Well thing wants to have while. In 1956, Harry Kupfer met the Opera “Poros” by Georg Friedrich Händel and took it upon himself to stage the piece on the India campaign of Alexander the Great one day. On Sunday his Version of the Baroque rarity had its Premiere. What tells a lot about the incredible career of this artist: 1935 born in Berlin, get copper his first appointment as a Director’s assistant in Halle / Saale. In 1958, he is senior Director in Stralsund, in Karl Marx-Stadt, Weimar and Dresden, until he gets in 1981 the Topjob for music and theatre-makers in the GDR and the chief Director of the Komische Oper. A Position he will have 21 years in. At his farewell in 2002, the house has 37 copper productions in the Repertoire.
His successor, Andreas Homoki, then, was “a big disappointment” for him, stand but for a completely different, sensual and more playful Opera exegesis. “He has played the house empty”, occurs after Harry copper in the current “Tip”magazine. With the current Director, Barrie Kosky, however, he’ll be fine and accepted the invitation, after 17 years as a guest at the Behrenstraße return. In order to stage a “Poros”, with 83 years.
as Long as he can run in a choir rehearsal, he wants to make more. Masses be differentiated in scenes, that was always his specialty. In the case of “Poros” however, he has to make do without the choir, the Opera choir. in the past few weeks along with a 120-strong Comic-Opera Team on tour with Kosky’s “the magic flute” in Australia and new Zealand
“Poros” is a chamber piece for six soloists, in front of the historical film is all about love and jealousy. Because the eponymous king is not afraid of Alexander only as a commander but also as amorous conqueror, he could relax his fiancée, Mahamaya. Of unfounded jealousy tormented, he brings himself and his people in life-threatening situations.
Harry copper would not be Harry copper, when it would urge to back the action from ancient, distant in time and transferred to the Italian Libretto by Pietro Metastasio into German – that the today’s viewer can better identify with the people and their feelings. 1731, in the world premiere of the year, “Poros”, Alexander is a British Sir, to make on behalf of the East India Company’s trade relations. Susanne Felicitas Wolf has transformed the poetic words of the original in a modern, but not anbiedernde in the spoken language, and even additional content is inserted, where in the da Capo arias, usually repeats of verses to be sung.
the Ideal of The young conductor: Jörg Halubek: dancing elegance
This fits well to the music, especially the young conductor: Jörg Halubek has worked undogmatic in the design of a version of the Work for this production. A third of the Overture the action starts, and also in the following three hours, so some time is omitted typical long-windedness. Halubek is not is one of those Old-music specialists, the my, the Baroque rhetoric had to be scarfed, in order to unfold their full effect force. Rather, a dance of elegance is his Ideal, with soft, graceful movements, he directs the orchestra of the Komische Opera in the evening. And the multi style of specialized musicians to take his impulses and are sensitive to, show up in the slow numbers, the courage to calm the pulse and breathing.
According to naturalness in the expression and not to an Effect of the fireworks, the solo sextet aims. The tender feelings of the Mahamaya for Poros formed Ruzan Mantashyan with luminous soprano to the gentle, sweeping melody lines, Dominik Köninger can the inner turmoil of the Indian ruler’s voice credible. Countertenor Eric Jurenas has Alexander with Coloratura skills, Idunnu Münch makes Poros’ sister, a strong woman, from a stranger, such as local Machos. Philipp Meierhöfers loyalty to the King is reflected in his noble Bass, Joao Fernandes sings the Schemers Timagenes adequately clamped.
Harry copper leads his characters with an old-masterly craftsmanship, knows exactly why he wants to when to connect to what movement, what is the eye contact. And yet, the staging is not working correctly. What is the appearance, for the two old copper-mates are responsible: stage designer Hans Schavernoch, with which the Director has been working since 1986, and costume designer Yan Tax, he learned in 1999, when he staged in Vienna Michael Kunze’s “Mozart”Musical.
Harry copper was from 1981 to 2002, artistic Director of the Komische Oper.Photo: Mike Wolff
At first glance the equipment looks appealing. Since the gauze curtain, which shows white is a historical jungle display in black, which is the huge screen in the stage background, changing colored views from exotic landscapes to be projected. What brought on the duration of the impression of being in an exhibition hall at the ITB in Berlin under the radio tower. Because in front of the post card motifs scurry louder characters in folklore clothes. Yan Tax has the soloists, as well as three dozen supers only lavishly kitted out, but not by their costumes characterized.
The anti-colonialist Impetus of Harry copper remains a statement
In the case of the men takes this cliché-drapery almost in the optical castration. Pale the fake Indians act in their washed-out red harem pants, just as empty of blood as the British, the tropical helmet to the khaki-colored nightlife wear uniform. The erotic crackle between cultures, is continuously in the music, scenic feel for a moment: Why should the interest of the women for this, Mr. Chen? And why has roles for the Berlin collection, although the roles of the Poros, and his Familiar from the original line-up with a Pants-mezzo-soprano and a castrato for a baritone and a Bass rewritten, just to Alexander but with a Countertenor occupied? In the personification by Eric Jurenas anything other than handsome, hence the also, and his manhood must assert in the Register of a woman’s voice.
Since it adds visually a little, and the anti-colonialist remains of the Impetus of Harry Kupfer’s claim. Because of the Europeans coming in with the best of peaceful intentions, sings constantly, and he admired the culture of the Indians, and gives them to the Happy ending, musically, the friends hand. That two crates of rifles and a pair of glasses are offered with liquor, to symbolize the future dependence of the Locals by the invaders, the interpretive refractive is pretty thin.
More about
Harry Kupfer to 80. Birthday, art is his home,
Frederik Hanssen
– again, at 29. March, 13. and 20. April, and in may and June