas, a man on a leash - one of the Lindorf doubles in fact - crawling behind her, and with this act, the well-known piece looks and feels brand-new.
Caspar Krieger - Andreas/Cochenille/Franz/Pitichinaccio deserves a special mention for his steady presentation, as does the whole cast, as well as the chorus and the extras, who play such an important part in this production.
Bravi tutti, many thanks! We wish this production a long life and many runs in many cities.