Eric Korngold: La Ville Morte à L`Opera Bastille, Paris.

With great pleasure,  we enjoyed the premiere of Eric Korngolds most beautiful opera La Ville Morte (Die Tote Stadt).

In a dreamlike regi by Willy Decker, realised by Maisje Barbara Hummel, with visual good costumes and setting by and Wolfgang Gussmann, lightning by Wolfgang Goebbel, we enjoyed very much the Wonderful voices by Robert Dean Smith as Paul and Ricarda Merbeth as Marietta. As Frank/Fritz the great baryton Stéphane Degot and as Brigitta a beautiful voice, Doris Lamprecht.

The Orchestre and Choire de L`Opera National de Paris and the whole production was conducted by Pinchas Steinberg, who showed a deep feeling for the cooperation with the voices and knowledge of the work. The Orchestra sounded great with beautiful solo parts here and there.

As the history is very slim, about a man, Paul wonderfully song by Robert Dean Smith, dreaming of his dead love, with many changes between reality and dream, it is a problem how to make it so it is rolling
. By letting it be like Paul is dreaming, and we, the audience see what he dreams, and he can still in his dream be in front of the dream picture and sing, this is working very well. In that way Willy Decker has created a good way of solving the practical stage problems; The audience loved it, as the applause confirmed.

Robert Dean Smith (Paul) killing Ricarda Merbeth (Marietta). Opéra national de Paris/ Photo: Bernd Uhlig

The choise of Robert Dean Smith as Paul, and Ricarda Merbeth as Marietta is perfect. Both these international singers are having the beautiful and big voices needed and in addition they can play the roles theatriclly which is very importent, but not allways easy, when there is a difficult singing party also to take care of at the same time. 

At the same time at Opera Bastille an exhibiton in cooperation with the Jewish Museum in Wienna is presented until November 5th. There is too a Conference at Studio Bastille Octobre 8th; and October 6th, 8th; 26th and November 5th four Chamber concerts with different programmes at Amphitheatre Bastille, to let the audiance get the possibility to being better aquaited with the music of Eric Korngold, as it is not only the beautiful and well known song by Marietta, which is worth listening to.

The face of Maria, Photo: Bernd Uhlig