Korngold: Die tote Stadt

Mezzo has shown the 2021 production this week with Jonas Kaufmann and Marlis Petersen--dream casting, I'd say--and to prep for this I watched James King and Karan Armstrong from 1983, and this one from 2003 with Torsten Kerl (a fine Tannhauser) and Angela Denoke. The colours have faded a bit, but they are still fine and the sound is good.

The party revellers are dressed in well designed costumes, and the hero's friend dressed like the Devil is appropriate when you consider the hero's delusional state (he's gone through a lot, poor fellow, and living in Bruges--the dead city--hasn't helped him). I found this Tote Stadt to be fairly well-sung and entertaining, and wasn't bothered by any excesses in the staging.

'Die Tote Stadt' is my favourite of Korngold's works along with his film score for 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' (which to me will always be the definitive film version of 'Robin Hood'). It has a very powerful story dripping in atmosphere, and the music is hauntingly gorgeous, the highlights being Fritz's "Mein Sehen, mein Wähnen" (or Pierrot's Lied) and especially soprano favourite "Glück Das Mir Verblieb" sung by Marietta.

Its DVD competition is sparse, the CD competition is bigger and 'Die Tote Stadt' in my mind is better served on record, but what is available is very watchable on the whole and the best (the James King/Karan Armstrong production) is brilliant. This 2003 production sadly was for me a big disappointment on first viewing and was no better on re-watch. Although this production musically is one of the best available of 'Die Tote Stadt', it is the worst when it comes to the staging. A shame that a production so musically outstanding is a near-disaster in staging.

The production cannot be faulted musically or in terms of performances, which has what has brought up the rating. Torsten Kerl gives an intensely riveting performance dramatically, the more intense moments not coming over as too psychopathic and in the softer moments he is moving. Paul is a very demanding role and Kerl doesn't shout or strain through it luckily, and actually sings the music with remarkable nuance. Even better is a wonderful Angela Denoke, "Glück Das Mir Verblieb" is incredibly moving and one of only two parts of the production where there is any real emotion. She does wonderfully at being seductive and brings intensity and pathos, while also singing with a rich voice and varied expression.

Stephan Genz is the standout out of the rest of the cast as a sympathetic Fritz, and he has a warm voice and a good ear for musicality, all of Korngold's detailed and specific markings on the page coming to life in the voice. The other emotionally effective scene of the production is Pierrot's "Mein Sehen, mein Wähnen", sung very expressively and acted affectingly by Genz and with none of the too deadpan touch he had in the 2011 production. Brigitta Svenden is appealing and loyal and sings with confidence. The orchestral playing is dusky, rich, dark and nuanced and has the glow that was lacking in some other performances of the opera. The drama still stays alive under Jan Latham-Koenig's authoritative yet also sympathetic baton, and it is sad that that sense of life isn't in what's going on onstage.

Being somebody that did intensely dislike the staging. Just to make things clear right now, this is not coming from somebody that immediately trashes on any production that isn't traditional. There are many non-traditional productions with concepts that are actually good, because the drama still compels and doesn't miss the point and the characters and motivations are still interesting and make sense. While bringing out new things that sees different sides to certain scenes and characters. Here, for all the cast's valiant efforts, the drama was more dead than the city and does what too many non-traditional productions do. In having staging touches that constantly fall into gratuitous distaste and not just make the drama and motivations confusing but borderline incoherent as well.

No clear variation is here between what is dream and what is reality, which misses the point of the opera's message, and there are so many things that are uncomfortably bizarre, lacking in clarity (one is constantly asking what is this meant to signify and why is it here) and leave a bad taste in the mouth from the beating around the head execution. There are even completely pointless characters popping up on stage for reasons that are not obvious at all and confuse things further. The production also looks ugly, it's all non-stop gloom in an over the top grotesque way and it was like being stuck in this endless confusing nightmare. The costumes are no better, found them very garish and unintentionally creepy, making these in reality meaty characters appear like demented caricatures. One should feel sympathy for Paul in 'Die Tote Stadt', here one tires of him well before the finish. Frank in Act 2 is made up in a way that makes it impossible to take him seriously, the ridiculousness of how he looks is to be seen to be believed. The effects are a little more attractive but are distracting and add little. The ending is anything but moving or life-affirming and leaves a giant question mark instead.

Overall, musically flawless with top drawer performances but on the staging and production values front the production was like some ghastly horror film. 4/10