I don't know what possessed the usually reliable librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal to write this. More surprisingly, the whole of Act V Scene I is cut in which the protestants celebrate the marriage of the Catholic Queen Marguerite to the Protestant King Henry of Navarre.
Some of the ballet sequences and pageantry have been cut from this production, not surprisingly given its length. It's nice sometimes to see an opera for the first time and not know how it is going to end. The final act is quite brutal and shocking and I did not see it coming. Anson Austin as Raoul and Amanda Thane as Valentine have a long scene together where Raoul has to choose between his love for Valentine and his loyalty to the Hugeuenot cause. The best music comes in the fourth and fifth acts of this long opera, for those who are still awake. Meyerbeer's music is pleasant and tuneful without being memorable. Most of the male characters are named Le Compte de something or other, dress in doublet and hose and sport curly moustaches and little pointy beards so it is sometimes difficult to remember who is who. It is done dead straight with period costumes and scenery and a stand and deliver style of performance.
As you might expect, it is a bit fuzzy and is not in widescreen. Although this performance is from 1990, it seems much more dated than that, possibly it is was a production that was brought out of retirement as a vehicle for Dame Joan. He subsequently spurns Valentine, in the presence of the Queen, prompting her father to plot the revenge that culminates in the massacre. She is breaking off their engagement but Raoul jumps to the conclusion that they are having an affair. Raoul witnesses Valentine, from a distance, talking to Nevers. The weakness of the plot is that it hinges on a familiar device in opera. Sometimes it all seems a bit too familiar as though the human race has not made much progress in the last 450 years. Catholic bigotry is represented by Le Compte de Saint-Bris, Valentine's father. Protestant bigotry is represented by Marcel, Raoul's servant. We see the religious tolerance of Raoul, Valentine and of her Fiancé Le Compte de Nevers. To be fair to Meyerbeer and his librettist he does give a good account of the animosity between the two factions at this stage in French history. Don't watch it expecting a history lesson as the story concentrates on the love interest between Raoul, a protestant gentleman and Valentine, the daughter of a Catholic count. Meyerbeer's opera tells of the conflict between French Catholics and Huguenots in the 16th century culminating in the St Bartholemew's day massacre of the Huguenots in 1572. In a dour opera she lights up every scene in which she appears. The outstanding performer in this production is Suzanne Johnston as the Queen's page Urbain. Of Dame Joan's performance as Queen Marguerite of Navarre I will maintain a diplomatic silence, only saying that her decision to retire at that stage of her career was probably the right one. This was a fitting tribute to the second best soprano of the 20th century. It turns out that this was Joan Sutherland's final performance and the film ends with a 20-minute standing ovation.
I wanted to see a production of Les Huguenots but I got more than I bargained for.
0 kommentar(er)
