Opera Reviews
29 March 2024
Untitled Document

Back by popular demand and still packing a punch

by Moore Parker

Britten: Peter Grimes
Theater an der Wien
20 October 2021

Eric Cutler (Peter Grimes), Ensemble

15 years into its role as Vienna’s third full-season opera house, Theater an der Wien is including three “anniversary” productions (chosen by popular demand) to mark the event, which sees the final season of the epoch’s Artistic Director, Roland Geyer.

Christoph Loy’s 2015 production of Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grimes leads the line-up in a milestone underscored by the 2016 London International Opera Award for the year’s best production.

I described the Director’s concept in the original run with these words - which aptly hold today.

“A single steadfast bed, projected over the orchestra pit to one side, forms the cornerstone of Christof Loy’s Theater an der Wien Peter Grimes - tangible intimation of the sexuality and thwarted refuge which pervade this reading. Loy has chosen to unravel the Crabbe/Slater material to blatantly spotlight society’s potential conflict with homosexuality - as much today in certain cultures as in the post-war era in which Britten composed the role of Grimes for his tenor partner, Peter Pears.

The director and his team, Johannes Leiacker (sets), Judith Weihrauch (costumes) and Bernd Purkrabek (light designer) employ the Theater an der Wien’s entire cubic performing space, with a heavily raked stage, sparse props and subtle lighting to suggest atmosphere rather than any defined setting - paving the way for a drama which could unfold in any bigoted community. Particularly effective throughout is Loy’s and his choreographer’s (Thomas Wilhelm) ability to arrange and dramatize crowd scenes. Here, Grimes’ and Balstrode’s relationship has a distinct homoerotic aspect, which erupts at times into jealous violence and peaks as the latter enjoys sexual advances with Grimes’ young apprentice, John.

The opening scene begins with Grimes in bed - from which focal point he is interrogated and judged for the death of his apprentice boy, surrounded by village members and under the fierce scrutiny of glaring torches.

The bed pursues its Leitmotiv role for the implied sadomasochistic sexual bond between Grimes and his youth, as indeed for the unrequited Balstrode who at one point rolls back the disheveled bedding in a moment of perverse voyeurism, and again as a retreat for Ellen as she realises the futility of her hopes and dreams. In the finale as Grimes disappears downstage into a prism of light, it is Ellen who strips the bedclothes - leaving the virgin covers for Balstrode who takes up Grime’s initial position in which he too becomes the object of the villagers’ torches and scrutiny before the final blackout.

The reading is both credible and powerful, with cast members sharply defined, and (with the exception of Grimes, Balstrode and Ellen) all granted bizarrely degenerate accents.”

This revival sees the return of many of the leads, while introducing a new Grimes to Vienna - Eric Cutler.

Firstly, though, to the Arnold Schoenberg Chor, who seemed a touch reticent to begin with but who soon warmed to produce the all-so-essential contribution required in the piece. 

New to the production, two members of the Theater an der Wien Young Singers’ Ensemble - Miriam Kutrowatz and Valentina Petraeva - who played the Nieces with true aplomb and with talent pointing to evident future promise. Other outstanding newcomers included Rupert Charlesworth’s rabid Methodist (Bob Boles) - vocally biting and fiercely intense in character, Edwin Crossley-Mercer’s bouncingly-dapper Ned Keene, and a nicely-contrasted and velvet-toned Swallow by Thomas Faulkner. 

Erik Årman and Lukas Jakobksi returned with their characterful Reverend Horace Adams and the lumbering Hobson, respectively.

Both Rosalind Plowright (Mrs. Sedley) and Hanna Schwarz (Auntie) can draw upon decades of stage experience to still captivate in their cameo appearances. My words of 2015 still hold for these septuagenarian stage artists.

“Hanna Schwarz is a wonderful - almost tragic - Auntie who despite her taught cheeks, shoulder-length red wig, and slinky red dress, totters as testament to having seen better days (and presumably not a small number of double gins)! Producing steady well-intoned lines of sufficient volume to fill the house, this is quite a show in all respects  - particularly when one considers Miss Schwarz’s international career dates back to the mid-1970’s and Chéreau’s legendary centenary Bayreuth Ring. Another female Peter Pan in the business, Rosalind Plowright, is a delightful veteran hippie - a coke-sniffing scarecrow - and one guilefully eccentric, as Mrs. Sedley.”

Dancer, Gieorgij Puchalski again convinced as the rather sleazy, masochistic youth, John - intense throughout, and possibly most effective in the Balstrode seduction scene - which was superbly handled by both characters.  

And - returning as Balstrode and Ellen, Andrew Foster-Williams and Agneta Eichenholz can arguably stake claim to the most-rounded and moving portrayals of the evening. This is undoubtedly thanks to Loy’s concept and skill as a director - but obviously equally so to the performers’ insight and credulity. Both parts have witnessed more voluptuous instruments over the decades, but in this intimate setting and concept, available dynamics played little or no issue - and the respective readings as Grimes’ closeted and jealous admirer, and the yearning - yet frigid - schoolmarm remain unique and quite memorable interpretations.

Eric Cutler’s Grimes is impressive. Vocally highly-accomplished, excellently paced, full of broad dynamic options - and essentially, doing all the right things. Yet, despite its polish and quality, the performance personally gripped more intellectually than viscerally in comparison with previous interpreters - ultimately leaving something of an emotional void in response to one of opera’s most intriguing and vital characters. A great success, however - which was well-rewarded at the curtain! 

Thomas Guggeis negotiated excellent pit-to-stage co-ordination (only occasionally masking some of the lighter voices), as well as technical control over his forces - the ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien (who, incidentally also performed in the original run). A solid reading with unquestionable potential to mature, this showing adds a proud feather to the young conductor’s cap.

Text © Moore Parker
Photo © Monika Rittershaus
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