Comments on: Three for Regie http://www.musicalamerica.com/mablogs/?p=830 Wed, 12 Dec 2012 04:48:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.6 By: T'ront http://www.musicalamerica.com/mablogs/?p=830&cpage=1#comment-81456 T'ront Sat, 29 Jan 2011 06:25:16 +0000 http://www.musicalamerica.com/mablogs/?p=830#comment-81456 I've been reading the Cake for a while, with mixed feelings - it's fascinating to read about so many productions and get a better sense of what's happening in Europe, but his conviction that almost any literal telling of the story is inherently old-fashioned and reactionary sometimes seems like a mirror image of the old operagoer who demands nothing less than real elephants in <I>Aida.</I> (The accusation of "Kitsch" is to hardcore regie fans what "Eurotrash" is, or was, to anti-regie.) It sometimes seems to cross over into a belief that a work has no contemporary relevance unless the director makes the connection explicit. Or, to put it another way, it's not so much that he loves Bieito as that he doesn't think similar points could be made in a more literalist telling of the story. Which is fine - personal taste is personal taste - I just have to look around to try and supplement it with other bloggers who write about other elements of the European opera scene, since it's certainly not all <I>regie</I>. Indeed, one running theme that can be followed in Cake and a couple of other <I>regie</I> blogs is despair over the departure of Mortier in Paris and the arrival of Nicolas Joel, whose choice of <I>Mireille</I> to open a season and whose apparently literal staging -- though from the DVD I think it was smarter than it was given credit for -- was sort of a mission statement in favor of nostalgia, nationalism, and sweetness, and was taken by <I>regie</I> fans in that intended spirit. With that and the attempt to bring back Strehler's old <I>Figaro</I> (which, in the absence of the actual director, I find misguided), Paris seems to have its own share of battles, which not only extend to regie-vs-literal but the choice of works (which I find refreshing, since <i>regie</I> arguments often revolve around operas whose place in the repertoire no one questions). I don't know if there's an English-language blog that looks at these battles from a different angle, but it's good to know they're happening. I’ve been reading the Cake for a while, with mixed feelings – it’s fascinating to read about so many productions and get a better sense of what’s happening in Europe, but his conviction that almost any literal telling of the story is inherently old-fashioned and reactionary sometimes seems like a mirror image of the old operagoer who demands nothing less than real elephants in Aida. (The accusation of “Kitsch” is to hardcore regie fans what “Eurotrash” is, or was, to anti-regie.) It sometimes seems to cross over into a belief that a work has no contemporary relevance unless the director makes the connection explicit. Or, to put it another way, it’s not so much that he loves Bieito as that he doesn’t think similar points could be made in a more literalist telling of the story.

Which is fine – personal taste is personal taste – I just have to look around to try and supplement it with other bloggers who write about other elements of the European opera scene, since it’s certainly not all regie.

Indeed, one running theme that can be followed in Cake and a couple of other regie blogs is despair over the departure of Mortier in Paris and the arrival of Nicolas Joel, whose choice of Mireille to open a season and whose apparently literal staging — though from the DVD I think it was smarter than it was given credit for — was sort of a mission statement in favor of nostalgia, nationalism, and sweetness, and was taken by regie fans in that intended spirit. With that and the attempt to bring back Strehler’s old Figaro (which, in the absence of the actual director, I find misguided), Paris seems to have its own share of battles, which not only extend to regie-vs-literal but the choice of works (which I find refreshing, since regie arguments often revolve around operas whose place in the repertoire no one questions). I don’t know if there’s an English-language blog that looks at these battles from a different angle, but it’s good to know they’re happening.

]]> By: laddie http://www.musicalamerica.com/mablogs/?p=830&cpage=1#comment-81418 laddie Sat, 29 Jan 2011 04:20:26 +0000 http://www.musicalamerica.com/mablogs/?p=830#comment-81418 I just want to add that Opera Cake is the most reliable way to get a handle on all those European productions that just might come your way via the Web or on DVD on one website. Terrific site and source! I just want to add that Opera Cake is the most reliable way to get a handle on all those European productions that just might come your way via the Web or on DVD on one website. Terrific site and source!

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